HOMEWORK HINTS FOR PARENT(S)/GUARDIAN(S)
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- Show your child that you think homework is important. Have a recurring conversation with your child about homework. Explain how it reinforces concepts taught in school and offers practice much like how an athlete practices a sport. Connect your tasks at home (work you bring home from the office, doing laundry, dishes, etc.) to the same importance of homework. Express the message that “Although it is a task I may not like to do, it needs to get done well”. Be sure to emphasize your expectations that homework needs to be completed and that it is an important part of education.
- Check your child’s agenda nightly and sign off. Stacy School provides a school wide agenda book to every student. Your child’s teachers require and encourage your child to use it and write all homework assignments in the agenda. This is an extremely useful tool for the student, school and parent. It is a way to communicate on a daily basis. Your child writes his/her homework in the agenda for each subject. Many teachers/assistants sign off on the agenda after the student writes in his/her homework. We encourage you to sign off in the area provided for each subject after your child completes the assignment. Also feel free to jot down any notes or concerns you wish to convey to the teacher.
- Set up a daily routine for homework. You and your child should decide on an appropriate place and time for homework to get done. Perhaps your child needs a break after school to release some energy. Allow him/her to choose an activity (riding bikes for a half hour, listening to music and having a snack, playing a short video game, etc) first and then completing homework at 4 o’clock at the kitchen table. Some students need to get it done right away or he/she will forget about it or find it more difficult to get motivated later. If this is the case, have your child complete as soon as he/she gets home in his/her room at the desk. You know what works best for your child. When you figure out what works, stick to the ROUTINE!
- Organization is a skill that needs to be learned. Your child will probably need some assistance is learning organization. Together with your child, create a basket of must have materials that they may need to complete homework. Keep it in the place where your child routinely does his/her homework. This may consist of but will not be limited to pencils, pens, erasers, colored pencils, a calculator, ruler, spell check, etc.) Organization also includes placing homework in correct folders and back in the back pack. Many well done completed assignments get lost in the “black hole” (stuffed in a pocket in the back pack, lost in the locker, etc.). Some students prefer to color code folders (one for each subject), while others find it easier to have one homework folder for all subjects that is for the sole purpose of homework that needs to be completed on one side and homework that is complete on the opposite side. Once homework is complete, have him/her place the folder(s) directly in the back pack RIGHT AWAY so it does not get misplaced and is not cause for stress during our already rushed morning routines.
- Computer use. Technology is such an important part of our world today. If your child is more motivated or does much better using a computer for assignments, please contact your child’s teacher to see if he/she can use it routinely for homework. Most teachers welcome and encourage assignment to be typed/completed on the computer. Some even allow students to email it to them!
- Yes…reading and studying are considered homework. Many students will state that they have no homework, they just need to read a chapter or study for a test. As students get older and concepts get more involved, they are required to study for upcoming tests and read or reread textbooks or novels. This is considered homework and should be completed during the routine homework time. Some students may need assistance studying (show him/her how to make flashcards, ask him/her review questions from the study guides, etc.). After reading, ask your child to orally summarize what was read.
- Encourage, praise, recognize and reward. Although your child is getting older, he/she continues to need encouragement. Everyone feels good when told they are doing a good job, working hard or a quick “keep on going…your almost done”. Simple rewards such as, “You worked so hard on your homework tonight you can choose what we will watch together on tv” or “I’ll take out the trash instead of you since you finished all your homework without complaining” go a long way. Occasionally, bigger rewards also keep students motivated. Examples of these are: “Hey, you did all your homework this month, let’s go bowling or catch a movie.” Or, “Wow, what a difference it makes when you get your homework done. Your grades improved, there is less arguing at home and you are in a much better mood. Let’s go get that shirt you’ve been wanting.” Rewards do not have to be bought or cost money. They can be an activity that your child enjoys such as time on the computer, video games, going on a bike ride, or having a friend come over.
- Snags along the way. Occasionally students may have activities after school that make it difficult to complete homework on a given night or they may just have an off night. Contact the teacher via a note in the agenda, e-mail, or write a note to the teacher explaining the situation. If you feel your child is having an over abundance of homework and it is consuming too much time after school (more than an hour and a half to two hours) then you should call your child’s guidance counselor. If your child continuously has difficulty completing homework in a certain subject area, call that teacher.
Other Helpful Hints….- Stacy School offers a Homework Center Monday – Thursday…enroll your child if this will be beneficial for him/her.
- Stacy School has a parent portal that allows you to check your child’s grades and homework completion on the x2 website…sign up today!
- Each teacher assigns one extra-help day each week after school should your child need assistance.
- Keep in close communication with your child’s teacher and/or guidance counselor. You can reach them via phone (message will be placed in mailbox by the school secretary) or email. Most staff members emails are their first initial follow by their last name@milfordma.com. You can also find their direct link on our website. (example: jdoe@milfordma.com)
HOMEWORK…TOGETHER WE WILL GET IT DONE!!!!