Homework Tips for Parents - Make sure your child has a quiet, well lit place to do homework. Avoid having your child do homework with the television on or in places with other distractions, such as people coming and going - Make sure the materials your child needs, such as paper, pencils, and a dictionary in English and native language are available. Ask your child if special materials will be needed for some projects and get them in advance. - Help your child with time management. Establish a set time each day for doing homework.  Don’t let your child leave homework until just before bedtime.  Think about using a weekend morning or afternoon for working on big projects, especially if the project involves getting together with classmates. - Be positive about homework. Tell your child how important school is.  The attitude you express about homework will be the attitude the child acquires. - When your child asks for help, provide guidance, not answers. Giving answers means your child will not learn the material.  Too much help teaches your child that when the going gets rough, someone will do the work for him or her. - When the teacher asks that you play a role in the homework, do it. Cooperate with the teacher.  It shows your child that the school and home are a team.  Follow the directions given by the teacher. - If homework is meant to be done by your child alone, stay away. Too much parent involvement can prevent homework from having some positive effects.  Homework is a great way for kids to develop independent, lifelong learning skills. - Stay informed. Talk with your child’s teacher.  Make sure you know the purpose of homework and what your child’s class rules are. - Help your child figure out what is hard homework and what is easy homework. Have your child do the hard work first.  This will mean he or she will be most alert when facing the biggest challenges.  Easy material will seem to go fast when fatigue begins to set in. - Watch your child for signs of failure and frustration. Let your child take a short break if he or she is having trouble keeping their mind on an assignment. - Reward progress in homework. If your child has been successful in homework completion and is working hard, celebrate that success with a special event (for example., pizza, a walk, a trip to the park) to reinforce the positive effort.

Parent Guide Parents should continue to speak and read to your child in your native language. Check out the local library to see if they have books in your native language. Read picture books to your child.  Talk with your child and help him or her develop reasoning skills through your native language.  Research on learning a second language suggests that students who learn to read in their native language perform better in school, are more likely to be judged as competent readers in the second language, and transfer the ability to read well in the native language to English. You are your child’s first teacher - Encourage your child to do well in school. You have the greatest impact on your child’s success in school.  Be supportive of your child’s education by visiting the school and keeping in touch with your child’s teachers.  Attend Family School Association (FSA) meetings, read information that comes home, and volunteer in your child’s classroom.  When your child sees that you value education, he or she will also. Support your child’s English language development Help your child learn English by using a variety of resources in the community, including the library’s English language resources, the community’s recreational resources, and of course, the resources available through the school. 

What can parents do to help their child?