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Education

HOMEWORK--It’s Kids’ Work
By Carol Josel

Homework—it’s not just for kids anymore. Parents and teachers have always been around to help, but now there are a few added twists. First is the Internet pouring out answers to all our questions, and essays and research papers, too. Talk about putting teachers on guard! Meanwhile, countless parents are crossing the line from making certain schoolwork is done to moving their kids aside and doing it for them. Really. One mom I spoke to actually told me that she used to battle over homework, but she does most of it for her kids now because it’s easier.

I kid you not; that’s what she said—and she’s got company. But such risky behavior undermines children’s confidence and accountability, far too high a price for “peace in the house,”

So, for starters, make education your household’s top priority, putting it above all else, including sports. Then stand aside and put homework back on your child’s desk and off yours. After school, send your child out for some physical activity to recharge energy and focus, following up with some end-of-day talk and a healthy snack, such as peanut butter smeared apple slices. Then get your child working. He can complete the hardest subject first and then move to the easier assignments next in a quiet, well-lit place. For many, that’s the kitchen table instead of a distraction-filled bedroom. Meanwhile, keep a stock of these school supplies handy: a poster board, a dictionary, thesaurus, daily newspaper, pencil sharpener, and three-hole punch. Then oversee homework, don’t do it—even when everybody’s tired and you know the answer, could get it done so quickly, and could make it right. Instead, try these steps to getting it done right all the time:

1. Check your child’s assignment book faithfully to be in the know.

2. Have teachers sign the homework book daily if assignments are often unrecorded.

3. Make sure all assignments are completed accurately and then placed in a homework folder. 

4. Don’t buy into the “We have no homework tonight” or “I did it all in school.” Insist on seeing the work, regardless of when or where it was done.

5. Engage your child in taking textbook notes, making flashcards, and reviewing when there’s no written assignment.

6. Switch off all CD and MP3 players, video games, and televisions. Meanwhile, screen phone calls to avoid homework interruptions. This is quiet time for the entire household.

7. Encourage short breaks (phone calls, snack, exercise, favorite TV show) between assignments—never in the middle of one. For hour-long programs, your child can watch half and record the rest for later viewing.

8. When you can’t help sort out a homework question or problem, have your child call a classmate or see the teacher the next morning. If this continues, contact the teacher.

9. When absent, your child should call a classmate to collect missed work and then arrange to pick it up. Schools don’t usually collect work until after three consecutive absences.

Now, keep on supporting your child’s efforts, never undermining them by taking over. For instance, when asked to proofread papers, first insist that she reads the piece out loud several times beforehand to self-discover punctuation, grammar, spelling, and content errors. Then, instead of making the corrections yourself, lightly place a checkmark in the margin beside the corresponding line. One check means one error on that line, two checks equals two errors, etc. For catching misspellings, your child should read the piece backward—starting with the very last word, thus isolating spelling from content. Meanwhile, check all assignments; if anything’s incomplete or sloppy, hand it back for a redo. Finally, when it comes to test prep, orally quiz your child after he has already engaged in repeated review sessions that include studying flash cards and two-column notes—alone and out loud. Recitation is a powerful tool, engaging several senses at once, thus making remembering more likely.

Then all along the way, do your best to guide, support, and encourage. Be curious about what’s being taught, asking “What did you find out about today?” instead of “How was school today?” Talk frequently about these topics and learning, too. See homework as an extension of the classroom and an opportunity to practice skills and prepare for tests—not a battlefield. And, since failure is quite impossible if accurately completed homework is always turned in, promote a can-do, Little Engine That Could attitude, praising hard work and celebrating improvement. Then, when all is said and done, set a reasonable bedtime with reading part of the nighttime ritual. With the reins firmly in your child’s hands, you can get some rest, too.

Carol Josel is a freelance writer and teacher from Blue Bell, Pa.