Parent's Guide To Solving Homework Problems - Part 10

SOLUTIONS FROM SCHOOL

When parents, teachers and the school work together, solutions can usually be found in just one or two conferences.

Contact the teacher if you notice consistent errors in one subject area or if homework is becoming an on-going struggle.

Be prepared to describe the negative behaviors or habits of your child to the teacher.

Schools have specialist staff (Psychologists, Councillors, Learning Assistance Teachers, etc.)  who are equipped to provide support and solutions.

If necessary, homework assignments can be modified by the teacher to help your child stay on a curriculum track and provide him the opportunity for success.

The success that a child experiences through modification of assignments helps to promote self-confidence and increase self-esteem.

With specialized help, your child can develop an “I Can” attitude and as success is achieved the level of expectations can be slowly increased.

Homework should always be a beneficial exercise – not a make work project.  The material should always be work that was introduced and explained in class – if your child seems to not have a clue how to do the work then this is most likely an indication that he was not paying attention in class or the material is too difficult.

part 11 to follow...

Parent's Guide To Solving Homework Problems - Part 9

Determining The Problem - HELPLESS SYNDROME

The helpless syndrome is characterized by a child who places little faith in her own abilities. She exhibits a lack of confidence and frequently asks her parents for assistance.

While a child should feel free to ask parents when a difficulty with homework is encountered, there is a point at which the requests for help are too frequent and unnecessary.

You can begin to remedy this behaviour by setting an amount of time – say 10-15 minutes – and tell the child that they have to do all the work they can by themselves in that time. If they encounter difficulties they are to move onto the next question and wait for you to come and see what they have accomplished.

Once you have the child working in small blocks of time on their own, slowly increase the amount of time, but now let them come to you after the block of time is over if they have questions or need help. You will still need to set a reasonable time for them to work independently and attempt the assignment before asking questions.

You are there to support them – not do it for them.

Remember, you still have to check the quality, quantity and neatness of the work. Do not accept work that is lacking in any of these three areas.

If your child comes to you with a question that you know they could answer themselves, do not chastise them – instead ask questions that will help them to come up with the answer, then say, “See how you solved this question? Next time try to use this way to find the answer yourself.”

The solutions offered above are simple to initiate – the real difficulty is maintaining the routine, being consistent and retaining your patience and sense of humor.

part 10 to follow...

More Tips For Homework Help

 Are you and your child struggling with homework? Are homework issues ruining your evenings? Are you looking for ways to make homework less of a problem for both you and your child?

Here is a link to 30 possible ways to alleviate homework stress:

http://www.nannypro.com/blog/30-blogs-with-tips-for-homework-help/

Homework Tips For Parents #2

Many parents have the expectation that their child's homework should consist of studying spelling lists, completing arithmetic questions or doing some other form of rote exercise. Unfortunately, these kinds of homework assignments do little to tie children's school learning to what is happening in their daily lives. This article will outline some homework tips parents and families can use at home to help their children make those all-important connections.

Reading

This is the single, most effective way for children to develop good language skills and, at the same time, it is an effective way for them to learn interesting facts about the world around them and relationships. Children should read at least 15 to 20 minutes a night - preferably with an adult. When parents read books, together with their child, they can facilitate the child's understanding of difficult concepts and vocabulary. Try to choose books from a variety of genres such as fiction, non-fiction, poetry, mysteries, and science fiction, to name a few. Reading lists for age groups and grade levels can be easily found on the internet or at the local library.

Writing

Writing skills are usually the most difficult set of skills for the average student to master. Writing is the culmination of good language and speaking skills applied to the writer's knowledge base. Like any other skill, writing does require practice - a lot of practice. While these skills are taught in class, there simply are not enough hours in the school day to provide the amount of practice that is needed to develop all the writing skills necessary to develop confidence and succeed in school. There are a number of fun and valuable activities parents can do with their children at home. For example, a parent can encourage their child to write the weekly shopping list, write emails to friends and family members, keep a journal and even create their own greeting cards for special occasions. Helping your child to create and maintain their own, personal dictionary goes a long way to helping the child develop a sophisticated vocabulary. Most important is that the parent shows an interest in the child's writings and use the material as a means to carry on discussions (and even debates) about the content.

