Fredericksburg Parent

www.FredericksburgParent.NET 17 Troubleshooting Tips: Support for Common School Work Struggles What if my child breezes through homework or is under challenged in school? Talk to your child's teacher about giving your child more challenging work. If your child still seems to be on Easy Street, you might consider having him or her tested for gifted services. Finally, if the problem persists over time, ask to have your child promoted or see if he or she can take classes in areas of strength in a higher grade. What if my child is getting too much homework? Too much homework can be a drain on family time. And if your child is spending hours completing homework every night, they may get burnt out. Talk to other parents in your child's class to see if they are encountering the same problem. Then approach your child's teacher diplomatically with the problem. If the problem doesn't get any better you might consider discussing it with the administration or the school's Parent Teacher Association to see if a more reasonable and uniform policy can be decided for the school. What if my child is taking too long to complete homework? If you have a good homework routine in place, and your child is working hard but struggling, don't panic. Sometimes kids take longer to learn some skills than others. But if the problem becomes pervasive, this could be a sign your child needs some extra help. Consider hiring a tutor or see if your school offers homework help at its after school program. If your child begins to fall behind, testing him or her might be a good course of action to rule out any learning challenges. Remember, keep an upbeat attitude. Don't lose heart, and chances are your child won't either. HELP! HELP! Designate a study space. Pick a homework space free from distractions. However, consider your child's personality and ability to focus when selecting a homework station. Some children concentrate best in complete quiet at the kitchen table or a desk. Others study well on their bed with background music. And reading areas can be creative like a reading tent or comfy bean bag. Make study areas free from video games, television and the games of other siblings who finish homework early. Create a supply caddy. Fill a plastic caddy or bin organizer with items your child might need for homework. Some good supplies are pencils, markers, crayons, glue, tape, stapler, three-hole punch, paper clips, notebook paper, small wipe off board and dry erase markers, art paper, graph paper, calculator, protractor, compass, ruler and a dictionary/thesaurus combo. Also provide a wipe-off calendar for important due dates. Be available, but don't do the work. Helping your child with homework is a great way to connect with them, but don't spoon feed answers. The whole point of homework is for children to practice skills independently. Use a timer if necessary. Sometimes children like to procrastinate. Some children like the challenge of beating the clock. Either way, a timer keeps a child focused on the finish line. Keep a resource bookshelf. Can't remember what a gerund is? Are you a little rusty on what the terms perpendicular and parallel mean? Keep an assortment of reference books or save online references to your Favorites list on your computer. A good math dictionary for parents of elementary students is "Math Dictionary: Homework Help for Families" by Judith de Klerk. Another great resource is the "Everything You Need to Know About Homework Series Set" by Anne Zeman and Kate Kelly. Create a phone chain. How many times has your child left their spelling words at school or forgotten a lesson? Help your child make a list of friends they can call or get to know other parents in your child's class so you can have a phone chain to get answers about assignments. Model learning as a priority. Let your child see you reading the newspaper or books. Discuss current events, politics or the new art or history museum you want to visit. Find exciting tidbits in their homework lessons and research them. Show by example that learning is fun. Encourage. No matter how tired you are, have a positive attitude about the work your children are doing. Encourage their efforts and let them know you are proud of them. 6. 6. 7. 7. 8. 8. 9. 9. 10. 10. 11. 11. 12. 12. 13. 13. con nued on pg 19 The National Education Association and The National Parent Teacher Association recommend 10-20 minutes of homework per night in the first grade, and an additional 10 minutes per grade after that.

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