Why Homework Matters

Why Homework Matters In addition, help a child or teen create visual cues that will help with starting a project. Many families use erase boards in the kitchen or paint a wall with chalkboard paint and create daily schedules. For classrooms, having systems in place when the teacher is unavailable are often very valuable for the student who gets stuck. For example, share it is okay to ask another student for assistance or write down a question for the teacher to answer later or check a notebook for ideas. First, stifle the thought that the student is lazy or doesn’t care about his or her work. Instead, think differently about how to ask questions. The checklist included my expectations for each chore, the items he would need to complete the chore (broom, sponge, etc.) and how much time might be needed for each task. Then he came up with his own plan of when the chores would be completed. Taking ownership of the tasks and knowing what was expected reduced our arguments and my complaints. While he still needed the occasional nudge, he learned how to start tasks on his own without a lot of excuses or tears. Many teachers would agree that the number one reason students fail classes is due to missing homework. Creating excuses for homework lowers your grades and encourages a very bad habit for your future. As a classroom teacher, I used to hear excuses from a few students every morning about why they did not have their homework. There are also several websites who have good strategies and ideas; the National Center for Learning Disabilities and LD Online are two excellent sites with additional links. Finally, with the student, create a plan of how a task will be done. When my son started struggling to start chores after school, we created a checklist for each task he was to complete. All of my students have this app and I am seeing an improvement with their comprehension and understanding of basic and complicated math facts. If you would like more information about Executive Function Skills, Island Educational Services has a lending library with a variety of resources for families and teachers. We have several wonderful “coaches” who can help students set up systems, create strategy sheets, and provide successful study tips. I am praying for you as the Lord guides your steps through your senior year and beyond. Did you know that 775 million adults are illiterate? On Wednesday, I was speaking with an old spiritual director of mine and she was telling me about some work she had been doing in Kenya. She said that in Kenya most students are not able to progress in school past 8th grade. She has told me she feels that the many hours of homework in middle school have prepared her well. “There is no way they can give me more homework,” she reasons. Our math homework this evening is practicing multiplying a polynomial by a monomial, and we breeze through it in about half an hour. Instead of asking, “Have you started on your writing assignment? ” ask the question differently, “Are you a bit overwhelmed about where to start? ” or “What do you think is making this assignment so difficult to start? ” Try to ask questions that need more than a “yes” or “no” answer. Not certain of where to start, they put off the task as long as they can. I graduated high school when I was 16; I hardly had time to have senioritis. No sooner did I have my driver’s license than I was walking across the stage in Gryffindor colors humming Pomp and Circumstance. As they realize more time is passing, they become more and more anxious and eventually a sense of inevitability is created ~ I can’t do this task. In younger children, this is often expressed as tears or acting out while in adolescents, there may be slamming doors or outright lying about the task being completed. Hi there sweet Joy, I am encouraged by your words even though I am far beyond high school senioritis and not presently in college. I do hope to go back some day when the time is right . And truly whatever we put into it we will get out of it.