Teachers - Homework Help For Kids.
Tips You Give Parents!!

Homework is such a " hot" topic and homework help for kids from parents or homework tutoring is so important.

One of the first questions a parent will ask when their child comes home is "Do you have any homewok?" or "What do you have for homework?"

In today's world, most parents have a very busy and hectic schedule. Usually both parents are working and may have different schedules from each other and from their children, so here are my homework tips for parents to provide homework help for kids.

* Some parents demand that their child have homework. I recommend certain books or activity sheets that they can do together (related to what I am teaching at that time) - so parents are accountable.

* I encouraged students and parents that the student have a break when they come home from school - relax, have a snack, watch TV or play outside for a while - it's healthy for the mind and the soul - then begin the homework.

During parent teacher conferences I suggested some homework strategies which I hoped parents would implement and maintain with their child. It's a win-win situation:

* Make homework a top priority at home (believe me when I tell you that some parents don't care if their child is not doing their homework and don't encourage them to complete it) - now there's a challenge!

* Provide a quiet environment (no TV, IPOD or radio), a specific time to do homework, and necessary supplies - pencils, markers, eraser, ruler, desk/table & chair.

* Be around to help your child or check in on them occasionally.

* If there was an issue with the homework let the teacher know about it the next day in the student's agenda, so the student doesn't become stressed and become unsure of their abilities.

* Believe it or not, there have been parents that have written nasty notes in their child's agenda stating "My child worked on their homework for 2 hours last night. Is it because you're an inexperienced teacher and don't know what you're doing?" So be prepared!

Every year I hold a teaching workshop for student teachers at York University in Toronto. Watch this video that I recorded during one session, as we discuss how to deal with a parent who complains about her child having too much homework.

In some cases and at times providing homework help for kids from outside sources (a tutor) may be very useful and necessary.

Depending on the child, students can feel homework stress and some students just don't get it or need a better understanding of the concept. Parents may not understand or be able to explain the homework questions or even have the time.

In these cases I recommend a homework tutor. It can be an older high school student, an adult or another professional teacher.

I encourage parents to check references and I explain to the students and their parents there is no shame in getting a tutor. "You want your child to do the best they can and if it means from an outside source, then go for it!" ( I tell them that my own kids have had homework tutors and that reassures them.)

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