Homework is an important component of your child’s school experiences. It affords the opportunity for practice and review, and helps your child become an independent learner, an essential skill in high school and beyond. If you are like most parents, you feel a mixture of emotions about homework, some positive and some negative. All parents, however, wonder if the homework routine they have set in place is a positive one.
As your children return to school we suggest you complete the following twenty-five item questionnaire, dealing with positive homework practices.
|
Positive Parent Homework Practices |
| ___Yes |
___No |
1. Do you volunteer time to your child’s classroom or school? |
| ___Yes |
___No |
2. Do you go to school conferences or meetings about your child? |
| ___Yes |
___No |
3. Do you ask the teacher about your child’s homework practices and policies? |
| ___Yes |
___No |
4. Are you aware of your child’s whereabouts after school? |
| ___Yes |
___No |
5. Do you monitor your child’s homework after school or by using a trusted individual or tutor? |
| ___Yes |
___No |
6. Do you monitor your child’s homework after school with a written or taped list and with a phone call? |
| ___Yes |
___No |
7. Do you or your child have homework times established? |
| ___Yes |
___No |
8. Does your child keep these times and do you enforce these homework times? |
| ___Yes |
___No |
9. Do you limit TV time or make sure it is given after the child has spent some time on homework? |
| ___Yes |
___No |
10. Have you helped your child experiment with different places to study and different home conditions (with music, TV on, at a desk, on the bed, etc.)? |
| ___Yes |
___No |
11. Do you provide healthy homework snacks for your child after school? |
| ___Yes |
___No |
12. Have you helped your child identify activities or breaks to look forward to after completing a certain amount of time or homework? |
| ___Yes |
___No |
13. Does your child have or have you helped your child develop a way to plan for a long term project, with checks and reminders? |
| ___Yes |
___No |
14 Do you ask about what the child learned at school that day and about interests? |
| ___Yes |
___No |
15. Does your child have a system of putting homework in a specific place? |
| ___Yes |
___No |
16. Do you help your child practice skills using games or flashcards? |
| ___Yes |
___No |
17. Do you help your child understand directions by asking your child what he/she reads? |
| ___Yes |
___No |
18. Do you allow the child an alternative to demonstrate what he/she knows (e.g., drawing pictures, typing, talking)? |
| ___Yes |
___No |
19. Do you read to your child when the objective of the lesson is not reading but understanding the content (e.g., social studies, math problem solving)? |
| ___Yes |
___No |
20. Do you provide ways to make homework faster or more fun (colorful folders, pencils, organizers, choice, getting them started, providing positive statements)? |
| ___Yes |
___No |
21. Do you provide tape recorded messages, check sheets, tours of the public library, references, choice, and goal setting to develop independence? |
| ___Yes |
___No |
22. Do you help your child prioritize homework tasks? |
| ___Yes |
___No |
23. Would you hire a tutor if the child’s skill level is significantly below the homework requirements? |
| ___Yes |
___No |
24. Do you find ways to praise your child for good work and homework? |
| ___Yes |
___No |
25. Do you help your child study for tests by quizzing your child on material to be learned? |
Once you have completed this questionnaire review the questions you responded to with No. Think about how your child might benefit if you were to modify your behavior in these major categories, becoming involved (questions 1-3), monitoring homework completion (questions 4-6), establishing and enforcing homework routines (questions 7-10), providing assistance in different ways (questions 11-25) and helping your child value education through your own example, discussion of learning, and assistance. The issues in this questionnaire will be covered in weekly articles during the coming year. If you have an immediate concern about one of the items in this questionnaire you can seek answers in our text, Seven Steps to Homework Success: A Family Guide for Solving Common Homework Problems.
