By Carmen Gordillo

Helping your niece complete a last minute assignment:

It’s that time of year. Reality has started to set in. It’s back to school time. It’s common practice for teachers to assign books for children to read over the summer. However, let’s be honest many children leave this assignment to the last minute. This summer I was determined not to have my nieces working on this assignment on Labor Day weekend.  I succeeded with my younger niece (yay!). My older niece (who is now going into high school!) still has to finish part of it.  Here are a few tips to help your nieces (and nephews) finish this assignment:

Focus on lessening the stress.  Right now is not the time for the “you should have done it earlier” speech.  Reassure your niece that she will get it done before school starts and have her express her concerns to you.  Have her practice taking deep breaths before she dives into the assignment.  In addition, before your niece starts the assignment, research information about the book and author online to provide background knowledge.  This is an interesting way to start this assignment and it also helps improve comprehension. 

One step at a time.  In her inspirational book about writing titled Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, Anne Lamott recounts a time when her older brother left a report about birds up to the last day of a family vacation. He was sitting at a table, overwhelmed, surrounded by books and papers.  His father sat down next to him and told him to take it “…bird by bird.”  I use this advice when I am doing my own work. I also tell my nieces to take it one chapter at a time when completing their summer reading assignment.  Additionally, I help them by reading some of the chapters aloud to them.  However, some chapters can be lengthy. I advise my nieces to read 10 pages at a time and then take five-minute breaks if needed. 

Follow the characters.  Sometimes keeping track of characters in books can be difficult for children.  Have your niece create a list of the characters in the book. She could include physical descriptions, personality traits, or any other important information provided.

Making your thinking visible. Another helpful strategy is to have your niece write questions or confusions (and page numbers) on Post-its as she is reading.  After she finishes reading a selection, have her discuss these questions and confusions with you. Talk is an important part of literacy. 

Overall, last minute school assignments can be stressful, so the most important message you send your niece is that you are there for her.  She is not alone because her Savvy Auntie is by her side.

Carmen Gordillo is a literacy specialist, middle school teacher, and doctoral candidate. She is a teacher consultant and provides professional development through the National Writing Project at Rutgers.

Photo: shockimages
Published: 8/27/2014