Keys to Successful
Homework Management
Presented by
Andrew Foreman
Janet Lee
Angie Morgan
Do homework assignments really help
my child learn?
Review and practice what has been learned
Get ready for the next day’s lesson
Learn to use resources, such as libraries, reference
materials, and encyclopedias
Explore subjects more fully than time permits in the
classroom
John Rosemond’s “Seven Hidden
Values of Homework.”
Responsibility- “The ability to assume ‘ownership’ of that which rightly
belongs to you.”
Autonomy- “To be self-governing, to stand on your own two feet.”
Perseverance – “The Little Engine that Could”
Time Management – “The ability to organize time in an effective,
productive manner, to complete tasks on schedule without compromising quality.”
Initiative- “To be self-motivated and assertive, to be decisive in defining and
pursuing personal goals.”
Self-Reliance – “To have trust and self-confidence in your abilities.”
Resourcefulness – “The capacity to find, invent, or adapt creative
means of solving problems.”
Marzano’s High Yield Strategies
Robert Marzano, author of Classroom
Instruction That Works, Research based
Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement,
agrees that parent involvement should be kept
to a minimum.
When is my child supposed to do
his/her homework?
Know Your Child
Does your child work best right after school?
Does your child work best after having a break?
Does your child work best first thing in the morning?
Whatever you find to be the most productive time
should remain constant.
How involved should I be with my
child’s homework?
According to John Rosemond in Ending the Homework Hassle, there are
two kinds of parents:
Which one are you?
The Over-Involved
Parent
The Consulting
Parent
Hovers
Available
Assumes
Responsibility
Assigns Responsibility
Encourages
Dependence
Sends Negative
Messages
Encourages
Independence
Sends Positive
Message
Teachers prefer the consulting type of
parents.
Consulting parents produce more
independent children.
How does an over-involved parent
impact a child?
Many studies show somewhat negative effects when
parents are asked to help students with homework
(Balli, 1998; Balli, Demo, & Wedman, 1998; Balli,
Wedman, & Demo, 1997; Perkins & Milgram 1996)
Children don’t feel the issue of homework is his/her
problem
Parents are compensating not correcting the problem
Children are not being held accountable.
John Rosemond’s
ABC’s of Effective Homework
A – All By Myself
Choose a personal and private place for your child to
study as in a room or study instead of a family place
like the kitchen table.
This makes the child feel like it is his homework and will lessen a
parent’s urge to hover.
Create a homework survival kit
Include all the necessities for completing homework like sharpened
pencils, paper, ruler, dictionary, thesaurus, markers, colored pencils,
crayons, a calendar, and math flashcards. Make all the materials
available so the child does not constantly need to keep run to an
adult.
Nightly Homework Checklist
Monday
Unpack
Backpack
Put notes in
box
Put graded
papers in box
Check timeline
for completion
of homework
Complete
Homework
Put homework
in folder for
the next day
Put backpack
by the door
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
B – Back Off
Stay out of the child’s way unless you are asked.
Avoid asking these questions:
“Do you have any homework?”
“Do you need help with your homework?”
Let the child come to you for help. This will teach
initiative.
Rosemond says, “Remember the value of things learned
‘the hard way.’”
Make your child come to you for help, don’t run to the rescue at the
slightest sound of frustration. “Perseverance.”
There are two reasons why a child would need help:
1. The child is truly stuck and needs help.
2. The homework is finished and the child would like for you to check
the homework.
At this time parental involvement should still be restricted to:
“clarifying or reinterpreting directions;
demonstrating or giving an example of a particular procedure;
reviewing or checking work for accuracy, clarity, and adequacy.”
**Please note, most teachers would prefer you spot check an assignment for
accuracy not grade the entire assignment.
C – Call it Quits at a Reasonable
Hour
Set an upper time limit
For instance, the child is to have all homework done by 7:00 when it is
family time from 7:00-8:00. The child must make sure all homework is
done by this time. This will teach your child time management.
Do not allow the child to push beyond the time limit. The
child may receive a low grade because work was
incomplete, but sometimes we learn the hard way.
It may get worse before it gets better, but hang in there.
Implement the ABC’s of effective homework.
Wait it out several weeks. (Three to four weeks.)
*It will probably get worse before it gets better.
*The child will be thinking, “Are they really going to follow
through?,” and, “They won’t let me get a bad grade.”
Set the upper limit and stick with it.
*The child will decide whether he will sink or swim.
*Most children decide to swim☺
According to Rosemond, if your child does not chose to
swim . . . It is time to “take the bull by the horns and
manage the child toward making the correct decision.” It
is time to motivate!!
Parents and the teacher must agree on a means to
monitor school performance. Both parties must agree
and follow the plan.
But remember, the child must still be made accountable
for the current problem.
“In other words, the child – and only the child – must shoulder both the
emotional and practical consequences of the problem. In specific terms, if the
child fails to do his homework, no one should get upset but the child, and no one
should be inconvenienced but the child.”
How can I help my child with his/her
homework?
The age of your child will determine the amount
of help to be given.
*But remember, what you do in the beginning will set the precedent
for what happens later. It is always harder to back off the amount
of help.
The first of the ABC’s should apply for all
children regardless of the age.
The second and third approach should change
depending on the age.
For younger children (K-1), parents may want to take an
inventory with their child of the homework that must be
completed. Then a time limit can be established from the
amount of work to be completed.
The parent should set a consistent starting and ending
time.
Younger children may need gentle reminders about
getting started on homework.
Once the child is working in the designated area, parents
might check in briefly to see how things are going.
However, the deadline should still be enforced.
For Grades 2-4, parents should follow the ABC’s.
A – All by Myself
B - Back Off
C - Call it Quits at a Reasonable Hour
What is a reasonable amount of time
for homework?
Each night and week will bring a variety of homework
so the time spent may vary.
The corporation has set the guidelines of 10 minutes
per grade level.
First grade – 10 minutes
Second grade – 20 minutes
Third grade – 30 minutes
Fourth grade – 40 minutes
Remember to set an upper time limit and to stick to it.
What happens if my child
comes home and says
he/she has no homework?
There should still be the designated homework
time. Keeping the scheduled time will make
homework consistent for the child. It won’t be a
battle but an expectation.
If there truly is no homework to be completed
your child should:
Read
Practice Math Facts
Practice Spelling Words
Write in a Journal
We appreciate your
dedication and willingness
to make your child a
successful, independent
learner.
“It may sound strange to say,
but if you want to help your child
develop a successful attitude
toward the challenges of life,
you must not be afraid to
frustrate him.”
John Rosemond
Rosemond, John. Ending the Homework Hassle:
Understanding, Preventing, and Solving School
Performance Problems, A Universal Press
Syndicate Company, Kansas City, MO, 1990.