Help With Homework

1. Help With Homework Strategies that will allow you to foster responsible, independent behaviors Presented by: Barbara Bogdanski Learning Disabilities Teacher-Consultant Allendale Schools

2. HomeworkWhat it should NOT be: • Nightmare • Headache • Battle • Sore subject • Family tension • Death of me

3. HomeworkWhat it should be: A powerful tool for ensuring a child’s success in school

4. Homework is also an opportunity to : • Develop personal responsibility • Practice independence • Develop confidence • Refine organizational skills • Become accountable for own work • Understand the correlation between effort and outcome

5. Brookside School Homework • Reinforce a skill that the students learned • Extend a skill through a creative media • Prepare students for an activity or discussion for the next day

6. Approximate Length of Time for Homework Completion • Grade 4 30-40 minutes • Grade 5 40-50 minutes • Grade 6-8 60-120 minutes • Please check the school’s web site for daily lesson objectives and homework. Power School • Parents are encouraged to share concerns about their children and homework with teachers.

7. How to Make HW Positive and Rewarding *YOU ARE THE KEY* The Most Crucial Element in Determining a child’s Success in School: YOU Your commitment and enthusiasm are vital to your child’s success in school! Your message needs to be one of : We believe in you, we are committed to your success and homework is an important part of this commitment.

8. All Behaviors Continue When Reinforced • As Parents we hold the power to shape our children’s behavior with the reinforcement of desired behaviors. • Be careful not to reinforce undesired behaviors. • Often attention/recognition is the perfect reinforcement for our children.

9. Motivation • Consistently praise your child’s efforts. • Tell your child specifically what you like about what they are doing or what they have done. • Remember that a hug or pat will increase the impact of your message. • Use Super Praise to motivate your child.

10. Incentives • Incentives can be used when a considerable amount of praise has failed to motivate your child. • Start by letting your child know that the idea of incentives is YOUR CHOICE. • Be consistent. • Phase out incentives.

11. Great Motivating Ideas • Beat the Clock • Trade Off • Chunking • Homework Contract

12. How To Design a HW Contract: • A homework contract is an agreement between you and your child that states, “When you do your homework appropriately, you will earn a reward.” • Be sure to identify expectations. • Be sure to identify number of points earned for expectations achieved and the requirement to earn the reward. • In the beginning the reward should be earned more quickly.

13. Homework Strategies How to Set Up a Proper Study Area How to Get HW Finished in Time How to Get Children to do HW Independently

14. How to Set Up a Proper Study Areas • Guide your child in choosing the location. It must meet the “distraction-free” criteria. • Well–lit, comfortable, quiet location with all necessary supplies at hand. • A proper environment will improve efficiency and attention span.

15. HW Survival Kit

16. Homework Survival Kit Pencils/pens/white-out Colored pencils/crayons/markers Pencil sharpener/erasers Glue/tape/stapler/paper clips/rubber bands Writing paper/construction paper/index cards Hole puncher/scissors Calculator/compass/protractor/ruler Dictionary/thesaurus/almanac

17. School Supply Stores • Educational Warehouse • Lakeshore • Boslands • Staples • Office Depot • Target

18. How to Get HW Finished in Time • Homework must be scheduled into your children’s life, too. • Each day should have a “daily homework time.”

19. How to Establish Daily HW Time • Write all scheduled activities on the Daily Schedule. • Determine length of time needed each day for homework. • Determine the best time of each day to save for Daily Homework Time. • Work with your child to complete and then post daily schedule.

20. How To Get Your Child to Do HW Independently Let them know it is your expectation that they are to do their own homework. Use process of encouragement • Emphasize your confidence in their ability to do their work with just a little boost from you. • Break down “overwhelming” assignments into smaller steps. • Provide encouragement each time your child succeeds at any step, then have them move forward to complete the assignment. Caution: Do not do the work for your child and do not teach concepts to your child!

21. Routines in the Home After School Have your Student: Empty and re-organize backpack Remove and clean out lunch/snack bags Set out work to be completed for HW Give parent any papers to be reviewed/signed Throw away or file any un-required papers Follow their established daily homework time Teach your child to re-pack backpack, organizing all completed work into its proper location. Have them review the next day’s schedule to determine if any additional items are required, for example: instrument for band lesson, sneakers for PE, or uniform for after school activity Place these items with the backpack in the same location each day

22. Additional Ideas • Have your child use an alarm clock to develop organization and responsibility. Time management skills require an understanding of how long things take. • healthy night’s sleep • morning routine • Eating • Personal grooming • Responsibilities (animal care, making bed) • Travel time to school

23. Sunday Evening…getting ready for the week • Make Weekly Schedule • Prepare Materials for School lunches, activities, materials for projects, organize supplies, (sharpen pencils and organize study area) • Tidy Bedroom

24. Homework ChecklistHave you….. • Set up proper study area in your home? • Established a Daily Homework Time? • Taken steps to encourage your child to complete HW independently? • Consistently praised your child’s efforts? • Used additional incentives, if needed? • Communicated so your child really listens?

25. Best wishes for a great school year!