Homework

Selected and reprinted from Learning to Learn, by Carolyn Olivier and Rosemary Bowler, with the permission of Simon and Schuster. Revised 1998.

Whether or not parents should help with homework and if they do what kinds of help are appropriate are concerns that every family faces. In the best of all possible worlds, all teachers would give for homework only assignments that reinforce the material and the skills they have taught and for which the students have demonstrated enough mastery to proceed independently. In the real world, however, students often have assignments that call for self-teaching or assume a mastery level they do not have. When parents discuss assignments and work with their children they gain a good sense what they can do independently and what problems they are encountering. This, in turn, forms the basis for constructive discussions with teachers and other school personnel.

Conditions, such as large class sizes and diminishing resources, over which teachers have no control, make it difficult for them to give individualized homework assignments. Most teachers are able and willing to make adjustments in assignments for students with learning differences. But no matter how well teachers prepare and present homework assignments, how much consideration they give to the individual learning levels and needs of their students, or how open they are to modifying their requirements, the burden of responsibility for homework remains with the student and the home.

Here are some practical guidelines and concrete ways parents can support their children, so they can meet their responsibilities for homework.

Homework Guidelines for Parents
What is the Right Environment for Homework?
Typical Kinds of Homework Problems
Specific Ways To Help

Homework Guidelines for Parents

There are many possible variations in the ways parents can provide positive support for their children in the area of homework. Perhaps the most important things to do are these:

1. Create a positive climate to support homework completion.
2. Observe carefully before deciding what the problems are or what help is needed.
3. Work with the child to identify the "weak links" in the "homework chain."
4. Understand the kinds of difficulties the child is having when he is doing homework.
5. Communicate difficulties as specifically and clearly as possible to teachers.
6. Develop a "team" approach to homework difficulties whenever possible, where teacher, child, and parent have defined roles and responsibilities.
7. Develop strategies to address the specific difficulties the child is having.
8. Don't do for the child what he can do for himself.
9. Model good work habits. Read or do desk work while your child is doing homework so that you are "modeling," not just "monitoring."
10. Seek help from teachers or counselors if homework develops into a battleground.

The Right Homework Environment

Nowhere are the rewards for establishing habits and routines greater than in the area of homework. Parents can help children develop these habits by providing a regular time for doing homework, a place where they can work, and an environment that promotes work completion.

Here are some factors that contribute to a productive homework environment:

Space
Students need a clear, uncluttered, open place to set out their materials and supplies for homework. A kitchen table is usually a better workspace than a desk covered with models, projects, and collections.

Position
Many students are unaware of simple adjustments they can make to increase their comfort and energy while working. A relaxed, tripod pencil grip, and alert, comfortable upright position in a chair and workspace of appropriate height help sustain energy for work.

Insulation
Adequate lighting which does not produce glare supports homework completion. Inadequate lighting can contribute to mental fatigue and eye strain.

Lighting
Students homework location should be "insulated" from the TV, phone, Internet, and other distractions. For some students, familiar music played quietly provides "insulation."

Necessities
All the necessary study materials - paper, rulers, erasers, colored pencils, markers, 3 by 5 cards, stapler, paper clips, dictionary, thesausus, or other supplies can be kept together on a shelf or in a drawer or plastic container.

Time
Students need a regular time to study which respects their need to have a break from school, and to have time to relax before bedtime. Right after dinner is often a good choice.

Typical Kinds of Homework Problems

In many families, homework develops into a sore spot. Here are some typical reasons why children have trouble with their homework:

The student lacks the basic skills required to do the assignment.
Sometimes, assignments assume that the student has mastered a skill when, in fact, he has not. As a result, he may spend most of his homework time struggling with the skill involved and thus be unable to pay sufficient attention to the substance of the assignment. An example of this would be an assignment requires the student to prepare written answers to questions about a short story. The purpose of the assignment is to see how well the student understands the story and to encourage critical thinking. But the student who has not mastered the skill of writing complete sentences may not be able to complete the assignment, even though he could easily demonstrate (by answering questions orally) that he comprehends the story and has thought about it critically.

The student is required to apply new information that he does not yet fully understand.
Math and science assignments in particular may require the student to apply formulas or carry out procedures that he has been introduced to but does not yet comprehend. Or as he attempts to complete an assignment involving long division, for example, his lack of understanding may lead him to practice incorrectly. Repeatedly practicing in this way may fix in his memory a flawed procedure, which later must be removed and replaced by the correct one.

The student may be able to do the work, but finds the volume of work assigned too great.
Although many students have trouble with long assignments, this is a particular area for students who process information slowly, or who have trouble expressing themselves in writing. They can be overwhelmed by assignments that include numerous questions or problems, or extend over lengthy periods of time.