Mathematics

There are dozens of home activities that will help your child to develop facility with numbers. Again, the secret here is to be consistent, regular and interested in what your child is doing. Use the shopping list and a recent grocery store flyer to develop a projected cost of the week's groceries. Understanding measurement and capacity is made much easier when activities centre on carpentry, sewing or cooking.Of course, we cannot forget board games, many of which are excellent for reinforcing number skills and problem solving strategies.

Social Studies

By the age of 7 or 8, children are starting to develop an awareness of the world. Discussions about what is happening in other parts of the world are great springboards to mapping, social customs, languages and geography. A wall map can be used to locate and pinpoint places in the news and calculate distances between foreign lands and home. A travel journal is an excellent way to encourage your child to become more observant when on vacation. All of these activities involve the practice of important academic skills and, at the same time, make excellent souvenirs.

Communication

Good communication skills are essential, not only for success in school, but also for success in life. It is vital that a child learn how to express their thoughts and ideas in a manner that is easily understood by others. The activities listed above are perfect for setting an atmosphere that leads seamlessly into conversation. Avoid questions that require just one word answers. The classic is the question, "What did you do in school today?" and the answer, "Nothing." Instead, ask specific questions about what happened in a particular class or in a certain activity, field trip or recent assignment. Remember, if your child is reluctant to talk with you, then the first place you should look for improvement is at yourself. If you have a genuine interest in your child's world, then conversation should flow naturally. Once you and your child are at ease with conversations on a variety of subjects, then you are well on your way to providing a platform that benefits all members of the family - especially during the critical teenage years.

This article provides only few of the countless methods for helping your child with their homework and facilitating the development of sound communication skills. The more creative you are with ways to help your child, the more you both will benefit and enjoy family life.

For more information on Homework Tips For Parents, use this link

Homework Tips For Parents #1

Here is a checklist for helping your child with homework:

    It is important to set aside a unique, quiet place with sufficient lighting.
    Keep necessary supplies such as paper, pencils, pens, markers, rulers, in the homework area.
    Have a regular time each day to do homework.
    Help your child to regularly use organizational tools such as a school planner, calendar, and folders. This is especially important When they are assigned larger projects that require a few days or weeks to complete, help them to schedule their time and break the assignment into manageable pieces.

    Questions you should ask your child:

        What are today's homework assignments?
        Do you understand the directions and what you have to do? If not, suggest that they call a classmate to get things straight.
        When is the assignment due?
        When it is a major project, encourage them to create a work plan to ensure it is completed on time.?

    Other ways to help:

        Always be positive, supportive and encouraging. Keep your eye open for ways your child can improve their homework skills.
        Don't forget: it is your child's homework, not yours, so do not try to take control - you are a supporter not a director.
        Show confidence in your child. If necessary, when they are feeling a unsure, remind them of past successes.
        Show interest and praise them when they have done something well.
        Always make suggestions in a helpful, positive way.
        Meet the teacher early in the year and make yourself familiar with homework policies and expectations.
        Call the teacher if there are homework problems you can't resolve. Do it early, rather than later before it becomes a major issue.
   
Children learn both in and out of school. Outside of school they learn things at home and in their surrounding community. Children also learn a great deal from their parents, who are important partners in the learning process. Positive parental involvement can help make school a successful learning experience for children. Parental interest sends a strong message to children - that education is important, and that learning can be fun and worth the effort.

Homework is assigned by teachers for a variety of reasons. It gives students extra practice time, apply information learned in class and help them expand their knowledge beyond what was learned in class. Assignments are also a good way for students to learn to work independently. Homework assignments can also help students learn how to manage and work on bigger projects, learn about other resources and visit libraries.

For more information on homework tips for parents use this link