Helping with Homework

SOURCE : « L’aide aux devoirs », Collection Guide de survie des parents,

éditions Groupe Beauchemin (www.beaucheminediteur.com/parents), 2002

The daily homework session must not become a daily
battleground. It’s up to you to help your child understand
that homework is a very important part of his or her education.

The Right Tools at the Right Time
Make sure that your child has everything he needs to do the
work. Keep homework supplies together in a specific place,
for example, in a shoebox to be kept at home and used only
for homework. Place in the box:
* pencils, eraser, pencil sharpener;
¢ aruler;
coloured pencils and markers;
paper;
SCISSOTS;
glue and adhesive tape; and
a dictionary

“ete + @

Do Not Disturb

To ensure optimum working conditions, first determine the
best place to do the homework. Whether in the kitchen or in
her room the student should be able to work without
interruption. Ask your child for her opinion on this subject
and help to decide. Your child needs to know that you think
homework is important.

Turn off the radio and television. Make sure that there is
enough light. For optimum lighting conditions, the light
source should come from the left for a right-handed student,
and from the right for a left-handed student.

When is the best time for homework?

It is essential to establish a homework routine and follow it.
Discuss timing with your child. Homework could be done
either before or after supper. Allow time for an after school
snack and schedule a break if homework takes more than
twenty minutes to finish.

Friendly advice...

To help your child get organized, arrange tasks in a
pyramid. At the base of the pyramid, list tasks that
will take longer or are more difficult to complete.

The student should complete these tasks first. At the
top, list tasks that are easier or will take less time.
These should be done at the end of the homework
session.

Discourage your child
from doing homework just
before bedtime or during
breakfast. Make sure he
gets enough sleep.

Improving Study Habits
You can help your child succeed at school by teaching him
a few basic study techniques.

Increase the Odds

It is up to your child to bring home everything he needs to
complete his homework. If this is a problem, don’t hesitate
to refer to the homework contract (see page 6).

Make sure that your child takes his homework and books to
school every morning.

Self-assessment: Heaven helps those who help themselves!
It is possible, and even desirable, for your child to review
her homework before showing it to you. By reviewing her
own work, the child learns to develop self-assessment
strategies that will eventually become habits. As early in her
school career as possible, your child should learn to re-read
her work. Supervise this step with discretion:

Point out key items to check:
¢ Capital letters (to begin sentences and proper names);
¢ Punctuation (periods to end sentences);
+ Spelling of simple, common words; and
¢ Arithmetic

Paraphrase: Saying the same thing in a different way!
A good way to help your child resolve a problem and enrich
his own vocabulary is to paraphrase, i.e. to repeat a sentence
or a question in other words. With a little practice, the
sentence becomes...child’s play! For example, the child’s
reader states, “The bat is a nocturnal animal.” You could
say to your child, “The bat is not active during the day.”
In the beginning, if the child does not understand the meaning
of a word or question, paraphrase for him. Gradually ask
him to paraphrase in his own words and use this technique
when you are explaining something to him.

Break down Large Items into Smaller Sections
This technique enables the child to assimilate the subject
matter more easily. For example, many students find it

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