Supervising Your Child's Homework

by Gisele Glosser

During the many conferences I have had over the years, homework is often mentioned as a troublesome area for parents and students alike. Here are some suggestions for supervising your child's homework, organized by category. These suggestions stem from my math teaching experience; however, most of them will work for other subject areas, too.

Expectations

Set aside a specific time and place to do homework each day. Some children concentrate better with music or background noise. Define consequences for undone homework before it happens. You may want to create a homework contract with your child that clearly spells out rules.

Supervision

Check your child's assignment book, planner, or agenda for assignments, projects and tests. Don't try to be an expert in every subject area. Just supervise. Encourage completeness of answers (full sentences, units of measure, etc.). Encourage labeling of homework with textbook page numbers, dates, etc.

Organization

Schedule study time for tests well in advance. Plan out and start long-term projects well before they are due. Organize notebooks by subject and chronologically within a subject. Choose a set location for storing homework, books and supplies.

Absence

Have your child choose a study buddy to work with. Make up assignments as soon as possible. If the absence is extended, notify the school. If a serious family emergency occurs, notify the school.