09-09-09
Welcome to 1st grade!
General Homework Tips for Parents from the Dept. of Education
Make sure your child has a quiet, well-lit place to do homework.
Avoid having your child do homework with the television on or in places with
other distractions, such as people coming and going.
Make sure the materials your child needs, such as paper, pencils and a
dictionary, are available.
Ask your child if special materials will be needed for some projects and get
them in advance.
Help your child with time management.
Establish a set time each day for doing homework. Don't let your child leave
homework until just before bedtime. Think about using a weekend morning or
afternoon for working on big projects, especially if the project involves
getting together with classmates.
Be positive about homework.
Tell your child how important school is. The attitude you express about
homework will be the attitude your child acquires.
When your child does homework, you do homework.
Show your child that the skills they are learning are related to things you
do as an adult. If your child is reading, you read too. If your child is
doing math, balance your checkbook.
When your child asks for help, provide guidance, not answers.
Giving answers means your child will not learn the material. Too much help
teaches your child that when the going gets rough, someone will do the work
for him or her.
When the teacher asks that you play a role in homework, do it.
Cooperate with the teacher. It shows your child that the school and home are
a team. Follow the directions given by the teacher.
If homework is meant to be done by your child alone, stay away.
Too much parent involvement can prevent homework from having some positive
effects. Homework is a great way for kids to develop independent, lifelong
learning skills.
Stay informed.
Talk with your child's teacher. Make sure you know the purpose of homework
and what your child's class rules are.
Help your child figure out what is hard homework and what is easy homework.
Have your child do the hard work first. This will mean he will be most alert
when facing the biggest challenges. Easy material will seem to go fast when
fatigue begins to set in.
Watch your child for signs of failure and frustration.
Let your child take a short break if she is having trouble keeping her mind
on an assignment.
Reward progress in homework.
If your child has been successful in homework completion and is working hard,
celebrate that success with a special event (e.g., pizza, a walk, a trip to
the park) to reinforce the positive effort.