It is back to school time of year and, for many of your nieces and nephews that means back to doing their school homework.

Homework is a hot topic for students, educators and parents. Is there too much? Is there not enough? Is it even helpful? A popular guideline, the “10 Minute Rule” was established by researcher Harris Cooper, a professor of psychology and director of Duke’s Program in Education.  The rule, also endorsed by the National PTA and National Education Association suggests students should get 10 minutes of homework a night per grade.  A child in first grade would receive 10 minutes of homework per night; increasing each year so that a ninth grader is spending 90 minutes a night on homework.  Of course, one size never fits all and the amount of time each child takes to complete an assignment varies. Regardless of all of the questions left to be debated and studied, homework is here and is often a big part of a school-aged child’s life.
 
From my perspective, homework is an opportunity for children to reinforce material that they are learning in school, an opportunity for meaningful interaction with family to exchange ideas centered on school curriculum as well as a way to establish study habits that will be useful throughout their lifetime.
 
If you are enlisted to help with homework here are some general guidelines can be useful:
 
1.  Make a plan. Discuss that evening’s homework and decide what order your niece or nephew wants to tackle their work. Do they want to get the most challenging assignment out of the way first or save it for later?
 
2. Be sure they have a clean, uncluttered workstation with all needed supplies to complete their assignment.
 
3. Discuss instructions to be sure your niece and nephew understands the assignment. This will start them off feeling confident and avoid the frustration of having to redo an assignment that was done incorrectly.
 
4. Ask them to share what they are studying to get them talking and hopefully enthusiastic about their material.
 
5. If your niece or nephew specifically asks you to help them with a question, take the time to read the question out loud with them and ask them what they have done so far to figure out the answer. Go back over the steps they have completed. Sometimes having an adult there and talking it out loud will help them be more thorough. Don’t point out an answer, but encourage them and ask questions that might have them look deeper. Is there an example of this type of math problem in your notebook you can look at to see what step you are missing? Did you read all of the sections in your social studies textbook?
 
NOTE: Many times, teachers and schools send home their own guidelines regarding expectations for how much adult help a child should get with their homework. Be sure to respect these guidelines so their teacher has an accurate understanding of your niece and nephew’s abilities.
 
When they are done, take some time to praise their efforts, learn something new and offer a congratulatory high five.