Students are back in school this month and most of our local schools are assigning homework on a regular basis. Unfortunately, it is typical for children with disabilities to spend more time on homework than their nondisabled peers. Since students with learning problems are also more likely to be burned-out at the end of a long school day, homework time frequently becomes a test of wills between parent and child. It is important for parents to understand that they have the power to make homework time less contentious. In fact, homework can provide parents with opportunities to positively influence their child’s attitudes and self-perceptions. Successful accomplishment of educational tasks promotes confidence and self-esteem.
Strategies based upon the establishment of routines, appropriate levels of supervision, and home/school communication provide the framework upon which homework success rests. Homework routines give the child a sense of order and provide built-in organization for homework tasks. Good homework routines include a regular time for work, access to necessary materials, and a non-distracting place to work. If appropriate, the child can participate in decision making by deciding the best time to work and how to prioritize assignments.
Balanced supervision is also an important part of homework completion. Parents should provide enough support so that the child can successfully complete the work but not so much that the parent does the project. The latter is particularly important since working memory and long-term storage of information depends upon the thinker’s ability to mentally process and interact with the data. Furthermore, struggling readers need to experience success in order to maintain motivation and improve their efforts for future reading activities.
Finally, good communication between the child’s parent and teacher is critical in managing homework problems for students with learning problems. Cooperation between home and school ensures that the child is able to understand homework directions, that assignments are within the child’s independent reading level, and that she is able to complete the homework assignments within a reasonable time limit. If necessary, homework can be modified to reduce task complexity or length so that the child is able to experience successful completion of task demands.
For more information regarding homework problems please call Ramona Hall, MA at 661-222-7332 or go to www.compassionatesolutions.com.