In times gone by it was usual for families to gather around the dining table in the early evenings to enjoy a meal together and talk about the day’s events. It was also the perfect opportunity for a parent to answer any questions their child had about school homework. This blog discusses the top homework tips for parents, including how positivity makes a massive difference and how to set discipline.
Although research studies have shown that family mealtimes are the most conducive to solving problems and to help children in their academic studies and advancement many families nowadays simply don’t have the time or opportunity to factor this into their day to day life. When it comes to helping children with homework, or any aspect of their schooling, special efforts have to be made in order for parents to properly get together with their kids.
Time spent helping with homework provides an invaluable way for parents to identify how their child is doing in their education and what their strengths and weaknesses are. Sometimes issues can only be spotted with one to one attention and can often be easily missed by busy classroom teachers.
As many teachers and parents will attest, children are often apt to question just what homework is for. There have even been calls in some quarters for homework to be abolished. However, among other things, homework provides a useful and important lesson in time management, independence and application of effort – all qualities vital in the world of work. This is why children need help and support to understand how to learn to balance these commitments with family and social activities.
Read on to find out how parents can support their children with homework
1. Create The Right Kind of Space
Don’t let your child retreat to their bedroom. This not only means they are alone, in which case any problems they encounter can be magnified, it could also mean they don’t actually do the homework at all! The best way is to set aside space in the house where they have contact with others when they need it, but it should also be free from distractions like the TV. Make it their personal space by providing them with a new, comfortable chair for instance, and somewhere they can keep their homework essentials like books and stationary without having to keep moving them. Make sure there is good overhead lighting to avoid eye strain and headaches. Set aside time out of your day when you can focus on your child and their homework and not on any of the other tasks needing to be done.
2. Don’t Fake it!
If you don’t know the answers don’t try to pretend that you do. This will only cause confusion and cause your child to lose confidence in you. Email the teacher for clarification if needed or refer to online tutorials or even a good old encyclopaedia! Consider setting up a network of parent helpers who you know are good at particular subjects so that you can phone, text or email when you and your child are stuck for an answer.
3. Allow Them to Make Mistakes
If you can see that your child is getting an answer wrong don’t automatically swoop in with the right answer. Simply giving them the correct answer to write down won’t help them to learn and it won’t help the teacher to work out where your child is doing well or otherwise. More often than not if one child can’t understand a question there will be others in the class who don’t and leaving your child’s mistakes uncorrected can help teachers to address their teaching methods. Besides, life is about occasionally making and recognising mistakes, and that is absolutely fine.
4. Positivity Works Best
In previous decades it was common for teachers to mark homework using a big red pen which could be very discouraging for a student whose work was covered in thick red ink marks. Avoid using this method yourself when checking your child’s work. When they ask a question, use gentle, positive encouragement and hints to guide them towards working out an answer. Learning how to formulate answers and solve problems themselves, with you offering gentle encouragement, will lead them to be more confident in themselves and more trusting of your opinions.
5. Instil a Sense of Discipline
When forging a path through life, there are times when it is tempting to find an easier way or just give up altogether. However, this never benefits anyone and allowing your child to develop this attitude won’t prepare them well for future employment or further education. The key to preventing this is by insisting that they complete their homework as the teacher asks. Not only will this help to instil a good habit of work and discipline it also helps to foster a sense of pride and achievement in a good job well done and completed on time.
There will inevitably be occasions when for whatever reason your child is unable to finish their homework, and if there is a valid excuse, then a teacher is liable to show leniency and understanding. But sending in the homework accompanied by a note from you which offers no reasonable explanation will only infuriate the teacher and set a bad example to your child.
6. Be Realistic in Your Expectations
Whatever your child’s IQ and work ethic they need a realistic and reasonable amount of time in which to successfully complete any homework set for them and if this interferes with any family activities you were hoping to arrange so be it. It is lovely for children to have fun weekends and family days out to look forward to, but equally, they need to be given time to complete school work. In addition, a less frenetic family weekend can bestow an air of calm serenity to benefit all the family members.
Homework can be stressful for kids, but this is one area where parents can play a very vital and active part in helping children through the stresses and strains of education and help them advance through school.
