Interactive Homework for Overscheduled Families

Back when I was in elementary school, I remember a particularly horrible evening when I asked my father, a busy naval officer, to help with a murky math assignment. The session began mildly enough, but rapidly degenerated as it became clear to both of us that I just wasn't getting it. I'll always remember my tearful meltdown when he threw up his hands in exasperation and hollered, "All right then, if you can't understand the dang problem in yards or feet, I'll explain it to you in FATHOMS!"

Not every parent-child homework encounter is productive. Yet most parents genuinely want to be a useful resource for their kids. What's tricky is finding that spare half hour, understanding who's responsible for what, not getting bogged down in the details of the assignment, and agreeing on the best way to tackle it.

Bridging the Gap
An interactive homework program called Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork, (TIPS) is bridging the gap between the kind of homework that elicits groans and homework that's sensible, manageable, and (oh heresy!) fun. Developed for schools and teachers by Joyce Epstein, a research scientist at Johns Hopkins University and member of FEN's advisory board, TIPS engages parents and kids in homework without sending anyone over the edge. The activities cover math and science in the elementary grades and language arts, science/health, and math in the middle grades. With TIPS, any teacher can help all families stay informed and involved in their children's learning.

"Interactive homework is particularly helpful to parents who work during the school day," says Epstein. "If homework is designed clearly, if it requires reading aloud and sharing ideas, it is possible to participate in the child's learning while cooking dinner."

What's the difference between a TIPS assignment and regular homework? For starters, TIPS requires students to work with someone at home on something interesting they're studying at school. That someone could be a parent, a relative, or a caretaker.

Working Together
Unlike other tasks, a TIPS assignment has to be the type of homework that students really want to explain and share with their families. According to Epstein, the activities are supposed to make students "think, write, gather information, collect suggestions, explain, demonstrate, draw, sketch or construct things, and conduct other interactive activities with parents and other family members at home." The student, not the adult, is responsible for directing the assignment. The adult is never required to read about or teach a subject. And in deference to working parents, time constraints, TIPS homework is generally assigned over a weekend. Teachers keep abreast of parents, reactions and respond to questions with phone calls, notes, or individual meetings.

Imagine your middle schooler has come home with a TIPS assignment. Immediately recognizable, it's printed on a single sheet of colored paper to distinguish it from all the other stuff in the backpack. Most likely, you'd find yourself being interviewed, engaging in a discussion, or mutually exploring something connected to classroom learning. Your child might read aloud and ask for your reactions. At the end of the assignment sheet, you'd fill out a short section that informs the teacher whether your child was able to discuss the homework, whether you learned something about what was happening in the classroom, and whether the two of you enjoyed working on it together. There's also space for your personal comments or questions.

Making a Difference
Has interactive homework really made a difference to families and schools? A recent study (Research Bulletin, Bloomington Indiana: Phi Delta Kappa, DEDR, 1997) of four years of TIPS in two Baltimore middle schools indicates significant gains in student grades and writing scores. Parents say they like the opportunity to talk with their kids about tangible topics ( a nice break from that old dead-end dialogue, "What did you learn in school today?" "Nothing."). One parent of an eighth-grader commented, "This got Jason to think about what he wants to be when he finishes school." Another wrote, "Very interesting assignment. I enjoyed this -- it brought back good memories!" And teachers, once overwhelmed by the idea of conveying school-related information to large numbers of families, say TIPS is a manageable and effective way to communicate curriculum and engage in a dialogue with parents. They also report that more children complete TIPS than other homework.

As for students, comments vary. An enthusiastic eighth grader: "Keep doing it. . . It's great. . . I like it a lot. . . I wish you would give it in high school!" (No small praise, given the fact that no redblooded kid seeks out homework.) Then there's this from a world-weary sixth grader: "I think that TIPS are somewhat okay, but sometimes neither you or your parent feels like dealing with it."

Ah yes . . . who hasn't felt that way about homework? But as long as it's here to stay, TIPS can ease the way.

More on: Homework