Laurie A. Chivers, deputy state superintendent for public instruction, offers the following suggestions to help parents improve the quality of homework time:
- Review daily what your child did in school. Ask whether he or she needs help with homework.
- Make homework a priority. Provide a quiet, well-lit study place, complete with a dictionary, ruler, pens, pencils and other materials.
- Establish a regular study time. Expect your child to do schoolwork every day or to read or play an educational game when no homework is assigned. During that time, the TV should be off. Phone calls should be returned later.
- Have children work on more difficult assignments first. Save favorite subjects for last.
- Long assignments should be broken into smaller pieces. Make sure children take breaks in between.
- Try to do your own "homework" while children study, if they don't need help. Pay bills, write letters, balance your checkbook or read. When children see that study time applies to everyone, they'll be more likely to take it seriously.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Study recommendations
Secondary students: six hours per week.
Elementary students: 10 minutes per night per grade level.