Homework begins to increase with adolescents,
this in part is due to the additional classes being taught in middle school, where
much more is expected than in the primary grades. At my home our evenings became chaotic with
the amount of time spent doing homework, I felt as if homework was the only
activity my children and I participated in as a family. The completion of homework each night was a
struggle, this was not how I envisioned parenthood! Making positive changes to our routine were necessary
to insure a warmer and accepting home environment, I began seeking ways to
resolve our dilemma.
In an article by Canter and Canter
entitled Involving Parents in the
Homework Process, they confess that “parents complain that homework is
often the greatest cause of conflict between them and their children.” This statement is so true, I have been
involved in a few conflicts with my teens regarding homework, and unfortunately
many other families have had the same experience. It appears that after a day at school, teens
would like to spend some time doing other activities, as well parents would
like more time to interact with their teens in an activity of their choosing.
Being a single parent or part of a two parent
working household presents challenges for spending quality time with your
adolescent. This can be compounded
during the school year when students are expected to complete homework
assignments. Many Parents are returning
home from work during the dinner hour and rush to put together a nutritious
meal, eat as a family, drive kids to lessons and hope for quality time to spend
with their children in a relaxing way.
Much of this limited time together is spent on homework assignments, the
quest of any good parent would be for our children to have the best education
available to them, with that being said, time spent on homework must be upbeat,
motivating and inviting.
Canter and Canter believe that homework can be
instrumental in boosting a child’s self esteem, explaining that “when parent
and child work together, the child knows that he is important enough for the
parent to stop what s/he’s doing, pay attention, and get involved.” We can all agree with the authors that
parental involvement will increase positive feelings a child may have about him
or herself. We can encourage our
teens to place high value on homework by following a few homework tips from
the article:
1)
Set up a quiet study area accommodating
to that child’s learning style, with proper lighting and school supplies.
2)
Create a homework survival kit with
pencils, pens, ruler, markers, colored pencils, poster board, glue, scissors
and a pencil sharpener.
3)
Schedule daily homework time as soon
as possible after school and when a parent can be available to assist with
assignments.
4)
Encourage children to work
independently using resources available to them first and then if needed ask a
parent for help.
5)
Motivate children with praise, inspire them to
have a sense of pride in personal achievements.
This article also offers other valuable
information to incorporate in to study time.
The strain of homework can also be diminished by starting early on
assignments and breaking them down into smaller steps, this can reduce the
stress some students may feel when deadlines near. Parents can ensure good results when a teen
is involved in a pre determined plan of action for times when homework is
forgotten at school or not completed in a timely manner. Incentives and praise are a very important
part of keeping a teen engaged in their school work and completing assignments
on time, continued acknowledgement of their accomplishments are sure to
encourage continued good homework habits.
Here's hoping that time spent on homework at your house is a positive experience for both parent and teen!
-Peggy
Canter, Lee and Canter, Marlene.
(2001) Parents On Your Side: A Teacher’s
Guide to Creating Positive Relationships with Parents. Chapter 7, Involving Parent in the Homework Process. (pg 87-112)
Bloomington, Indiana: Solution Tree
No comments:
Post a Comment