The student may have trouble following directions or have difficulty understanding the assignment.
Students may be unable to begin an assignment, even if the work otherwise makes reasonable demands on their skills. Students who have trouble following clear directions may be hopelessly lost if directions are not clear.

The student has difficulty paying attention and ignoring distractions.
Students may have difficulty with the functions which support learning - maintaining alertness, knowing what to pay attention to, ignoring internal and external distractions, sustaining attention and staying on task, and monitoring and checking their work.

The student may be disorganized with his assignments and materials.
Students who have trouble keeping track of assignments and locating and bringing home the necessary materials, will be unable to complete their homework successfully. It is useful to identify the weak links in "The Homework Chain," the series of tasks the child needs to perform to complete homework successfully.

The Homework Chain
In school, the student
1. Writes the assignment in his assignment notebook
2. asks for clarification of the assignment if necessary
3. brings assignment notebook home
4. brings all necessary materials home

At home, the student
5. starts homework
6. finishes homework
7. checks homework
8. organizes all materials (assignment notebook, completed assignment, all materials) into backpack

Back in school, the student
1. brings backpack and materials to school
2. and to class hands homework in

Specific Ways To Help With Homework

Appropriate help with homework starts with careful observations. Before parents start to help with homework, it is important for them to remember that they should provide help that addresses "weak links" in their child's performance and that they should not do things which the child is capable of doing himself. Children generally resent being supervised or helped in areas where they are competent.

When you have a good idea of why your child is having such a hard time with homework, speak with his teacher, describing what you have observed as specifically as possible. As with any school-related problem, the ideal approach is a team approach in which the student, teacher, and parent work together to find a solution. The potential for the parent and child to get in battles over homework is minimized when the parent is part of a team and has a defined role that the child understands.

Here are some guidelines you may find useful whether you are working alone or as part of a team:

1. Identify the parts of the assignment that cause the most difficulty and address them specifically.

• Coach the student who has trouble paying attention or following directions at the beginning and ending stages of the assignment, and, if the assignment runs over a period of time, at checkpoints along the way.
• Be available to spell words for a child who has not made spelling and the mechanics of writing automatic, so that he can maintain the flow of his thoughts while he writes.
• If your child has weak fine motor control which interferes with his handwriting, consider serving as his secretary for one section of a long writing assignment by recording, for example, the ideas he comes up with in a brainstorming session.

2. If his problems are the result of poor skills (for example, lack of mastery of the multiplication table or of spelling rules), ask if his teacher can send home individualized regular practice in these areas. Students who do not master basic skills in elementary school seldom get additional practice in secondary school. With guidance from teachers you can engage your child in the frequent short practice sessions he needs. Explore whether testing, tutoring or other support is appropriate. Students whose basic skills lag behind their grade level and academic potential experience chronic frustration and difficulty with work completion.

3. If your child consistently has difficulty understanding the content and concepts in his assignments, notify his teacher promptly. Perhaps he needs accommodations, such as extended time to complete work, academic support from a school specialist, or tutoring. Without appropriate help, this child runs the risk of getting so far behind his classmates that it will be almost impossible for him to catch up.

4. If your child frequently is unable to complete all of his assignments when they are due, keep track of how much time he spends on each of them. Try to determine whether one specific subject is particularly troublesome or whether the problem is more generalized. Check with his teachers to see if they are willing to adjust the amount of homework given (for example, assigning 15 rather than 30 long division problems) or limit the time he spends on any particular subject.

5. Particularly if organization is a problem for the student, help him to learn and understand his role in homework completion.

• Encourage him to copy assignments for each class legibly in an organized form in an assignment notebook.
• Get him in the habit of seeking clarification from the teacher if he is unsure of an assignment. This could involve a regular "check-in" with the teacher about the assignment at the close of each class.
• Guide him to accept responsibility for putting the assignment notebook in a book bag or backpack that he carries back and forth from school every day.
• Encourage him to set aside a short time at the end of the school day to review his assignments and check to see that he has the required materials.

6. If your child cannot sustain attention and work independently, establish a schedule which includes the time he must work on his own before asking for help or which includes times when you will be available to help him. By asking him about his assignments before he begins to work you can determine whether or not he understands what he is supposed to do. Discuss with him the kinds of help you will give him and the things you expect him to do on his own. It is also a good idea to schedule some breaks and to limit the number of times he spontaneously interrupts himself ("I've got to get a drink," "I just have to call Dave and ask him how much he has finished").

7. Show by your actions that you value good work habits. If you can, spend some time with desk work or reading while your child is doing homework.

© 2002 Hello Friend / Ennis William Cosby Foundation. All rights reserved.