*  Reminding them to ask for help when needed, but encourage them to do the work themselves.

*  Keep homework in a special place.

*  Read and follow all directions.

*  Return homework on time

Helping Your Child With Homework -

How To Help: Talk With Someone at School To Resolve Problems

     Homework hassles can often be avoided when parents and caregivers value, monitor, and guide their children's work on assignments. But, sometimes helping in these ways is not enough. Problems can still come up. If they do, the schools, teachers, parents, and students may need to work together to resolve them.

Share Concerns With the Teacher.

You may want to contact the teacher if:

• your child refuses to do his/her assignments, even though you've tried hard to get him/her to do them;
• you can't seem to help your child get organized to finish the assignments;
• your child has missed school and needs to make up assignments.

Work With the School.

     Communication between teachers and parents is very important in solving homework problems. Here are some important things to remember:

• Talk with teachers early in the school year. Get acquainted before problems arise, and let teachers know that you want to be kept informed.
• Contact the teacher as soon as you suspect your child has a homework problem (as well as when you think he's having any major problems with his schoolwork). Schools have a responsibility to keep parents informed, and you have a right to be upset if you don't find out until report-card time that your child is having difficulties. On the other hand, sometimes parents figure out that a problem exists before the teacher does. By alerting the teacher, you can work together to solve a problem in its early stages.
• Request a meeting with the teacher to discuss homework problems. Tell the teacher briefly why you want to meet. You might say, "Rachel is having trouble with her math homework. I'm worried about why she can't finish the problems and what we might do to help her."

Don't go straight to the principal without giving the teacher a chance to work out the problem with you and your child.

• Approach the teacher with a cooperative spirit. Believe that the teacher wants to help you and your child, even if you disagree about something. It's hard to solve problems if teachers and parents view each other as enemies.

Many times homework can be structured so that a wide range of children will find assignments interesting. For example:

• Different approaches to the same topic or lesson can be offered to students;
• Extra assignments can be given to students who want more challenge; and
• Specialized assignments can be given to students having trouble in a particular area.

• While meeting with the teacher, explain what you think is going on. Also tell the teacher if you don't know what the problem is. Sometimes a child's version of what's going on isn't the same as the teacher's version. For example, your child may tell you that the teacher never explains assignments so he can understand them. But the teacher may tell you that your child isn't paying attention when assignments are given.
• Work out a way to solve or lessen the problem. The strategy will depend on what the problem is, how severe it is, and the needs of your child. For instance:
• Is the homework often too hard? Maybe your child has fallen behind and will need extra help from a teacher, parent, or tutor to catch up.
• Does your child need to make up a lot of work because of absences?
• Has your child been diagnosed with a learning disability or is one suspected? If so, you'll need to make sure your child gets extra help, and the teacher may need to adjust some assignments. 
• Does your child need extra support, beyond what home and school can give? 

Make sure communication is clear. Listen to the teacher and don't leave until you're sure you understand what's being said. Make sure, too, that the teacher understands what you have to say. If, after the meeting, you realize you don't understand something, call the teacher to doublecheck.

It may help to summarize what you've agreed to do at the end of the meeting:

OK, so to keep track of Kim's assignments, I'll check her assignment book each night and write my initials by new assignments. Each day you'll check to make sure she's written down all new assignments in her book. That way we'll be certain that I know what her assignments are.

• Follow up to make sure that the approach you agreed to is working. If the teacher told you, for example, that your child needs to spend more time practicing long division, check back in a month to talk about your child's progress.

     Homework can bring together children, parents, and teachers in a common effort to improve student learning. The younger your child is when you start to do the kinds of activities suggested in this guide, the better.

     Helping your child with homework is an opportunity to improve your child's chances of doing well in school and life. By helping your child with homework, you can help him learn important lessons about discipline and responsibility. You can open up lines of communication--between you and your child, and you and the school. You are in a unique position to help your child make connections between school work and the "real world," and thereby bring meaning (and some fun) to your child's homework experience.

    Whether you succeed in doing all of the activities suggested in this guide is not what's most important. What's most important is that you are willing to take the time and make the effort to be involved in your child's education.