Fitting it in to today’s busy schedule
and reducing family stress.
Presented by:
Courtney Jones, 3rd grade teacher
Sara Pancio, 3rd grade teacher
Alisa Rogaliner, Principal
Homework for young children
should be….

Review or practice of daily skills

A time to apply skills to a task or study for a test

A way to establish good study skill routines.
A time to see your child‘s success in school
An opportunity to dialogue with your child about his or
her school day

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At the end of a long day, no one wants to sit and do boring, repetitive or
non-preferred tasks. Homework can actually be turned into a positive
experience, when we approach our children with a calm attitude and
encouragement and consistent expectations.
An afternoon routine should reflect
learning style, location and consistency
Children have different learning styles. Some need
quiet spaces and others need active settings. One
factor that can reduce stress is an afternoon routine that
takes your child’s needs into consideration.




Be prepared - Have a space set aside with the supplies
your child will need. (If your on the go, this can be a travel bag.)
Allow a mental health moment along with a snack and a
drink.
Set a defined time for work and stick to it. Use natural
consequences for “delay of game” ploys.
Do a quick temperature check at the end.
(Were you able to finish? Did you understand?
Are you happy with the kind of work you did?)
Sample supply containers
Suggested Items
Pencils
hand sharpener
Paper
index cards
glue stick
tape
ruler
Scissors
Crayons
colored pencils
Flash cards sticky notes
Homework Should not be….
 A nightmare
 A Headache
 A Battle
So here are some tips from the teachers…
Communication
Communicate with your
child
Communicate with your child’s
teacher

Contact your child’s
teacher if the homework
is too hard or too easy.

Send a message to your
child that means :
 You believe in them.
 You are committed to their

Ask your child’s teacher
for extra resources if you
want to help your child
more at home.
success.
 Homework is an important
part of overall success.
 Always look at your child’s
homework each night.
 SHOW ENTHUSIASM!!
Resistant Students/Mood Changers

There are times when parents and children reach
their frustration level with the work and each other.
Consistently
Praise your
child.
Make a
homework
contract
together.
Don’t force it!
Break up the
work or play a
game!
Reinforce
desired
behaviors
Make an
incentive
chart.
Breaking Down Tasks
Teachers often use SCAFFOLDING to help students struggling with a task.
THINK of it as a release of responsibility from the adult to the child:
1: I Do- The parent/adult/helper does the first problem. Think aloud to tell
them how you are doing the steps.
2: We Do- Work with the child to complete the next problem. You may need
to do a few problems together before releasing them to the independent level
3: You Do- Have your child do a problem independently to show that they
understand.
Some Other Ideas:
•Cut a file folder to show one section at a time.
•Tell the student to complete every other problem.
•Have the student respond verbally. Parent writes.
•Student teaches the parent.
Time
How long should it take?
As per LCPS guidelines, children in grades one through three should be given
no more than thirty minutes of homework each night; children in grades four and
five should be given no more than sixty minutes of homework a night.
What do we do if it takes additional time?
Stop your student at the allotted time. Anything past that time is not going to be
retained by the student. Write a note to the teacher explaining that they worked
the full amount of time and where the challenges were demonstrated. This is
only for students that have honestly put forth their effort for the full amount of
time.
What do we do if it takes less time?
This is a great time to work on reviewing for assessments that might be coming
up. Students can read and tell you about a book or review/check over their
work.
Time- Ideas to Help

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
Use a timer- This can help students
to slow down or to help them stay
focused.
Break down the time into stepswork for awhile, then take a break
Plan ahead
Prioritize your tasks- save those
projects for light homework nights
Establish a routine that works for
your child. Some students need to
play first, then do their homework.
Alternatives
Computer


Interactive math games
Games and activities

Use a sort or flashcards to
study important
vocabulary.

Play concentration with
flashcards (Memory).

Have math fact races and
record the child’s times.
Make it fun!

Let the child be the
teacher.
Videos
 Brainpop or Brainpopjr.
 Study Jams
 Youtube- (PREVIEW
ANYTHING BEFORE
YOUR CHILD DOES)
 Your school should have a
special site where you can
locate games that reinforce
the standards of learning.
Don’t be afraid to use humor
or give your child a chance to
explain what they know to you.
http://paworldclassmath.webs.com/Homework%20joke.gif
Finally, find the fun in learning…
From http://paworldclassmath.webs.com/Homework%20joke.gif
A FEW HOMEWORK MYTHS
1. More is better- The more my child does, the better he or she will become.
Our perspective- A few quality problems where your child really explains his or
herself can be superior to 100 questions and answers that make no connection for
him/her.
2. They will learn better if I solve it for them.
Our perspective – Modeling is good; however, students need to feel safe to take
risks, even if it means they have to make corrections.
3. Studying for tests is in addition to homework, not part of it.
Our perspective – Not necessarily, it isn’t.
4. Drill and memorization worked for me, so it should work for my child
Our perspective – On some tasks, one must simply drill. However, the ability to
problem solve or find information is as important as the correct answer .
5. I can’t do that new math (English, Science, Social studies, etc.) so I can’t help.
Our perspective – Your child should see your strategies for problem solving, to build
their own confidence in how to look at hard tasks.
6. Homework can only be done at a desk or table.
Our perspective - A homework bag with a snack included is great for families on the
go. Minutes are a precious commodity. Waiting for a sibling to practice or a long
commute to an event has potential time for completing some homework.