Tips on Homework

Try them and let us know what worked.

Most children need a quiet and well-lit area to do homework. Not always! Some can concentrate with music in the background while singing along. How can that be true? No one knows. There are different learning styles for different kids.

Some kids learn well by sitting down and doing it all at once. Some learn and can retain more by taking mini breaks every 20-minutes or so.

Children with ADD or ADHD make need to take breaks more often. See more info and links on learning disabilities in our Disability Section: http://parenttoparent.com/wecounttoo.html

If your child has more than 15-minutes of homework per grade - check it out. For example, 15-mimnutes times 3 (for third grade) is 45 minutes. If it's more than that, unless your child has a learning disability, or is working on a school project, it's time to go ask questions.

Talk with the teacher about waht's up and why is there so much homework. Work with the teacher to get this under control.

Don't do the homework for your child just to get it done. Let the child complete his own assignment and learn from his own mistakes. This is how the teacher checks to see what a child knows or doesn't know. If a parent does the homework for the child, the teacher will not know that the student needs additional help and is not prepared to move to the next level. If she thinks he is making great grades and moves on to the next level, it will only cause more headaches at home, deplete the child of self-esteem, and build more resentment on you both.

As we all know, make sure everything your child needs is right there so he will not have to get up and down and lose his train of thought.

The second session of school, right now, is a new beginning to catch up and move forward in getting those grades back up to where they need to be.

It is imperative to get those good homework habits in line and any questions answered right away. There are only a few months of school left and it's time to address your child's needs as soon as possible.

Don't forget to go in and volunteer. You will be getting a bird's eye view and gathering firsthand information. There's so much that can cause a child to not do well in school. Here is a mini list of some the things parents often times overlook. Go over them and ask yourself if any one strikes a chord with your situation.

  • Lack of motivation for good grades.
  • Learning disability
  • Being bullied
  • Depression
  • Being constantly teased about clothes or hygiene
  • Feeling sick due to dust and mold in class
  • Classroom is too noisy
  • Classroom is too hot or too cold
  • Classroom has too many windows
  • Hearing challenge (get hearing checked)
  • Blackboard (eye sight needs to be tested)
  • Runny nose - (allergies need to be addressed)
  • Not getting enough sleep at night
  • Over scheduled
  • Hates going to after school program
  • Not enough attention at home
  • Divorce
  • Unsettled home environment
  • Poor nutrition


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