Parents and Homework: Who Needs It?

It's 7:00 p.m., the family just got home from a soccer game, it's half an hour until bedtime, but Junior still has homework to do. What a headache! Do you crank out a quick down and dirty version of whatever is supposed to be done or is there a better way? And by the way, whose job is it, yours or theirs? The answer is easy, it's theirs, but as a parent you still have to be sure the job gets done. Those rotten teachers don't know a thing about family life. Sound familiar?

Why Homework?

Let's back up for a minute and take a look at the purpose of homework. Homework has specific purposes that parents often fail to understand. First, some homework tasks are completion of work begun in class. There are never enough minutes in the teaching day to accomplish all that should be done. If a child has a good start on a project, he or she can finish it at home. Secondly homework is given to practice a new skill. When a new math concept or a new science understanding is introduced in class, children benefit from practicing it as homework and returning it so teachers can assess comprehension and reteach if necessary. And thirdly children need to have a chance to do some independent work, have it checked and get immediate feedback. Homework should never be a brand new concept and it should not be done without assessment. It should be given in appropriate amounts beginning with only 20-30 minutes for first and second graders. It will increase over the elementary years. The whole purpose is to build a system whereby teachers, parents and the child can see the learning process unfold.

The Parent's Role

Here are some ways parents can encourage children to complete homework consistently. Take a good look at your weekly schedule and be sure there is a priority given to schoolwork. If there's a family activity in the evening then homework should be done right after school. If there is an afternoon activity, the homework can wait until after dinner. If there is no time in your schedule for homework, then the family needs to re-order priorities to reflect the importance given to learning. There should be time for everything. Set up a quiet study area somewhere in the home where all necessary supplies are readily available. Expect quality work from the very beginning of your child's school career and take the time to look over completed homework tasks once they're done. Have a system in place for keeping books, papers, and other school materials safe and a way to get them returned each day. Perhaps the backpack is always placed in a certain place, homework put in a certain folder, etc.

Their Job, Not Yours

There is a fine line between supporting your children as they do their homework and doing it for them. In general, you should be available to answer your child's questions about how to do a task, but you shouldn't do any part of the work for them. It's fine to allow a break now and then, or to help problem-solve when they're stuck, but it's never okay to just give the answers or write the papers yourself. Not only does that defeat the purpose of homework, it sends a negative message to your learner that you don't think they are capable of doing their own work.

Painful but Productive

Much of homework is fairly routine since it is designed to practice something already done in class. Sometimes, however, it is a project that requires a lot of independent work as an extension of a unit of study. Perhaps it is a culminating activity at the end of a term. While allowing children to do their own work may result in a less than perfect product, the result of brainstorming, gathering materials and actually doing the project will be excellent practice for the more difficult learning to come in higher grades. Supportive parents will always be available to cheer kids on, but won't take the lead role and rob them of the process involved in completing a project independently. It's not easy to stay in the background, but you'll do it because it's best for your child.

Learning to Learn

True learning is interactive. It is not just memorizing bits of information or reciting facts. Even in math where facts are the building blocks of learning, there is problem solving and organizing of information that is the real learning goal. Homework is just one piece of a balanced educational program which involves direct instruction from the teacher, question and answer times where children and teachers share ideas, gathering of information from textbooks and other materials and finally producing a report or project or taking an exam to demonstrate learning. When homework is understood as an important piece of this learning process, it's easier for parents to support their children's efforts and carve out the time to do the assignments.

The Future

Gone are the days when a man or woman could make a living without an education. Even the local janitor has to be computer literate these days and certainly most parents see the need for their children to get all the education available to them. Parents who may not have attended college themselves want their children to have that opportunity. In light of that goal, children must start early to give their best efforts in school and must know how to learn independently before entering middle school. Homework isn't just a nuisance, it's a vital part of your child's learning process.