Category: Parenting

Getting Parents Involved

by Tom Hobart
Used with permission from NYSUT’s The Bottom Line, January 27, 1999

Teachers have long known – and research confirms – that when parents are involved in their children’s education, the children do better in school.

It’s as important today as ever, but the changing family structure (both parents working, one-parent families, step families, etc.) often make it more difficult than in past generations for parents to become involved. the challenge for us is to encourage the parents (or guardians or grandparents) of the children we teach to show a real interest in their kid’s school work and activities. Here are some ideas you might want to suggest at your next round of parent-teacher conferences or at a school open house.

Establish a routine at home that gives your child an opportunity to share with you what they are doing in school. It might be tough at first to get the kids to open up, and it shouldn’t be an inquisition. By making it a part of every day, you will make the point that school is important and that you are interested in what goes on there.

Attend as many school events – sports, concerts, plays, open houses, even an occasional school board meeting – as you possibly can. If this means sometimes rearranging you business or social calendar, it’s part of your responsibility as parents.

Call your child’s teachers once in awhile, just to ask how things are going. The teacher will appreciate your interest and you will have opened an important line of communication. Together, you may be able to head off future problems.

To the best of your ability, assure that your child goes to school each day ready to learn. That includes having homework completed, the necessary materials, sufficient sleep and nourishment, and the knowledge that you consider school a top priority in your child’s life.

Read with your child as early in her or his life and as often as possible. he availability of books, magazines, and newspapers in your home not only provides material for your child to read, but also says, “Reading is an important activity in this family.” Nothing is more important to a person’s lifetime ability to learn and grow than reading. Don’t allow television to take the place of reading, in general, or homework, in particular.

One of the most serious obstacles to learning in a classroom is a lack of students’ self discipline and respect for others. If your child exhibits such tendencies at home, address the situation, immediately. Insist on appropriate behavior. If the child is unresponsive seek professional advice.

I’m sure you can think of many more ways parents can help their children in school. Don’t keep them to yourself. Share with colleagues ideas that have worked for you. Most important, share them with parents.

The parent -teacher partnership is critical for a child’s success.

How Important is Homework

Assigning homework serves various educational needs. It serves as an intellectual discipline, establishes study habits, eases time constraints on the amount of curricular material that can be covered in class, and supplements and reinforces work done in school. In addition, it fosters student initiative, independence, and responsibility and brings home and school closer together.
What Is Homework?

Homework is defined as out-of-class tasks assigned to students as an extension or elaboration of classroom work. There are three types of homework: practice, preparation, and extension.

Practice assignments reinforce newly acquired skills. For example, students who have just learned a new method of solving a mathematical problem should be given sample problems to complete on their own. Preparation assignments help students get ready for activities that will occur in the classroom. Students may, for example, be required to do background research on a topic to be discussed later in class. Extension assignments are frequently long-term continuing projects that parallel classwork. Students must apply previous learning to complete these assignments, which include science fair projects and term papers.
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Why Is Homework Important?

Research in the last decade has begun to focus on the relationship between homework and student achievement and has greatly strengthened the case for homework. Although there are mixed findings about whether homework actually increases students’ academic achievement, many teachers and parents agree that homework develops students’ initiative and responsibility and fulfills the expectations of students, parents, and the public. Studies generally have found homework assignments to be most helpful if they are carefully planned by the teachers and have direct meaning to students.
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How Can Parents Get Involved?

* Share any concerns you may have regarding the amount or type homework assigned with your child’s teacher or principal.

* Encourage your child to take notes concerning homework assignments in case questions arise later at home.

* Provide a suitable study area and the necessary tools (for example, paper and books) to complete the homework assignments.

* Limit after-school activities to allow time for both homework and family activities.

* Monitor television viewing and establish a specific homework time.

* Plan a homework schedule with your child. Allow for free time when assignments are completed.

* Praise your child’s efforts. If questions arise about the assignments, and your child asks for help, ask him or her questions or work through an example rather than simply providing the answer.

* Younger children need more parental assistance with homework than older children. Go over homework assignments with your child. Do several problems or questions together, then observe your child doing the next one or two.

* If your child is in elementary school, check completed assignments. At all levels, ask to look at homework once it has been marked and returned.

* Ask your child’s teachers about their homework policy and specific assignments.

How Much Time Should My Child Spend on Homework?

According to some researchers, two ways to increase students’ opportunities to learn are to increase the amount of time that students have to learn and to expand the amount of content they receive. Homework assignments may foster both these goals. Reforms in education have called for increased homework, and as a result, reports show that students are completing considerably more homework than they did a decade ago.

According to statements by the National PTA and the National Education Association (NEA), the following amounts of homework are recommended:

* From kindergarten to third grade, no more than 20 minutes per day.

* From fourth to sixth grade, 20 to 40 minutes per day.

* From seventh to twelfth grade, the recommended amount of time varies according to the type and number of subjects a student is taking. In general, college-bound students receive lengthier and more involved homework than students preparing to enter the workforce immediately after graduation.

Why Should Parents Be Concerned About a School Homework Policy?

* Lack of an established homework policy may place either insufficient or unrealistic demands on your child. Students may not be expected to work to capacity; alternatively, they may receive too many assignments from different teachers on the same evening.

* Schools with homework policies tend to set guidelines for teachers to correct, grade, and return homework systematically to their students, thus reinforcing learning.

* Schools with homework policies generally provide specific guidelines regarding what is expected from parents.

* Schools with homework policies tend to carefully design and provide homework assignments appropriate to each grade level.

Students may not always view homework as a pleasant experience, but if the assignment serves a good purpose and parents reinforce the completion of the tasks, students will benefit by gaining higher grades, better study habits, and a more positive attitude toward school and learning.

Homework assignments give parents insight into the school curriculum and offer a greater opportunity for student learning to occur.