Homework Strategies for Elementary Children

1. Fitting it in to today’s busy schedule and reducing family stress. Homework Strategies for Elementary Children Presented by: Courtney Jones, 3rd grade teacher Sara Pancio, 3rd grade teacher Alisa Rogaliner, Principal

2. 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 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.

3. An afternoon routine should reflectlearning 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?)

4. Sample supply containers Suggested Items Pencils hand sharpener Paper index cards glue stick tape ruler Scissors Crayons colored pencils Flash cards sticky notes

5. Homework Should not be…. • A nightmare • A Headache • A Battle So here are some tips from the teachers…

6. Communication • Contact your child’s teacher if the homework is too hard or too easy. • Ask your child’s teacher for extra resources if you want to help your child more at home. • Send a message to your child that means : • You believe in them. • You are committed to their success. • Homework is an important part of overall success. • Always look at your child’s homework each night. • SHOW ENTHUSIASM!! Communicate with your child’s teacher Communicate with your child

7. Resistant Students/Mood Changers • There are times when parents and children reach their frustration level with the work and each other.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. Time- Ideas to Help • Use a timer- This can help students to slow down or to help them stay focused. • Break down the time into steps- work 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.

11. Alternatives • Interactive math games • 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. • 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. Computer Games and activities

12. Don’t be afraid to use humoror give your child a chance to explain what they know to you. http://paworldclassmath.webs.com/Homework%20joke.gif

13. Finally, find the fun in learning… From http://paworldclassmath.webs.com/Homework%20joke.gif

14. A FEW HOMEWORK MYTHS 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. 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.