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Pricipal's Page on Homework Help
HELPING YOUR CHILD WITH HOMEWORK
THE TIME AND THE PLACE:
1. Your attitude is crucial; let your child know that you think homework
is important.
2. Children need to relax too - play with friends, watch TV,
participate in extracurricular activities - but you may have to set the
balance of work and play. Make sure your child has plenty of time for
homework. And remember, it may be helpful to keep the TV off until work is
finished.
3. Stop and think about what goes on in your household after school.
(What time does everyone get home? Is your child tired at the end of the
day? Does he/she have more energy before or after eating?) Sit down together
with your child and try to set aside the best times for homework and other
activities.
4. Help your child choose a place to work. Some children may need to
find their own quiet place to study. Others can be more productive working
at the kitchen table.
5. If you cannot be there, you can still help. You can use the phone.
If it is difficult for your child to call you, try to set up a time when you
can call home. See if a neighbor or relative can be your back-up person.
And plan to go over any problems with your child when you can be together.
HOW MUCH SHOULD I HELP?
1. Offer to help, but DO NOT DO THE WORK FOR YOUR CHILD. Instead, try to
think of ways to help your child manage the homework. Read the assignment
with a younger child to make sure he/she understands it. Ask your child to
look over the work and decide how long he/she thinks it will take. Help
older children break long-range assignments into manageable pieces so they
don't feel overwhelmed.
2. Cut down on conflict; don't nag or argue. Recognize the limits of
your child's ability and knowledge (sometimes parents are too demanding of
their children) and be aware of the limits of your own patience (if you're
starting to get annoyed, stop for a while). If problems do arise, see if
someone else - a friend or an older child can help.
3. Make sure you offer lots of encouragement and praise! Instead of
telling your child she got an answer wrong, ask how she came up with it and
try to help her find her own mistakes.
4. Speak with the teacher if your child is still having a problem.
Teachers don't want children to fail, they want success and a positive
feeling about learning!
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