Homework Tips for Parents
1. Find out if your child should take a break before doing homework or if they are the kind of child who needs to get it done right away.
2. Give your child a healthy, protein snack: a sandwich, peanut butter and celery, cheese and crackers along with some fruit, etc. Sugary and salty snacks do not recharge the child as do those with more protein.
3. Don't have the TV or video games going in the background. They can be very distracting and make it difficult for your student to focus and concentrate.
4. The child should take a break after each subject is done. Have them set a timer for 5-10 minutes. When the buzzer rings, it's back to work. If they can stretch or run around and blow some steam off, that would be beneficial.
5. Do not EVER do your child's homework for them. Be there to provide guidance only for your child. Although correcting is a temptation, if it is done consistently, the teacher will never know that your child is having difficulty either with the subject matter or with working independently.
6. Provide a two-pocket homework folder for your child. Store this inside a three-ring binder. Place homework to be done in one pocket. The other is for homework that is completed. When the teacher asks for homework, it is always in the same place and your student will be able to hand it in consistently.
7. Make sure the student uses an assignment book. Writing down homework is the first step to making sure it gets done.
8. Have all the materials a child needs in one place. A large tackle box, for instance, can store all the things children need: glue, scissors, erasers, pencils, crayons, paper, etc.
9. If the child takes much longer on assignments than is suggested, alert the teacher so that you can figure out what is happening and why.
10. If the child consistently gets homework done much faster than suggested, also let the teacher know. It could be that your child is rushing and the quality of work is not adequate, or it could be that your child is not being challenged enough.
