Homework Humdrum

As we previously discussed at Open House, first grade is a huge transitional grade with increased academic demands, challenges and accomplishments. Another area of adjustment is that of homework. In kindergarten, children are assigned little if any homework. However, in first grade the level of homework starts slowly and builds significantly. Most first grade students are expected to read 20 minutes every night as well as complete practice to mastery work for a multitude of subjects (vocabulary, math, phonics, writing, spelling, social studies and science).

After sitting in a classroom all day learning new concepts, your child may come home less than enthusiastic to sit down and work some more on homework assignments. Really, can you blame them? Regardless if you believe in homework or not...more than likely this is just the beginning of many, many years of homework assignments and homework hum drums! The good news is - as a parent and your child's first and forever teacher you can help set the tone for homework.

Model Positive Attitudes

Even if you do not understand "why" your child has to do a particular assignment or project it's important that you model a positive attitude towards homework. This is the first year of many years of homework assignments including college. The foundation you lay NOW will serve your child well in the future. If you encounter problems at home, contact the teacher and set up conference to discuss various options. Do not wait until everyone is frustrated.

Set Up A Specific Work Area

Establish a quiet area where your child is expected to work on their homework or projects. Make sure your child has scissors, glue, crayons, erasers and sharp pencils available to them. Be consistent with time and expectations.

Chunk It

Remember, we are building stamina. Do not wait until the last minute to complete homework or projects. Your child will think more clearly and have a better learning experience if you chunk homework into smaller sessions with "brain breaks" included. A sure fire way to ignite a meltdown is to expect your child to finish homework all at one sitting the night before it is due!

Work Together

Homework can actually be a pleasant time of bonding and communicating with your child. Remember to focus on what your child is doing properly and praise their accomplishments. If your child is struggling with an assignment break it down into smaller components or mini-lessons. You may want to share an experience from your childhood regarding a time that you struggled with homework and how you pressed on until you finally mastered it. Let your child know you will be there to help them until they do "get it" - support is key. Doing the assignment for them is not key.

Communicate

If your child is struggling with a particular assignment or project it is important to communicate this to their teacher. Creating a highly stressful environment seldom helps. Your child's teacher may need to differentiate the lesson, pull together additional resources or manipulatives to better assist your child in understanding a concept. What ever you do, try to maintain a positive tone and attitude when working with your child.

Again, do not do the work for your child. Your child will learn much more by doing homework for themselves. Additionally, working through a difficult time and finally succeeding builds self-esteem and academic confidence. Moreover, you will not be in the classroom taking tests for your child - so let's set them up to work independently for success and good grades.

Remember, this is training ground for the future. Teach your child how to handle homework in a proactive manner. Set reasonable expectations, be consistent and be a good role model. We all have aspects of our jobs or lives that are not necessarily fun (or we simply may not want to do) but, we have to knuckle down and get the job done! Consider this training for strong work ethics in the future.