Written By Karen Kohn
Parents often see their children’s performance in school as a direct reflection on them.
“As parents,” said Principal Martin Tierney of Manchester Elementary, “we all feel that way, we can’t help it.”
“When it comes to homework,” said Tierney, “parents should provide a consistent time and place for homework. They need to show value in the purpose of the homework and be available to the child when needed, encouraging responsibility and independence.”
The purpose of homework is to make students think about what they have learned in the classroom; review it so they can comprehend concepts and recall the information later.
“A few years ago,” recalled New Windsor Middle School Principal Donald P. Bell, “a parent called me saying that her son used to be a model child in elementary school. He was polite and did his homework and chores without being asked. Now he was moody and talking back, his hair was in his eyes all the time and he didn’t want to do his homework. All he wanted to do was listen to music on his headphones and play video games. She wanted to know what we had done to her son. Well, he became an adolescent.
“Parents sometimes think that the beginning of middle school is a good time to leave school work up to kids and provide less supervision,” a kind of Ôlet them sink or swim’ approach. Most will sink,” she said.
Bell recommends staying involved in your childrens’ assignments. Ask about homework every day, including Friday. During dinner, discuss what they are learning in class or ask about what is happening in a club they may have joined. Be matter of fact, not lecturing or testing. This will not only help your child see that you are interested but will also help you stay in control of and in touch with his life.
School progress reports help parents stay in touch with teachers and keep a child on track with assignments and grades. Parents can ask teachers to e-mail or send home a bi-weekly or monthly report that shows where their child’s grade stands and lists assignments and test scores, as well as missing assignments.
“Having an open line of communication with a child’s teacher is most important,” said Tierney. “Is the child struggling in a subject? What kind of help is the parent giving the student at home that might aid the teacher at school? Whenever a parent is active in a child’s education, the student is always more confident and successful.”
Here are some tips:
- Give your children a chance to relax when they come home. Let them grab a snack and unwind for a set period of time, say 30 minutes, before doing homework. Starting homework close to the time when children come home from school, they will continue in school mode; wait too long and it will be harder for them to get back into gear.
- Make homework part of a routine. Have your child do homework at the same time every day. Getting your child to do homework is easier when it becomes a routine task.
- Establish a homework spot that is quiet, well lit, has plenty of work space and is devoid of distractions; that means no television or ipod.
- Create a homework supply basket. Having useful homework tools such as pens, pencils, glue, scissors, calculator, dictionary, thesaurus and writing paper within reach prevents wandering.
- Be available if your child needs help. Have the child work in close proximity to you so he or she can ask questions. Help in a calm manner; put yourself in the child’s shoes. If you are not around at homework time, recruit an older sibling to help out; it not only gives the older sibling a little review but also boosts the older child’s self confidence. There is also the option of hiring a tutor or taking advantage of after school programs that provide homework help.
- Check to see that your child has completed the entire homework assignment. Ask if there were any problems or questions.
- Look through your child’s agenda or assignment book every day, including Friday. Many schools provide agenda books to students to help them record assignments and stay on track. Teachers use the book to write notes to parents and remind students of special projects. If your child tends to forget homework at school, ask the teacher to work with you to organize a homework folder.
- Give your child something to look forward to. Once homework is completed, let the child have some downtime, such as playing with friends, going on a family walk or watching television.
- Talk regularly with your child’s teachers, stay informed with progress reports and volunteer in the classroom. The more involved you are in your child’s education, the better he or she will perform in school.
