Setting Standards
Setting standards about homework with children, even the youngest school
students, is important. If the kindergarten teacher sends home a drawing
to finish, this should be taken as seriously as the term paper the senior
needs to hand in. It's best to take a positive approach about homework.
Help your children enjoy learning and the feeling of doing the homework
well. There will be, of course, changes in how you deal with homework as
your children get into the upper grades, but setting standards and making
sure they adhere to them will diminish problems for all ages.
Your children should know that you expect homework to be complete, accurate,
and neat and that they must, unless there are special circumstances, hand
in homework on time. They should know that you may be checking homework
or checking to see that it is completed. They should know that you won't
write them an excuse for not doing homework unless there is a legitimate
reason and won't let them stay home on test days or when a term paper is
due unless they are sick or have another legimate reason.
Make it clear to your children that the parts of their homework that
can more efficiently be completed with use of their home computer should
be done on the computer. Outlining chapters, making study notes, practicing
spelling words, writing essays and papers, making presentations, etc. are
excellent ways to integrate technology and homework. Help your children
understand that using the tools of technology for their homework will help
them do their homework better and quicker.
Although most of the time, you will focus on positives about homework
such as praising your children for a job well done or for getting right
to their homework without being asked to do it, there are times when you'll
need to insist that homework be started, continued, corrected, rewritten,
explained to you, etc. There are times when you'll want to go over concepts
covered or facts with your children. If you follow your standards on a
consistent basis, your children will know what you expect when it comes
to homework and studying.
Talk with your children about study times, study settings, and your
standards for completion of homework. Make sure they know that you and
their teachers are working together to help them with their studies and
homework.
