I think every parent out there has heard the phrase “I don’t get it” in reference to the homework assigned.
If you think back to when you were a child I would guess that like me, homework was not the way you wanted to spend your time. For me, if there was any way to get out of homework, I would look for that out.
Teachers do assign homework. Depending on grade and subject matter, many teachers assign homework 4 nights per week: Mon-Thurs. As children get into the upper grades there will also be weekend homework and school break homework.
As a parent, please remember that homework is an opportunity for children to practice the skills they’ve learned in the classroom. While there may be a time or two that the child needs a bit more instruction, most children should have a grasp of what they’ve been asked to do at home.
If the parent does the homework for the child, the child loses out on the practice and if the current lesson is used in a future lesson the child will fall even further behind in skills.
Communication with the teacher is essential. Ask the teacher how long the homework should take the child. In the lower grades, often 30 minutes is all that the homework should take. As the children get older this time will increase and of course when the child enters high school there will be homework from most classes most days.
Developing homework skills at a young age is what will help the student as they enter the higher grades and have more work that needs to be completed at home. You can help your child develop these homework skills by monitoring what they are doing. This does not mean nagging them or doing the homework for them, it means monitoring how long it takes them, if they seem to be grasping the concepts and then applying them to the work at home and if they are able to stay focused to complete the task.
If you believe there is a problem, go to the teacher. Work together to discover the best way to help your child. Does your child need a tutor? Does your child need to sit in the front of the class? Does your child have a vision problem and is not properly seeing the work in class?
As your child gets older they will not only have more homework, but eventually they will have jobs and other responsibilities in life. They need to learn the skills to get help when help is needed. Your doing their homework does not help them develop all of these necessary skills.
