Help With Homework

Strategies that will allow you to foster responsible, independent behaviors

Presented by:Barbara BogdanskiLearning Disabilities Teacher-ConsultantAllendale Schools

HomeworkWhat it should NOT be:

• Nightmare• Headache• Battle• Sore subject• Family tension• Death of me

HomeworkWhat it should be:

A powerful tool for ensuring a child’s success in school

Homework is also an opportunity to :

• Develop personal responsibility• Practice independence• Develop confidence• Refine organizational skills• Become accountable for own work• Understand the correlation

between effort and outcome

Brookside School Homework

• Reinforce a skill that the students learned

• Extend a skill through a creative media

• Prepare students for an activity or discussion for the next day

Approximate Length of Time for Homework

Completion• Grade 4 30-40 minutes• Grade 5 40-50 minutes• Grade 6-8 60-120 minutes

• Please check the school’s web site for daily lesson objectives and homework.

Power School • Parents are encouraged to share

concerns about their children and homework with teachers.

How to Make HW Positive and Rewarding

All Behaviors Continue When Reinforced

• As Parents we hold the power to shape our children’s behavior with the reinforcement of desired behaviors.

• Be careful not to reinforce undesired behaviors.

• Often attention/recognition is the perfect reinforcement for our children.

Motivation

• Consistently praise your child’s efforts.

• Tell your child specifically what you like about what they are doing or what they have done.

• Remember that a hug or pat will increase the impact of your message.

• Use Super Praise to motivate your child.

Incentives

• Incentives can be used when a considerable amount of praise has failed to motivate your child.

• Start by letting your child know that the idea of incentives is YOUR CHOICE.

• Be consistent.

• Phase out incentives.

Great Motivating Ideas

• Beat the Clock

• Trade Off

• Chunking

• Homework Contract

How To Design a HW Contract:

• A homework contract is an agreement between you and your child that states, “When you do your homework appropriately, you will earn a reward.”– Be sure to identify expectations.– Be sure to identify number of points

earned for expectations achieved and the requirement to earn the reward.

– In the beginning the reward should be earned more quickly.

Homework Strategies

How to Set Up a Proper Study Area

How to Get HW Finished in TimeHow to Get Children to do HW

Independently

How to Set Up a Proper Study Areas

• Guide your child in choosing the location. It must meet the “distraction-free” criteria.

• Well–lit, comfortable, quiet location with all necessary supplies at hand.

• A proper environment will improve efficiency and attention span.

HW Survival Kit

Homework Survival Kit

Pencils/pens/white-outColored pencils/crayons/markersPencil sharpener/erasersGlue/tape/stapler/paper clips/rubber bandsWriting paper/construction paper/index cardsHole puncher/scissorsCalculator/compass/protractor/ruler Dictionary/thesaurus/almanac

School Supply Stores

• Educational Warehouse• Lakeshore• Boslands• Staples• Office Depot• Target

How to Get HW Finished in Time

• Homework must be scheduled into your children’s life, too.

• Each day should have a “daily homework time.”

How to Establish Daily HW Time

• Write all scheduled activities on the Daily Schedule.

• Determine length of time needed each day for homework.

• Determine the best time of each day to save for Daily Homework Time.

• Work with your child to complete and then post daily schedule.

How To Get Your Child to Do HW Independently

Routines in the Home After School Have your Student:Empty and re-organize backpackRemove and clean out lunch/snack bagsSet out work to be completed for HWGive parent any papers to be reviewed/signedThrow away or file any un-required papers

Follow their established daily homework timeTeach your child to re-pack backpack, organizing all completed work into its proper location. Have them review the next day’s schedule to determine if any additional items are required, for example: instrument for band lesson, sneakers for PE, or uniform for after school activityPlace these items with the backpack in the same location Place these items with the backpack in the same location each dayeach day

Additional Ideas• Have your child use an alarm

clock to develop organization and responsibility. Time management skills require an understanding of how long things take.

• healthy night’s sleep• morning routine

• Eating• Personal grooming• Responsibilities (animal care, making

bed)• Travel time to school

Sunday Evening…getting ready for the

week• Make Weekly Schedule

• Prepare Materials for Schoollunches, activities, materials

for projects, organize supplies, (sharpen pencils and organize study area)

• Tidy Bedroom

Homework ChecklistHave you…..

• Set up proper study area in your home?

• Established a Daily Homework Time?

• Taken steps to encourage your child to complete HW independently?

• Consistently praised your child’s efforts?

• Used additional incentives, if needed?

• Communicated so your child really listens?

Best wishes for a great school year!