How to help with homework

Preparing for homework
Be positive about the necessity of doing homework assignments and planning personal study-time. The catch phrase "lifelong learning" is more than just a phrase; it stresses the most important part of education "learning how to learn." A parent's negative comment, such as "I wouldn't do this assignment either" or "Does your teacher think we have nothing else to do at night?" removes the responsibility for learning from the individual child and turns it back to something imposed from "outside," by the teacher and the school system.

But homework is of little value at any age if every school night turns into a "fight night" at home. Many children argue with their parents from time to time about whether they're doing enough homework or independent study, but when the fights become routine, it's time to take action.

Schedule daily time for homework. During that scheduled time, your child must stop all other activities and concentrate on the assignments. If your child rushes through so that her homework is often messy or incomplete, set a specific number of minutes for the homework. If she gets her math done in five minutes but it's sloppy, let your child know you expect her to spend the rest of the allotted 20-minute homework time reading or writing.

• If your child dawdles over his homework so that he never seems to finish in the time frame, suggest an activity he enjoys for you and him to do after he's finished the homework so that he'll work more quickly.

• Set up a study area for him that's free of distractions. The kitchen table is fine, as long as other family members respect his "quiet" time.

• Create a homework survival kit, and put an end to the timewasting search for school supplies. In a shoe box or other container, place the supplies she needs to do assignments: pencils, sharpener, eraser, pens, ruler, tape, scissors, markers, and perhaps a dictionary appropriate to her age. Have available a supply of different kinds of paper: loose-leaf paper, graph paper, unlined paper, Bristol board, construction paper.

• Avoid over-scheduling your child with outside activities on school nights. If your child finds it difficult to fit homework in between bagpipe lessons and soccer, perhaps it's time to cut back.

• Teach your child time management skills along with research skills. Show her how to tackle major projects by listing the main stages and individual steps necessary to complete them. She'll get a sense of accomplishment from checking off each step as she completes it: Monday: Get books from the library. Tuesday: Read and make notes. Wednesday: Write a first-draft copy. Thursday: Revise the writing and do the illustrations.

• Show your interest in your child's progress by reading his homework when he's finished, and give him a pat on the back for a job well done.