How To Help With Homework

Let your child know that you think education is important and so homework has to be done. Here are some ways to help your child:

Have a special place for your child to study. The homework area doesn’t have to be fancy. A desk in the bedroom is nice, but the kitchen table or a corner of the living room also works just fine. The area should have good lighting, and it should be fairly quiet. Provide pencils, pens, erasers, writing paper and a dictionary. Other helpful supplies might include a stapler, paper clips, maps, calculator, pencil sharpener, tape, glue, scissors, a ruler, index cards, a thesaurus and an almanac. If you can’t provide your child with all of the supplies he needs, check with her teacher, school counselor or principal about possible sources of assistance.

Set a regular time for homework. Having a regular time to do homework helps children to finish assignments. A good schedule depends in part on your child’s age and specific needs. Work with a young child to develop a schedule, but give your older child the responsibility for making up a schedule independently – although you’ll want to make sure that it’s workable. You may find it helpful to have her write out the schedule and put it in a place where you’ll see it often, such as on the refrigerator.

Remove distractions. Turn off the TV and discourage your child from making and receiving telephone calls, e-mails and texts during homework time. If you live in a small or noisy household, try having all family members take part in a quiet activity during homework time. You may need to take a noisy toddler outside or into another room to play. If you can’t avoid distractions, your child may want to complete assignments in the local library.

One final note: You may be reluctant to monitor your child’s homework because you feel that you don’t know the subject well enough. But helping with homework doesn’t mean doing the homework for him – it’s about supporting him to do his best. Show that you are interested, help him get organized, provide a quiet study place and the materials he needs to work, monitor his work to see that he completes it and praise his efforts. If your child is having an especially difficult time with any subject, please contact the teacher.