Some ideas of how to support your child with homework Christian Bishop, Head of Primary

Homework and Effective Parenting

Teaching Granny to Suck Eggs!

The excuses…….

“The lights in our house went out, and I had to burn it to get enough light to see the fuse box.”

Homework “Homework is an opportunity for students

to learn and for parents to be involved in their children's education. A parent's interest can spark enthusiasm in a child and help teach the most important lesson of all--that learning can be fun and is well worth the effort”

Department for Children, Schools and Families, U.K

“I didn't do it because I didn't want to add to my teacher's heavy workload.”

Why do we do Homework? • Principal way to raise attainment • Encourages independent home study routine • Enables students to understand that independent

learning is vital to achieving success • Gives every pupil an opportunity to fulfill their

potential • Instill the importance of life long learning • Provides training for students in planning and

organising time

“My Dad accidentally put it in his briefcase and took it to work.”

Purpose of homework • To encourage and develop self-discipline, study habits and a

range of skills in planning and organising time • To allow reinforcing, extending and consolidating of work

done in class • To give pupils experience of working on their own, and to

develop in pupils a sense of responsibility and commitment to their own learning

• To involve parents / carers as partners in education • To prepare for test / examinations / further study • To further challenge and extend gifted and talented children. • To provide focused and sustained support for less able / gifted

pupils

“I have a solar powered calculator and it was cloudy”

Types of homework

“Another student fell in a lake, and I jumped in to rescue him but unfortunately my homework drowned.”

Checklist for Helping Your Child with Homework This is a quick checklist to help support your child with homework.

• Preparation • Demonstrate

• Monitor

• Guidance • Praise

• Communication

Preparation • Prepare the working area, provide pencils,

dictionaries, scissors, glue, research sources etc. • Make sure they have had a break and something to

eat before starting homework • Set a regular time for Homework, help them to get

organised, make a homework timetable • Encourage them to think about spreading the

workload and becoming more responsible • Make sure area is well lit • Turn off distractions

Demonstrate • Show them you think education and

homework are important • Set a good example by reading and

writing yourself in front of them • Work out calculations together, don’t

use a calculator • Use a dictionary / thesaurus at home to

look up new words.

Monitor • Check what the tasks are • Keep an eye on the time, tasks should only take 30

minutes • What amount of support does the teacher expect from

you? • Check how they are getting on at set intervals • Read the teachers comments for each piece of work,

how do they compare to your own thoughts? • Check the communication book for comments

regularly • Show a continued interest • Understand your child’s learning style

Guidance • Discuss the tasks with your child, ‘what

do you think you will do for this one?’ • Talk to your child about copying text or

others and the consequences • Check the tasks when they are complete,

‘show me what you have done’ • Encourage good study habits • Help them to get organised

Praise • Praise their efforts when it meets the

criteria set • Look at teachers comments together,

praise rewards • Have your own reward system at home,

build week by week

Communication • Stay in close touch with the teacher • Write regularly in the communication

book • Share concerns as soon as they arise • Work together in partnership with the

school

And finally……. • School are keen for parents to become

involved in their child’s education but don’t be tempted to correct homework or get them to copy things out. The school needs to know what your child knows, not what you know!

This will be my son’s excuse!

“My father had a nervous breakdown and he cut it up to make paper dolls”