Career Solutions - Parents Why Homework is important

Why Homework is Important

Homework can develop your child's mind and skills and reinforce classroom learning. Good homework skills can lead to good grades and keep a child current with class progress. Assisting your child with managing homework is part of being involved with your child's education. If a child is having difficulties in specific subject, homework can be one tool a parent can use to help the child improve.

Homework can:

Improve your child's thinking and memory;
Help your child develop good study skills;
Encourage your child to use time wisely;
Teach your child to work independently; and
Teach your child to take responsibility for his or her work.

Teachers assign homework to help your child:

Review and practice classroom lessons;
Get ready for the next day's class;
Learn to use resources such as libraries, reference materials, and the Internet;
Explore subjects more fully than classroom time permits;
Extend learning by applying skills to new situations; and
Integrate learning by applying many different skills to a single task (e.g., book reports or science projects).

When a teacher has not assigned specific homework, it does not mean that the student doesn't have homework.

Have your child:

Review recent tests;
Review related materials in textbooks on subjects currently being discussed in class; and
Review recently finished homework assignments or notes to prepare for upcoming tests.

When you help your child with his homework, you can:

Find out what your child is learning;
Talk to your child about what he or she is learning; and
Spark your child's enthusiasm for what he or she is learning.

How Can I Help With Homework?

You can create a good environment for doing homework and help tie homework to everyday life.

Look over completed assignments before your child turns them in and read the teacher's comments on graded homework.
Set a regular time for homework. You will probably need some flexibility in the homework schedule to accommodate your child's other activities (such as sports or music lessons). If outside activities prevent your child from finishing his or her homework, he or she may need to drop one of these activities.
Set up a quiet, well-lit homework area.
Turn off the television, radio, and cell phone.
Provide essential supplies such as pencils, pens, erasers, writing paper and a dictionary. Also consider other supplies your child may need, such as a stapler, paper clips, maps, a calculator, a pencil sharpener, tape, glue, paste, scissors, a ruler, index cards, a thesaurus, and an almanac.
Show that you think education and homework are important.
Show your child how what he or she learns in school applies to the adult world. Let him or her see you reading, writing, using math, and doing other things that require thought and effort. Talk to your child about what you do at work.
Help your child use everyday routines to support what he or she is learning. Teach him or her to play word or math games. Help him or her look up information about something in which he or she is interested. Talk to your child about what he or she sees and hears when you are together.
Talk about school and learning activities in family conversations. Ask your child what was discussed in class that day.
Attend school activities. Consider volunteering to help in your child's classroom or at special events.

How Do I Help My Child Develop Good Study Habits?

Good study habits will benefit your child throughout his or her life. You can help develop them if you:

Don't do your child's homework. Your child will understand and use information better if he or she does his or her own homework. It will also boost the child's confidence in his or her abilities.
Help your child make a schedule to keep track of homework assignments and due dates.
Help your child manage time. If your child is assigned a long-term project, discuss the steps needed to complete it on time, including:
- Selecting a topic;
- Doing research;
- Identifying discussion questions;
- Drafting an outline;
- Writing a rough draft; and
- Revising and completing the final draft.
Encourage your child to make a chart that shows how much time will be spent on each step and when it will be completed. Make sure your child follows the schedule to prevent procrastination.
Help your child get started on research reports or other big assignments. Take your child to the library and make sure he or she gets help finding resources and using age-appropriate websites.
When your child has completed the research, ask him or her to tell you the main points he or she wants to make in the report.
Give practice tests.
Help your child avoid last-minute studying. Your child will do better on tests by reviewing classroom materials a few minutes each afternoon after school rather than by cramming everything into one evening before a test.
Talk to your child about how to take a test. Be sure your child understands how important it is to read instructions carefully, keep track of time, and avoid spending too much time on any one question. If your child has difficulties taking tests but seems to know the information, contact your schools counselor for recommendations on assistance for your child.

Checklist for Helping Your Child With Homework

Do you:

Set a regular time for homework?
Provide your child with the papers, books, pencils, and other items needed to do assignments?
Provide a well-lit, quiet place to study?
Set a good example by showing your child that the skills he or she is learning are an important part of adult life?
Stay in touch with your child's teacher?
Know what your child's homework assignments are?
See that your child starts and completes assignments?
Make sure the television, radio and cell phone are turned off while your child does homework?
Help your child get organized?
Encourage your child to develop good study habits?
Talk to your child about homework assignments?

Good study habits developed early lead to easier transitions from elementary school to high school to college.

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