Tips for Parents on Helping with Homework

Homework has been used by the education system to facilitate learning for decades. While there has been a debate on possible drawbacks of this practice, the benefits were established by research.

Parents have an important role in shaping their children’s success in school. By praising and rewarding the academic efforts of your child and supporting a positive homework atmosphere, you can encourage good overall academic performance.

In this article, we highlight how you can help your child with homework. 

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The Crucial Debate | To Do or Not to Do Homework?

The benefits of homework for young children are various. It takes learning beyond the classroom, improving memorization, and understanding of course material. Homework can also allow students to create skills that can be useful later in their academic lives. They get to understand that you can learn anywhere.

In a more general sense, homework fosters such character traits as responsibility and independence. They learn how to manage their time while also setting and achieving goals. Besides, students learn to use numerous online learning and grammar check tools.

That said, homework, when not properly performed and monitored, can have serious negative implications.

Some opponents of homework argue that it can take away from the time children have for leisure and interaction with their friends and family, which also teaches essential life skills. Poorly assigned homework can promote cheating as some students seek help with their work in ways that go beyond tutoring.

The challenge for parents and educators is not to determine which side of the debate is correct. Rather, the task is to make homework appropriate, enhancing the benefits while limiting the negative sides.

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How Much Homework Is Enough?

A longstanding issue in the homework debate is, ‘How much is enough?’ According to expert opinion, the proper amount of it should be influenced by the age and skill level of the learner.

For children in kindergarten, studying should not exceed 20 minutes for each day. As they continue through sixth grade, practicing can be extended to up to 60 minutes.

Other than homework, reading at home can also be beneficial to young children beyond the timelines indicated here. For younger children, ideal homework should take less time and be more frequent since the learners have short attention spans.

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What Types of Homework Are There?

As a parent, you may notice that your child will come home with different projects over the academic term. Homework tasks typically have one or more roles.

They can serve as practice for the material taught in class. This type of work helps students to masters specific skills and reinforce learning. The other form is preparation, which introduces material to be presented in future classes.

How Can Parents Help with Homework?

Research indicates that parental involvement can improve the value of homework, thereby speeding up learning. Parents also get to participate in the school process, enhancing their appreciation of their children’s education.

That said, the involvement can also interfere with learning, particularly if their teaching styles differ from those used by teachers in the classroom or when a parent chooses to complete tasks that children can do on their own. Avoid doing your child’s homework as it may hinder the learner’s confidence in his or her own abilities.

A general homework tip is for the parent to make sure that his or her child has a well-lit and quiet place. Your first responsibility as a parent is to make the home environment friendly enough for learning. Turn off the television and limit distractions.

Also, parents should make sure that the materials needed for the homework, such as pencils, papers, and a dictionary, are available. Confirm with the learner whether there are specific supplies needed and make sure to get them in advance.

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Understand and respect the fact that your child may need to recharge after school before getting started. For instance, you could provide a snack or encourage active play. 

Another way to help with homework is by assisting with time management. At this stage, your son or daughter is still learning the principles of planning and prioritizing.

So, help by establishing a set time for it. Remember, your attitude can influence how the child behaves. So, be positive. 

Instead of doing homework for your child, offer guidance. Most importantly, learn to collaborate with the teacher in the studying of your child.

Stay informed and watch out for signs of frustration or fatigue. Also, encourage breaks and reward progress.

Julie Higgins
Author
Julie is a Staff Writer at momooze.com. She has been working in publishing houses before joining the editorial team at momooze. Julie's love and passion are topics around beauty, lifestyle, hair and nails.

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