What can you do to help?
It is important for you to start to encourage independence in your
5th grader when it comes to
doing homework. In school, I allow the students time to write down the
homework for the night, as
well as upcoming due dates and tests. The best thing you can do at home is:
• Find a spot in the house, preferable at a desk and FAR AWAY
from the television that will
become the “homework spot”. Stock the area with all the
materials your child might need to
complete assignments (ex: pencils, pens, rulers, computer,
paper, markers, erasers…).
• Set a specific time that homework will be complete each and
every day. This will foster a
sense of routine and structure that, believe it or not, your
child will appreciate! Make this time
a priority and if it needs to change because of other
activities, discuss a new time with your
child.
• Give your child the support he or she needs while encouraging
independence. If possible, stay
in the same room and work on anything you need to
accomplish. Offer praise for completed
tasks. Talk them through difficult tasks and encourage them
to talk to me if they do not
understand something. If I know there is a problem, I can
try to fix it!
• Check to see if the homework was completed. Help your child
to make sure that his or her
backpack is packed with the textbooks, notebooks, and
homework that was brought home
that day. Mornings can be hectic, so doing this before
bedtime could save some time and
tears the next morning!
• Teaching and modeling organizational skills is the number one
thing you can do to help your
child learn good study habits.
Homework is your child’s responsibility. You can assist them and guide them
as necessary. It is your child’s responsibility to complete and bring
homework to school. Make them accountable for their learning. Our goal is
to have them become self-regulated learners!