Homework Tips For Parents

Back-to-school doesn't necessarily have to mean battles with your kids over doing homework.

14 years ago, University of Missouri psychologist Harris Cooper decided to study homework as his children approached school age. He conducts workshops for teachers on what is and what isn't appropriate homework for kids of different ages. On CBS This Morning, he shares his expertise on the subject of homework with some tips for parents and teachers.

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"They have to learn thing as their jobs change. So it's important for kids to generalize a role of a student beyond the classroom walls." Cooper aso notes that involvement as a parent is good, to a point:
"Parents should never do homework for their children." He adds, if a child is struggling, the parent should play a role, but if the child is doing well and not having problems with homework, it's important for the parent to stay out of the process so the kid learns self-sufficiency.

Other tips for homeowrk:

• Make sure that a child has a quiet, well-lit place to do homework if that's where they like to do it and the props that the child needs are available: the papers, pencils, books.
  
• Be a motivator, especially in early grades when children pick up habits of their parents. Mom and dad and be role models.
  
• Don't sit your child down say: 'go do your homework while I watch television.' Read a newspaper or balance the checkbook while you child does reading or math homework. The kid gets to see the skills they are learning are things their parents use.
  
• Watch for signs of frustration and fatigue. Make sure the homework isn't too difficult.
  
• If your child asks for help, help with the homework but don't give the answers. Give them guidance.
  
• Speak to the teacher if the homework is too difficult or it takes them too long to get through the things.

  For teachers, Cooper says it's important for parents and teachers to present themselves as a team:
  "All have the best interest of the child in mind."

  He says teachers also need to address the situation where there isn't a parent at home to help with the homework:

  "They have to consider the kinds of families and the community that they serve and say, 'is if reasonable for me to ask parents to play a large role in their child's homework?' Homework has the potential of teaching kids how to be life-long independent learners. It's not that ecessary, except in the earliest grades, for parent involvement to take place."

  Cooper says technology, and new technology like email and computers change the nature of homework:
  "Computers are going to be part of our children's lives." he states.

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