Homework Helpers Does your child misplace assignments, leave things until the last minute, or resist sitting down to do homework? Your child's homework is important for several reasons. Homework is a way to strengthen and extend skills and concepts learned in school. Experience with homework at the primary grades can also help your child develop good study habits for the upper grades, when assignments may become more demanding. Learning to handle homwork can help your child become more organized and efficient, a plus in just about any area of life. To help your child succeed with homework, consider these tips. (Remember that homework is not only any worksheets that come home. It also includes studying spelling, sight words, math facts and phonics readers. When assigned, it includes projects as well) *Help your child set up a study space. Your child may have his or her own desk. A corner of a counter and a box for holding materials will also do. The key is to make it easy for your child to find necessary books, papers, and so on. *Help your child schedule a time each day for homework. Right after school may not be the best time, as your child may need to relax a bit. After dinner may be too close to bedtime. A good time might be during dinner preparations, when an adult is nearby to offer support. *Use a timer to help your child set goals and concentrate. FOr example, set the timer for 15 minutes. When the buzzer goes off, let your child stretch before setting the timer again. Adjust the timer to meet your child's needs. *Allow your child to ask for help. Sometimes assignments that make sense during school are unclear hours later at home. Ask your child to explain what he or she can about the assignment, then do your best to fill in the blanks. *Plan a treat that your child can look forward to when homework is finished - for example, a story you read with your chld or a game you play together.