“I have homework.” These three words are enough to increase the heart rate of many parents. Elementary school-aged kids have more homework than ever before, creating an inordinate amount of tension within families, who find their children overwhelmed and their own energy zonked. A 1981 University of Michigan study found that 6-to-9-year-olds spent 44 minutes a week on homework; by 1997, they spent more than two hours on homework. And 9- to-11-year-olds’ weekly homework time jumped from 2 hours, 49 minutes, to more than 3 and 1/2 hours during that period. Most teachers would prefer that younger chil- dren spend no more than 20 to 30 minutes on homework each night. But they feel pressured by standardized tests to give more homework. The reality is that there is a huge difference between busy work and homework that teaches children valuable knowledge. Because most homework is created by the same publishers who create the textbooks kids are using and the tests that are administered, the homework is often no more than test preparation. Yet, a 1989 University of Missouri review of more than 100 studies on homework found little effect on standardized test scores for elementary school children. So even the work intended to help them do better on tests doesn’t yield the desired results because, according to experts, homework is too often not a strict review of work learned that day or previously. However, homework is often a jumble of matching, coloring and reading exercises that doesn’t directly reinforce their day’s lessons. Add to that the extra time the various exer- cises take and you have very frustrated chil- dren and teachers who do not see a connection between the lessons and homework. Everyone agrees that some homework must be given in elementary schools, but quantity would not be a big issue if the homework was clear, concise and effective. How can you help your child when the homework is disjunctive, and your child is constantly on overload? First, help your child identify what the homework is intended to review of the day’s lessons. A child learning subtraction, for example, may need you to do some hands-on examples in the kitchen before they start doing it themselves. If your middle-schooler is learning about the planets, start byreviewing why the planets are important and other knowledge about the solar system. Then he can dive into the questions in the book or the worksheet he brought home. Educator Aviva Schwab, who has been teaching parenting courses for 17 years in New York’s Hudson Valley region, advocates two roles for parents – setting the stage and consultant. SET THE STAGE: uRead to your child, even when she can read herself.uModel a love for learning by reading, watching educational TV shows, going to lectures, plays and museums, and joining civic groups. uGet involved in your child’s school. Volunteer at the school, and go to school functions and performances. uHave your kids help around the house, doing dishes, laundry, gardening, or fixing things. These activities are educational in themselves, and teach responsibility. uTalk to your children about educational topics – use family stories to help them appreciate history, or baseball to talk about statistics. uSet up a quiet place for children to do their homework, with the supplies they need at hand. Discuss with your child what’s a good time each day for homework. During that time, turn off TVs, computers, and don’t let them talk on the phone or have a friend over. BE A LEARNING CONSULTANT: uDuring homework time, try to be available to answer specific questions your child may have. You can explain directions, quiz for a test, or help lead to the right answer – if you are asked to by the child. If you don’t know how to arrive at an answer, brainstorm with your child about how to find out. Help her come up with ideas such as: ask the teacher, call a friend, call a friend’s big sister who did this before, or look in the encyclopedia. uDon’t hover! “The goal is for the child to take the responsibility of school work on his shoulders, and learn how to be inde- pendent, so that when he’s not with you – when he’s at school, or 19 and at college, he can do the work himself,” says Schwab. “When you hover over him, he often ends up misbehaving, to get you to hover over him for a longer period of time.” Parent Power!Helping You Make Senseof Schooling TodayContributing EditorsMychele Brickner Rachelle Gura Christopher Prawdzik1001 Connecticut Ave., NWSuite 204Washington, DC 20036202-822-9000800-521-2118Fax: 202-822-5077parentpower@edreform.comwww.edreform.comPublished eight times ayear byThe Center forEducation ReformJeanne Allen, PresidentBringParent Power!to your home.To subscribe, sendyour tax deductibledonation of $9.95 tothe address above,or call us at ourtoll free number.What About Homework?
