• TO DO OR NOT TO DO HOMEWORK? 

    Homework can have many benefits for young children. It can improve remembering and understanding of schoolwork. Homework can help students develop study skills that will be of value even after they leave school. It can teach them that learning takes place anywhere, not just in the classroom. Homework can benefit children in more general ways as well. It can foster positive character traits such as independence and responsibility. Homework can teach children how to manage time. Homework, if not properly assigned and monitored, can also have negative effects on children. Educators and parents worry that students will grow bored if they are required to spend too much time on schoolwork. Homework can prevent children from taking part in leisure-time and community activities that also teach important life skills. Homework can lead to undesirable character traits if it promotes cheating, either through the copying of assignments or help with homework that goes beyond tutoring.

     

    HOW CAN PARENTS HELP WITH HOMEWORK?

    Research shows that parent involvement can have either a positive or negative impact on the value of homework. Parent involvement can be used to accelerate a child’s learning. Homework can involve parents in the school process. It can enhance parents’ appreciation of education. It can give them an opportunity to express positive attitudes about the value of success in school. But parent involvement may also interfere with learning. For example, parents can confuse children if the teaching techniques they use differ from those used in the classroom. Parent involvement in homework can turn into parent interference if parents complete tasks that the child is capable of completing alone. 2 Homework Tips For Parents When mothers and fathers get involved with their children’s homework, communication between the school and family can improve. It can clarify for parents what is expected of students. It can give parents a firsthand idea of what students are learning and how well their child is doing in school. Research shows that if a child is having difficulty with homework, parents should become involved by paying close attention. They should expect more requests from teachers for their help. If a child is doing well in school, parents should consider shifting their efforts to providing support for their child's own choices about how to do homework. Parents should avoid interfering in the independent completion of assignments.

  • READING HOMEWORK TIPS FOR PARENTS

    ✪ Have your child read aloud to you every night.

    ✪ Choose a quiet place, free from distractions, for your child to do his nightly reading assignments.

    ✪ As your child reads, point out spelling and sound patterns such as cat, pat, hat.

    ✪ When your child reads aloud to you and makes a mistake, point out the words she has missed and help her to read the word correctly.

    ✪ After your child has stopped to correct a word he has read, have him go back and reread the entire sentence from the beginning to make sure he understands what the sentence is saying.

    ✪ Ask your child to tell you in her own words what happened in a story.

    ✪ To check your child‘s understanding of what he is reading, occasionally pause and ask your child questions about the characters and events in the story.

    ✪ Ask your child why she thinks a character acted in a certain way and ask your child to support her answer with information from the story.

    ✪ Before getting to the end of a story, ask your child what he thinks will happen next and why

     

  • MATH HOMEWORK TIPS FOR PARENTS

    ✪ Encourage your child to use a daily math assignment book.

    ✪ Follow the progress your child is making in math. Check with your child daily about his homework.

    ✪ If you don‘t understand your child‘s math assignments, engage in frequent communication with his or her teacher.

    ✪ If your child is experiencing problems in math, contact the teacher to learn whether he or she is working at grade level and what can be done at home to help improve academic progress.

    ✪ Use household chores as opportunities for reinforcing math learning such as cooking and repair activities.

    ✪ Try to be aware of how your child is being taught math, and don‘t teach strategies and shortcuts that conflict with the approach the teacher is using. Check in with the teacher and ask what you can do to help. Ask the teacher about online resources that you can use with your child at home.

    ✪ At the beginning of the year, ask your child‘s teacher for a list of suggestions that will enable you to help your child with math homework.