As the school year begins, so does the homework season. But homework doesn’t just involve students — parents also should play a role.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, parents should assist their children in daily homework by making sure they have a quiet, well-lit place to complete their assignments.
Parents should also make sure their child has all of the materials he or she needs to complete their homework and they should also help them manage their time to make sure assignments get completed on time.
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The U.S. Department of Education also tells parents to know when to help and when to watch. It recommends that parents guide their child without giving them the answers. It also says that when a child brings home an assignment that requires parental involvement, make sure you participate.
It’s also important to encourage your child while they do their homework, the U.S. Department of Education says. It suggests to praise your child for good work and to also be aware of their frustration level or when they are struggling to understand an assignment. The U.S. Department of Education also recommends staying in touch with your child’s teacher so you know what the assignments are and what they are meant to teach.
The U.S. Department of Education also offers specific tips on aiding your child with reading and math homework.
When working on reading, the U.S. Department of Education suggests having your child read to you aloud every night in a quiet place free from distractions. As they read, point out their mistakes and help them to read it correctly. When they make a mistake, have them re-read the entire sentence, including the new word. The U.S. Department of Education also recommends working with your child on their reading comprehension skills as you read together. To do this, ask your child to give a brief summary of what he or she just read. Also ask questions about the characters in the story and have them make predictions as to what they think will happen next.
One of the most frustrating subjects for children to learn can be math. To help ease the difficulty, the U.S. Department of Education recommends that parents check in with their child every night to see what homework assignment they have so that you stay current on what material they are learning. When helping your child with an assignment, the U.S. Department of Education suggests that you guide your child using the format his or her teacher has taught them, as shortcuts and new methods could just confuse them further. It is also recommended that parents stay in contact with teachers so they know how their child is doing in class and that they arrange for afterschool tutoring sessions when needed.