Homework Tips for Parents

Ashley Karls/ October 13, 2011/ Special Features

As the school year begins, most households will experience a change in their treasured “family” time.  Evenings together that previously had been unstructured and relaxing are now dedicated to completing homework assignments.  For parents of all children, and especially those with learning challenges, this nightly occurrence can be quite stressful.  There are, however, many things parents can do to make the “dreaded homework hour or two” less difficult for all involved.  Good ways to begin might include establishing a homework time and routine, clarifying assignment expectations by reading and highlighting instructions, re-explaining and/or paraphrasing the assignment and supporting assignment initiation.  Although most parents are not formally trained as educators, this time spent together can be used to “teach” a variety of learning strategies.

While supporting your child with nightly assignments it is important to monitor the amount of time needed for assignment completion.  If you feel that the time is excessive or that your child clearly does not understand the assignments or requires total supervision in order to complete them, share your concerns with the classroom teacher(s).  If your child already has and IEP or a 504 Plan, homework accommodations can be added.  Suggestions for accommodation are: set a limit on the time spent completing nightly assignments, modify the length of assignments, break lengthy assignments into manageable steps, provide a check-out to make sure all assignments are written down and that necessary materials needed for completion are taken home.

Below is a list of recommendations which may help your child complete homework more effectively, efficiently and independently and hopefully provide some added time for leisure activities. 

Organization Strategies

• Teach prioritizing of assignments, i.e., completing those that a most difficult first, completing assignments that are due tomorrow before working on a long-term project.
• Model HW time management, i.e. ask your child to estimate the time it will take to complete an assignment, set a timer, compare the estimated time with the actual time.
• Teach task analysis of long term assignments.
• Prepare a locker list reminding your child what needs to be taken home.

 Support for Reading

• Use books on tape.
• Enlarge print.
• Purchase an extra set of textbooks for home so that your child can write notes and highlight in text.
• Review post-reading assignment expectations prior to doing the reading assignment.
• Pre-teach reading concepts to be covered.
• Relate concepts in the story to your child’s personal experiences.
• Create “purpose for reading assignment” sheet, i.e., as you read look for, highlight or jot down personality traits of the main character.

Support for Math

• Copy problems from the book for your child.
• Copy problems on a lined piece of notebook paper turned so that the lines are vertical.  Use the vertical lines as a grid, writing one number in each space.
• Give adequate space to complete problems and limit the number of problems written on page.
• Draw a box around each problem.
• Use different colored pencils for addition, subtraction and multiplication signs.
•  Break down multi-step problems.
• Write each step on a sequence card and have your child use the sequence cards to complete HW.
• Use manipulatives to represent numbers.
• Use a number line.
• Use a multiplication chart.
• Use a calculator.
• When completing story problems; review math vocabulary i.e. addition, plus all together, in all; highlight relevant information, i.e., only numbers needed to complete problem and process required; use visual representation i.e. drawing pictures

 Support for Spelling

• Present one spelling concept at a time (long “A” sound)
• Review and pretest one spelling concept at a time
• Write words in a tray filled with salt or shaving cream
• Use clay or Play Doh to write words

 Support for Vocabulary

• Limit number of new vocabulary words presented at one time.
• Highlight vocabulary words on worksheets.
• Give page numbers to help your child locate and find meaning of vocabulary words.
• Ask your child to draw pictures that define vocabulary words.
• Ask your child to act out new vocabulary words.

Support for Written Expression

• Use jot lists, outlining and webbing.
• Create graphic organizers (ideas can be found on-line).
• Use computer graphic organizers, i.e., Kidspiration, Inspiration
• Use a tape recording when formulating ideas.
• Allow your child to dictate ideas.
• Write questions to be answered in a different color and then provide adequate space for your child to respond.
• Tell your child how many sentences are necessary for each answer or paragraph (write 3–4 sentences).
• Create rubrics to make expectations clear.
• Create a checklist of elements on the rubric or assignment requirements.
• Provide a sequence of tasks for the proofreading and editing process, i.e., Are all words capitalized at the beginning of each sentence?  Does each sentence end with a period?
• Encourage use of computer.
• Expect use of spell check and grammar check.

Support for Test Preparation and Test Taking

• Request prior notice for all tests and quizzes to avoid “cramming” at the last minute.
• Create study guides with necessary names, dates, concepts, etc.
• Use index cards for individual concepts and group similar concepts.
• Create acronyms when memorizing lists.
• Create pretests.
• Remind your child to read and highlight instructions before beginning tests.

Strategies to Support Inattention

• Reduce the number of extraneous materials present in the homework area.
• Create a private key word, e.g., “focus”, that can be used as a cue.
• Physically refocus attention, e.g. touching the shoulder.
• Break down instruction into separate parts and use fewer words.
• Give one instruction at a time.
• Write down multi-step instructions.
• Ask your child to repeat and rephrase directions in order to confirm that he/she has heard, understood and retained the information.
• Break down complex tasks into smaller, more manageable components.

Improvement of Self-Esteem

• Remind your child that everyone makes mistakes and that nobody is perfect.
• Acknowledge efforts that your child makes to complete an assignment.
• Base comments on the effort being made and not on the result.
• Model making mistakes in front of your child in order for him/her to see that a person can survive when making an error or when a project comes out less than perfect.
• Model how to handle difficult tasks.  For example, when experiencing difficulty with a task say aloud “This is hard, but I’m going to keep trying.” 
• Monitor for signs of frustration and be aware of whether the signs may be secondary to anxiety and insecurity over perceived task difficulty.
• Highlight and praise your child’s many abilities in other areas.

 Ms. Resnick serves as RNBC’s School Liaison.  She supports families through interpreting evaluations and IEP’s, developing educational programs including suggestions for goals, accommodations and teaching strategies, working with school system to secure appropriate services and providing alternative school placement recommendations.