Helping Your Child With Homework

By: U.S. Department of Education (2005)

Homework: A Concern for the Whole Family

Homework is an opportunity for children to learn and for families to be involved in their children's education. However, helping children with homework isn't always easy. At parent-teacher meetings and in conferences with parents, teachers often hear questions such as:

How can I get Michael to do his homework? Every night it's a struggle to get him to turn off the TV and do his homework.
Why isn't Maria getting more homework?
Why is Jonathan getting so much homework?
When is Suki supposed to do homework? She takes piano lessons, sings in her church choir, plays basketball and helps with family chores. There's hardly any time left to study.
How can I help Robert with his math homework when I don't understand it?
Do homework assignments really help my child learn?

This article helps answer these and other questions that parents, family members, and others who care for children in elementary and middle school often ask about homework. The booklet also includes practical ideas for helping children to complete homework assignments successfully.

The article contains the following sections:

The Basics

Why Do Teachers Assign Homework?
Does Homework Help Children Learn?
What's the Right Amount of Homework?

How to Help: Show That You Think Education and Homework Are Important

Set a Regular Time for Homework
Pick a Place
Remove Distractions
Provide Supplies and Identify Resources
Set a Good Example
Be Interested and Interesting

How to Help: Monitor Assignments

Ask about the School's Homework Policy
Be Available
Look over Completed Assignments
Monitor Time Spent Viewing TV and Playing Video Games

How to Help: Provide Guidance

Help Your Child Get Organized
Encourage Good Study Habits
Talk about the Assignments
Watch for Frustration
Give Praise

How to Help: Talk with Teachers to Resolve Problems

Tell the Teacher about Your Concerns
Work with the Teacher

Checklist for Helping Your Child with Homework

Resources

Please note: In this booklet, we refer to a child as "him" in some places and "her" in others. We do this to make the booklet easier to read. Please understand, however, that every point that we make is the same for girls and boys.