…how
much
is too
much?
Helping
Janie
with her
homework…
T
here’s no question that
we want to help our kids.
But what about with their
homework? Does helping
with homework hinder kids from becoming
responsible and independent? Well, it turns
out that really depends on the way you
choose to help them.
Studies show that regardless of socio-
economic status, racial and ethnic back-
ground, or the parents’ education level,
students achieve more when their parents
are involved. Where it can get tricky is if a
parent is too helpful or too involved in their
kid’s schoolwork. For instance, say your
child is struggling with a math equation
and you step in to help. Your instinct is to
teach him the way you learned to solve the
problem, but many subjects, especially math,
are taught a whole new way than when you
were in school. Your efforts may end up
confusing him more or undoing what the
teacher has taught in class. Furthermore, if
you swoop in whenever your child needs
help, he’ll be less inclined to figure things
out for himself.
Of course, when your child is five or six
years old it’s necessary to sit with her while
she does her homework; however the goal
should always be to help less over time
and be physically farther away from where
she’s working. As she gets older, work out
a plan of action for when, how, and where
her homework gets done, preferably at the
beginning of the school year. Some kids
work best in their room, while others are
more productive in the living room or at
the kitchen table. Regardless of where they
choose to work, make sure that electronic
screens of any kind are off and out of sight
until they’re done. Let your child know
that you’re available for help, but try only
allotting her two to three questions that she’s
allowed to ask you per night. This ensures that
she won’t become overly reliant on you for all
of the answers and it forces her to think about
what homework problems she can tackle on
her own and which require help from you. If
she does call for you to come and help, try to
give her some time to think by saying you’ll be
over as soon as you’ve finished with whatever
you’re doing. In the time it takes you to come
over, she might look over the problem again
and figure it out herself. Even while you’re
there, respond with more questions such as
“What do you think?” or “How do you think
you can find the answer?” Sometimes talking
through the problem with you will allow her
to find the solution without getting the answer
from you.
When it comes to proofing your child’s
homework, less is definitely better. Teachers
like seeing mistakes because it tells them what
material their students have absorbed and
what might need more attention. If homework
comes back perfect, then they have no way of
telling if the student is struggling. It’s okay to
check a few answers to make sure your child is
understanding the gist of the subject, but don’t
go over the entire page.
Homework is as much a lesson in
responsibility as it is about the actual subject
matter. This means that your child should
complete his homework the best he can, pack
it up, and get it to school himself. Keeping a
daily homework planner is especially help-
ful for both kids and parents to know what
assignments are due and when. It might seem
harsh, but if your child forgets his homework
(or his gym clothes or anything else) and calls
begging you to bring them to school, don’t.
Teachers generally have a policy for these
types of things, such as making them redo the
assignment during recess. Bailing your child
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
MARCH/APRIL 2017
out undermines the teacher’s efforts.
Kids hone their time management skills
through homework as well, which means
you shouldn’t let them drag on indefinitely
doing their homework. The National PTA and
National Education Association recommends
10 minutes a night per grade, meaning 20
minutes for a 2 nd grader, 30 minutes for a 3 rd
grader, and so forth. If your child is making an
honest effort and is still spending hours on her
assignments, sometimes it’s a sign that there
are broader issues at work, such as learning
disabilities, ADHD, or vision or hearing
difficulties. Review the homework with your
child and talk to her teacher to help identify
any learning problems early on.
A child’s love of learning always starts
with you. Try to tie in what he’s learning to
real life applications outside the classroom to
show that knowledge matters. For instance,
if he complains about how learning history
is pointless, show him how the topics he’s
learning relate to something happening in the
world today. The more you show him that
what he’s learning remains important even
when school is over, the more he’ll understand
that knowledge is one of life’s joys.
Article Brought
To You By:
855 Moro Drive, Gilroy • .gokids.org
gmhtoday.com
51