1. Help! My Kid Has Homework!
Laura Kennerson, MA
MFT Intern, IMF 49829
ext 6
Supervised by Cathy Chambliss MFT MFC 39875

2. Homework oh Homework by: Jack Prelutsky
I hate you, you stink!
I wish I could wash you
away in the sink.
If only a bomb
would explode you to bits.
You’re giving me fits.
I’d rather take baths
With a man eating shark,
Or wrestle a lion alone in the dark,
Eat spinach and liver,
Pet ten porcupines,
Than tackle the homework
My teacher assigns.
Homework! Oh Homework!
You’re last on my list
I simply don’t see why you even exist.
If you just disappeared
It would tickle me pink.
I hate you! You stink!

3. Goals of the Workshop
Develop an understanding of learning styles and their importance in doing homework
Why kids have homework, exactly what homework is, and how long it should take
Understand exactly what the parental role in homework is
Learn how to help your child with homework without a fight!
Know when to contact the teacher
Understand how to get help when you don’t feel you have the resources.

4. Homework Research (from U.S Dept. of Education)
Children are more likely to succeed in learning when their families actively support them.
Homework can improve a child’s thinking and memory, develop positive study skills and habits that will continue to be of service throughout their lives.

5. What is homework? Worksheets Practice problems Reading Short Answers
Research / fact finding work
Writing assignments
Project work
Studying for tests and quizzes

6. Two General Types of homework
Nightly
Review of daily lesson
Reinforcement of a day’s lesson
Long term
Longer reading assignments
Reflective questioning
Research or project work
Lengthy writing assignments

7. So What is the Homework Problem?

8. Common Homework Struggles
Not knowing where to start and how to break the assignment down into smaller portions
Not putting enough time / effort into homework
Refusal to do homework
Not bringing home the assignments
Taking too long to complete assignments
Procrastination
Not using an assignment notebook
Not knowing where to start, or how to break the assignment down to doable parts

9. Why Do The Kids Have Homework?

10. Why do teachers assign homework?
Reinforcement and practice of skills taught
Comprehension of material
Reflection on material
Preparation for an upcoming class
Extension of a lesson
Preparation for a test/quiz
Practice organization and study skills

11. Homework Promotes Learning when -
Assignments are Meaningful
Specific purpose
Clear instructions
At the level/ability of child
Help to develop their knowledge and skills
Completed successfully
Returned with constructive comments
Review incorrect problems

12. How much time should my kid spend on homework?

13. How much homework is needed?
60 minutes a school day is typical for students in sixth grade.
Grades 7 – 9 more homework will be needed and will vary nightly.
General rule is about 10 minutes per grade in school
When Long term projects are being included into the daily work the time may increase.
This time will be excessive if not done in smaller pieces.
Work may take longer when including long term projects in addition to daily work. This may seem excessive some days if projects were not broken into pieces.

14. Learning Styles

15. The Main 3 Learning Styles
Visual
Learn by sight
Auditory
Learn by listening
Kinesthetic
Learn through movement, doing, and touching

16. Find out your child’s learning style
Review common practices
Game play (scrabble, pictionary, charades)
Spelling of a word
Preferred teacher (why?)
Use a learning style assessment from the internet

17. The Importance of Learning Styles

18. Why are learning styles important for homework?
Students who learn about their learning style and utilize it
Become better learners
Achieve higher grades
Have positive attitudes about school work
Have greater self confidence
Ability to apply the information learned.
Recall is greater when the preferred learning style is used.

19. When studying, A Visual Learner should….
Underline
Use different Colors
Use symbols and charts
Reconstruct images in different ways
Redraw pages from memory
Replace words with symbols and initials

20. When Studying, An Auditory Learner should….
Be alert in lectures
Discuss ideas with others
Use a tape recorder (summarize notes, record lecture if allowed)
Describe overheads, pictures, and visuals to others
Leave space in notes for later recall
Understand they may take notes poorly
Expand notes at home
Read notes aloud

21. When Studying a Kinesthetic learner should…
Use all of their senses
Listen to real life examples
Use a hands-on approach
Put examples in notes/summaries
Use pictures and photos to illustrate
Talk about notes
Role play scenario's
Write practice questions

22. Our Brains… Learn and remember best when we use Color Symbols Diagrams
and connect to prior or familiar information that we know.

23. Having time to complete homework

24. Time Management Establish a homework time each day
Don’t leave homework until before bedtime
Use the weekends for working on big projects
Working ahead when you know you will busy on “Wednesday” for the big game ???

25. Setting aside a regular homework time
Make the schedule work for your child and you.
Don’t leave homework until right before bed.
Outside activities may cause a need for flexibility.
Ensure they work / read/ review even if no homework is assigned.
Maybe not right after school as they may need a chance to unwind

26. Consistency and Regularity
This is a key factor in academic success!

27. Set up a Homework Spot Bedroom, dining table, library, etc.
Have good lighting
Supplies easily accessible
Quiet without distractions

28. Eliminate Distractions
No TV
No phone
No computer (unless it is being used (properly) for the assignment
No loud music
Try to keep toddlers/young children away or have them engage in a quiet activity if possible.

29. Build a Value of Education into your child!

30. Show that you think Education and Homework are important
Do you set a regular time every day for homework
Does your child have the papers, books, pencils and other things needed to do the assignments?
Does your child have a well-lit, quiet study place?
Do you set a good example by showing your child the skills will continue to be of value later in life?
Do you stay in touch with your child’s teacher?

