{"id":534,"date":"2017-10-10T13:13:20","date_gmt":"2017-10-10T17:13:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/?p=534"},"modified":"2017-10-10T13:31:28","modified_gmt":"2017-10-10T17:31:28","slug":"avoiding-homework-headaches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/2017\/10\/10\/avoiding-homework-headaches\/","title":{"rendered":"Avoiding Homework Headaches"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

By Alex Chiu
\nContributors: Debbie Currey, Alisa Jones, and Jacquelyn Kernaghan<\/p>\n

Homework.<\/em> This may be one of the most dreaded words in a student\u2019s vocabulary–perhaps in a parent\u2019s vocabulary, too\u2014but it doesn\u2019t have to be! It\u2019s time to take a look at the purpose of homework and to think about how it can make a meaningful impact on your child\u2019s learning and your family\u2019s after-school routine.<\/p>\n

While some schools give an excess of work to take home and others give none at all, at MCA, we look to find a balance that is beneficial to students and their families. When we asked some of our MCA Kindergarten and Elementary teachers what they wanted families to know about homework, we found a common theme in their responses:<\/p>\n

The Benefits of Homework
\n<\/strong>
\nHomework reinforces learning introduced in class.<\/p>\n

Homework is a way for students to make a link between prior learning and new learning.<\/p>\n

Homework builds a student\u2019s skills and confidence in different subject areas.<\/p>\n

Homework teaches responsibility as the student is responsible for completing and turning in assignments.<\/p>\n

Homework assists students in developing time management skills and creating routines.<\/p>\n

Homework provides teachers with a way to check if their students understand what they\u2019ve learned, and if they don\u2019t, it offers students the opportunity to bring questions in to school for further discussion with the class.<\/p>\n

Homework offers students the opportunity to practice following instructions.<\/p>\n

Homework is a way for students to share what they\u2019ve learned at school with their families at home.<\/p>\n

What homework is NOT:
\n<\/strong>
\nHomework is never intended to be a punishment.<\/p>\n

Homework may not take the same amount of time every day. Multiple assignments may be spread out over the course of a number of days or weeks, and certain homework assignments may take longer than others. Some students may choose to spend a longer amount of time on special creative projects. However, especially in the younger grades, homework should not take an extraordinarily long amount of time to complete. The average amount of time for younger students to spend on daily homework is 30 minutes. The message to students should be that \u2018homework is finished when you have completed your assignments and are satisfied with the work you have completed\u2019.<\/p>\n

Homework is not the parents\u2019 responsibility.<\/p>\n

Homework is not meant to be stressful for students OR parents!<\/p>\n

What families can do to avoid homework headaches and facilitate homework success:
\n<\/strong>
\nEstablish a homework routine<\/strong><\/em>: If a child knows in advance that a specific time is already set aside to complete homework or to review schoolwork, he or she will be less likely to balk at it. Whether it is when they get home from school, before supper, or after their bath, consistency will help your children know what is expected of them and when. They come to understand that homework, like everything else, has its place in the family schedule.<\/p>\n

Create a homework sanctuary<\/strong><\/em>: Equally important to developing a schedule is creating a place for your children to do their work. Set up a spot where your child will not be distracted by electronics or others in the house, and where they will be able to find everything they need for their work. Choose a space that is well-lit, relatively quiet, and spacious enough for your child to spread out his or her notebooks and papers. Also, acknowledge that different types of homework could allow for a change in scenery or routine. For example, if your child has to read from a chapter book and it\u2019s a beautiful day outside, that reading certainly could take place in the backyard\u2014what a wonderful way to enjoy homework!<\/p>\n

Provide the basic tools for homework<\/strong><\/em>: Keep necessary supplies handy in a place that your child can easily access. Designate a special shelf or drawer to house pencils, erasers, paper, index cards, a hole punch, markers, and a stapler for your child to retrieve when needed.<\/p>\n

Be present, but don\u2019t intrude<\/strong><\/em>: Parents are not expected to sit with their children and do their work with them. However, you might ask for a general overview of what homework needs to be done, and perhaps help your child create a plan or order in which to do the assignments for that day. Make yourself available for questions, but remember to let your children come up with their own solutions. Finally, it\u2019s appropriate to check in on your child\u2019s work once completed, but try to resist making changes. Instead, you might ask your child to recheck a math problem or think about what else he or she could add to a story. Again, homework is the child\u2019s work.<\/p>\n

Plan ahead<\/strong><\/em>: If your child\u2019s teacher has set days when homework is assigned and expected to be returned, then help your child plan out how best to use his or her time to get it done when it\u2019s due. Prioritize what is due earliest, and work with your child to create a schedule for working on long-term assignments in short pieces over time.<\/p>\n

Be a homework role model<\/strong><\/em>: Some parents have had great success in helping their children simply by modeling doing work at the same time. Maybe while your child does his or her schoolwork, you can be sitting nearby paying the bills, attending to emails, or doing other homework of your own.<\/p>\n

Incorporate mini-breaks into the homework routine<\/strong><\/em>: If your children\u2019s homework requires them to sit and stay on task longer than they are able to, encourage them to get up and move after sitting for a length of time. Put on a favorite song and dance for 3 minutes. Do laps around the kitchen table. Play fetch three times with the dog. Once your child has had a few minutes of movement, he or she may be better able to focus on the next sit-down task.<\/p>\n

Know when to call it a night<\/strong><\/em>: Sometimes your child just cannot get through an assignment. Maybe he or she isn\u2019t feeling well. Maybe there was a special event that took time away from the usual schedule. Maybe everyone is just TIRED. Under those conditions, whatever attempt at homework is sure to be a poor one. Perhaps the best use of time would be to cozy up and read a book together or simply go to bed. Knowing when to say \u2018we\u2019re done for tonight\u2019 is important. Maybe this is the rare time your child speaks with the teacher about just not having his or her homework completed. Note, this would be the exception and not the rule, especially if you have created a homework plan when assignments are first given. If this type of situation starts to happen frequently, it might be time to reassess your family\u2019s schedule or your child\u2019s feelings about homework.<\/p>\n

Communicate with your child\u2019s teacher<\/strong><\/em>: If your child struggles with homework or has difficulty sticking to a homework routine, reach out to your child\u2019s teacher. Teachers have great insights into how their students work at school and might be able to provide further suggestions on making homework run more smoothly for your family!<\/p>\n

As the school year ramps up, so may your child\u2019s homework. If you take a little time to remember the value of homework and to create a plan with your child, hopefully you will all avoid any homework headaches and have a successful school year!<\/p>\n

Image credit: https:\/\/cdn.pixabay.com\/photo\/2017\/08\/25\/16\/58\/back-to-school-2680730_960_720.jpg<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Alex Chiu Contributors: Debbie Currey, Alisa Jones, and Jacquelyn Kernaghan Homework. This may be one of the most dreaded words in a student\u2019s vocabulary–perhaps in a parent\u2019s vocabulary, too\u2014but it doesn\u2019t have to be! It\u2019s time to take a look at the purpose of homework and to think about how it can make a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[224,69,87,1],"tags":[5,7,73,144,54,213,78,145,147,9],"coauthors":[13],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7icff-8C","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":438,"url":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/2017\/04\/05\/the-importance-of-the-montessori-kindergarten-year\/","url_meta":{"origin":534,"position":0},"title":"The Importance of the Montessori Kindergarten Year","author":"Alex Chiu","date":"April 5, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I had the pleasure of running into a recent graduate of The Montessori Children\u2019s Academy (MCA) and his family at breakfast last weekend. 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