Question: My son wants me to help him with his homework every night. It takes us hours to finish it and it’s usually a battle. He’s in third grade. Should I talk his teacher about the workload? Should I be helping him do his homework? Sometimes I think I’m doing it for him.
Answer: Amongst faculty within a school there are differences of opinion as to how much parental involvement is appropriate. Many parents struggle with how to show their children that they have an interest in their homework, and holding them accountable for completing their work themselves. When I was a teacher, I used homework as a tool to see in which areas of learning my students may need remediation. Talk to his teacher. You may find that he or she may not expect your son to complete every assignment, but is actually measuring his ability and preparing him for future workloads. Aside from homework strengthening academic performance, I believe the main purpose is to help children establish independent study habits. So don’t let your homework sessions turn into power struggles that get both of you nowhere. You can show your interest without getting directly involved in his assignments by asking questions about his work.
{{brentLink}}
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|