| |
 |
Parents, Homework, & Computers
Homework is often a problem for parents. Difficulties arise as parents
ask themselves:
- How much help is too much?
- What is not enough help?
- How can my children be encouraged to complete their homework, check
their homework, be responsible about homework, etc.?
- How do I really know what homework they have been assigned?
- How do I show my child that studying and reading are important even
when no written homework has been assigned?
- How do I help my child learn how to study for tests?
- When should my children use the home computer for their homework?
Sometimes parents seek guidance from other parents, school administrators,
or teachers. Problems with homework, however, have no simple answers. What
works for some students and their parents may cause problems for others.
The homework session and the checking of the homework have the potential
to become battlegrounds with children and parents resembling opposing armies.
There are, of course, children who, from the beginning of their school
careers, are conscientious about studies. However, most children must be
encouraged to develop effective home study routines. Parents should make
use of all available resources to push children toward understanding the
necessity of home study. Some methods that work often include: setting
expectations regarding home assignments; development of habits concerning
home study skills; use of the computer for organization, work, and study;
parents and teachers working together to solve the problems; and parent
interest, praise, and encouragement.
Here are suggestions for parents that may help students develop effective
and responsible home study habits:
- Start the development of effective home study habits early in a student's
school career. It is difficult to change bad home study habits during the
later middle and high school years. Even if your children do not have a
home assignment, talk with them about what they learned in school that
day. Encourage them to bring home books/materials that you can go over/read
with them. Set aside times for leisure reading and special projects.
- Keep in mind that some very bright students will be able to, especially
in the elementary school years, achieve success in school with little or
no home study time. Later in their school careers, when they have to make
use of home study to keep up, they may not want to, for they haven't developed
good habits concerning home study. For these students, encouragement of
leisure reading is most important as is enthusiasm for enrichment projects.
You will find the computer an especially useful tool for projects that
propel your children into academic enrichment. Getting children involved
in projects such as: telecommunicating with other children throughout the
world, doing reports using a variety of media, creating newspapers or classes
or clubs, making data bases of their collections, creating graphics on
the computer, etc. will motivate them to move on in the academics and in
use of technology.
- Work with your children to put a daily schedule on the computer. Children
like to make schedules. The schedule should include weekdays and weekend
days, times for sleeping, eating, recreation, cleaning up, chores, reading,
studying, written homework, parent checking of homework, vacations, etc.
Have the children modify, print out, and post the schedules weekly. Check
to see that the reading/study/homework times are followed exactly so that
home study becomes a habit.
- Insist that your children write down and bring home all information
from teachers such as: when tests are scheduled, long term project assignments,
reading assignments, and short term written assignments. Often children
will only bring home the details of short term assignments such as, "Page
36, odd-numbered math problems." If your child doesn't seem to be
bringing home adequate information on assignments, call or make an appointment
with the teacher to check what is required, and if necessary, work together
to set up a plan of action. Some teachers check home assignment notebooks
and initial that the assignments have been copied correctly. It is then
your job to follow-up by requiring your children to show you the initialed
page each school day.
- Check your children's home assignment notebook and compare what is
written in it to the homework your children are doing. If it is difficult
for you to decipher what your children have written in their assignment
books, work with them (and, if necessary, ask the teacher for help) on
making what they have written in the assignment booklet understandable
to you and to them.
- Schedule a regular time for your children to study and read, along
with a regular time for them to have you look at their homework. Create
study areas that are as free of distractions as possible. Realize that
children may go to their study areas and "work" or "read"
for a long period of time without spending any time thinking about what
they are doing. Because children are capable of looking like they are studying
when they are day dreaming, consistent parent review of assignments is
suggested. If your children are responsible about their home study, homework
checking will be a time for praising children's efforts. You should also
give serious consideration to the times your children will be involved
in home study. While most children need time for physical exercise and
time-out for other activities after school, some will want to do their
home assignments directly after school.
- Encourage your children, as they move up through the grade levels to
use the computer to help them recopy class notes, make outlines, find information
online, write essays, create reports, write plays, practice spelling and
vocabulary, learn mathematics facts, look up information in encyclopedias
and other sources, etc. They may also enjoy keeping track of their grades
in tests and quizzes with a spreadsheet.
- Insist that homework be completed neatly and accurately. Don't accept
your children's "My teacher never collects it," as an excuse
for not doing homework carefully. Doing homework on the computer helps
students with neatness and editing. Keep in mind that some students, especially
elementary age ones, have a great deal of difficulty with spelling. You
will have to assist them with corrections, for computers often cannot assist
with spelling that differs significantly from the correct spelling.
- Never do homework for your children. Encourage them, correct, and assist,
but do not do their work.
- Seek help for children who have learning problems. If your child has
a learning problem that makes writing laborious, use of a computer will
help, but not solve this problem. Buying a computer is not the complete
answer. Parents still have to encourage, check, and assist some students.
Talk with the teacher about handling of assignments with children who have
writing difficulties. Sometimes these children can be given shorter assignments
or can do a portion of the written work orally or through special reports.
- Work with your children to help them get directly into their work without
wasting time. Help them set priorities as to time spent on which subjects/assignments.
If, for example, there is a vocabulary test tomorrow, a social studies
project due next week, and the reading assignment doesn't require any written
work, how should your children tackle this work load? Some children will
suggest that the reading be skipped because the teacher can't really (in
the children's minds) check it, that they already know the boring vocabulary
words, and that they need to spend time on to make their social studies
project truly great.
- Work with your children on effective review techniques for tests. If
they have been doing consistent home study and using the computer for organization
and learning help, preparing for tests should come without difficulty.
If they seem to be doing a good job with home study but not with testing,
you might want to talk with the teacher about the following: types of tests
given and how to help your children prepare for these tests, whether your
children seem to be listening carefully in class, if your children are
copying down information on test schedules and information required for
the tests; if your children seem to get upset or are often distracted during
test sessions, etc.
- Be enthusiastic about your children's home study, reading, and projects.
- Be consistent in your efforts to help your children toward effective
home study and in use of the computer as a tool to assist with home study.
|
|
|