31. Real Life Application
Show your child how the skills they are learning will be used for the rest of their lives.
Talk about what they are learning now and how it relates outside the classroom
Meeting deadlines
History topics and how they relate to today’s news

32. Encourage Self Advocacy
Have your child “read” the directions
Do the hard stuff FIRST, then come back to the others
Encourage your child to ask for help when needed
Begin difficult problems in class when help is present.
Find a study partner for clarification of classroom assignments
If start hard stuff in class they will have a chance to ask the teacher before they get home.
Study partner to call if they need clarification on an assignment or were out and don’t know what it is. Waiting til they get back may leave them with too many things to do.

33. A Parents Role in Homework

34. Be Involved Go to the library with your child
Earmark classroom and school websites
Attend school activities
Get to know your child’s friends and classmates and their parents
Build a support network
Earmark class websites

35. TV, Computers, and Video Games
Monitor the amount of time your child is watching TV, playing on the computer, and playing video games.
Be aware of the types of shows/games your child is playing
Be aware of what your child is doing on the computer
Make sure these distractions are not part of your child’s “homework zone!”
Does your child have any of these distractions in their “homework zone”?

36. Stop Dreading Report Cards!
To save shock and upset – discuss how things are going from time to time.
Watch for progress reports – use these as a tool
Be aware if the teacher sends out progress reports other than the school issued ones.
The school offers weekly ones as well, but they must be student initiated.
You can request weekly ones too Student initiated

37. Encourage Organization
Help to establish a schedule
Monitor the organization of folders/binders
Provide needed materials to help stay organized

38. Encourage Good Study Habits
Help your child manage time to complete assignments
Help your child get started on large projects and reports
Give practice tests
Help your child to avoid cramming for tests/quizzes
Talk with your child about how to take a test.
Have students mark questions to ask teacher
Stress the importance of asking questions before the actual date of the test. (utilize review days in class)
Have them mark what they need to ask ?’s on tomorrow instead of the day before the test

39. Discuss Homework Assignments
Check for understanding of the assignment?
Do they know what to do?
Do they know how to do it?
Do they have what they need?
Does the answer make sense?

40. How much Help should you give?
Offer assistance with explanation of concepts or directions, if possible
Give feedback on written work (does it flow and make sense?)
Read aloud to the student exactly the way written.
Encourage your child to seek help and feedback from the teacher
Consistently praise your child’s efforts
Emphasize the progress and learning, not the actual grade

41. How much help you should give continued…
Call out spelling words
Check over a few math problems
Review missed problems from earlier work.
Use a study guide to quiz for tests
Use educational computer resources as a method to quiz for subject matter
Read directions with your child
Review class notes with your child

42. Don’t do the homework for your child!
provide guidance
Giving answers does not promote learning!
Too much help causes dependence.

43. Parental Help Guidelines
Don’t hover
Only help when your child truly wants it
Only help when there is an absence of frustration
Only help when your child can describe what the teacher said
Move away from your child before he/she “gets it”

44. Never work harder than your child!

45. Take the fight out of homework!

46. When the Going gets Tough
Allow time for a break
Encourage your child and help them to see they can do the work.
Give Praise
Give a healthy snack
Exercise break

47. Focus on Feelings
If your child does homework because of a boost in their allowance… then the behavior is less likely to continue than if they are motivated because they feel good and proud when it is done
When they mess up don’t make a big deal
Split into 2 slides

48. Focus on Feelings… Cont’d
Catch them in the act of doing their homework and praise them!
Doesn’t it feel good to have your homework done!
Excellent, you finished your work early! I’m proud of you! You should feel proud too!
Remember how stressed out you were when your procrastinated? You’ll feel better if you start on it right away!

49. Work with your child’s teacher!

50. When to Contact the teacher -
The instructions are unclear
You can’t provide needed supplies or materials
Neither you nor your child can understand the purpose of the assignment
The assignments are too hard or easy
The homework is assigned in uneven amounts
Your child has missed school or needs to make up assignments

51. Build a relationship with the teacher
Introduce yourself to the teacher early on
Contact the teacher as soon as you suspect your child has a homework problem
Discuss homework problems
See if there is anything you can do to help out the teacher (time, resources, etc)

52. Study Skills

53. Hard Homework vs. Easy Homework
Have your child do the hard homework first.
Be alert for harder problems
Easy material will go faster once fatigue has begun

54. Reading Tips Have your child read nightly
Look up words that are unfamiliar
Have your child summarize their reading to you in their own words
Have your child take notes while reading
Check out a copy of the book they are reading and ask questions.
Reread book report requirements so that while reading you can look for noteworthy material.
If they really struggle with treading checkout a copy of the book they are reading and ask them ?’s throughout the book. Reread book report requirements as reading so you can be on the lookout for noteworthy events

55. Math Tips
Use household chores as opportunities to reinforce math learning such as cooking and repair activities
Check with the teacher if you have another way of doing a problem to make sure your method doesn’t conflict.
Ask for online resources that may be helpful for use at home

56. Additional Resources
Hotmath.com –solves textbook problems from the exact textbook your child has.
Textbook websites – often offer extra help… look up the publisher and the book title
Studyisland.com
Individual websites of teachers (schoolnotes and blogs)

57. My Kid Has Homework… No Sweat!
Hope to see you at the next Presentation –
December 9th at 5:30
Balancing School, Homework, and Life
If there are further questions…
Please call
Laura Kennerson, MA
ext 6
Or at