Contents
- How do I help my child with homework?
- Is homework proven to help kids?
- How do I get my child to do homework?
- At what age should parents stop helping with homework?
- Does homework get parents involved?
After a full day at school, homework is the last thing any child wants to do 😢. After a long working day, homework help is the last thing any parent wants to be involved in. After a long day in the classroom, homework is the last thing any teacher wants to mark. But there you have it. Homework is here to stay and we all just have to get on with it. Here are a few ideas about helping with homework to make it less painful for all involved.
How do I help my child with homework?
It’s natural that every parent wants their child to do well at school. To fulfil their potential and find a subject they are passionate about.
However, according to a recent survey, when it comes to homework help, UK parents are less likely to assist their children when they have school work to do compared with other countries 😔
Here are some ways you can help:
|
Communication 🗪. |
Study area 📕 |
Rewards 🏆 |
Routine 📆 |
|
Talk to them about homework help. It doesn’t matter if you know about the subject or not, just listen. If asking them what their homework consists of is like getting blood out of a stone, you can always go directly to their teacher. |
Finding a quiet area for study in your home seems simple but can be very effective. This will set a clear boundary between doing school work and doing more fun things. |
No matter what age your child is, it’s a good idea to have something to look forward to afterwards that will motivate them to get their work done quicker. Work out with your child what would motivate them (within reason!) and be sure to do it when the task has been completed. |
Create a routine with your child. Doing homework should be done when your child is most receptive to it. For some it’s straight after school, for others it’s after a break. Find out when it is and mark it in. It’s a great life skill to teach your child this kind of discipline early on. |
Is homework proven to help kids?
The answer to this question very much depends on what the task is. Any parent who has given primary homework help might agree with Professor John Hattie of the Melbourne Education Research Institute at the University of Melbourne.
Professor Hattie believes that a lot of child homework at primary school involves tasks unrelated to what has been done at school. Secondary school homework usually reinforces what was taught at school. The latter is more effective in leading to academic success and learning.🏅
He believes effective homework is based on four things:
- The students know how to do it
- The work is relevant to their studies
- The child receives homework help from parents
- The work is checked afterwards with students
How do I get my child to do homework?
Many students struggle when doing school work because they hate school. This can be for a number of reasons but makes your job of providing homework help even harder. Let’s face it, it can often lead to arguments and raised voices. Ultimately, it’s a battle of control.
The child is fighting for control over life choices and you are fighting to gain control over your parental responsibilities. In other words, you regard your child doing homework as your parental responsibility. Homework helping soon becomes homework fighting!
The truth is you can’t make your child do anything. What you can do is set boundaries, respect their choices (however hard this may be) and encourage them to develop self-motivation! 💪
At what age should parents stop helping with homework?
Homework help is just that. We know we shouldn’t do it for them but sometimes it just happens! One minute we’re looking over our child’s shoulder, the next minute we’re finishing off a work of art when we realise our child has already left the room! 👀
In actual fact, studies show that helping your child too much can have a negative impact on their academic progress.
By the time they’re at secondary school, your child will probably not tolerate that level of interference. So, in some ways homework help from parents naturally decreases.
In cases when it doesn’t, here’s our guidance; there should be a gradual backing off from years five and six. By the time your child is 12, you shouldn’t be involved at all. This will allow them to learn about time-management, responsibility and independence 💪.
Does homework get parents involved?
Getting involved and helping your child with their homework can lead to:
- Higher academic performance
- More self-confidence
- The message that education is important
- Better Self-motivation and engagement
Just remember, the key to homework help is to guide rather than to do! At least now you’ll be armed with the right weapons to win the homework fight. Hopefully, by following our guidance, it won’t be a battlefield and you’ll both find a peaceful solution! 😇
