Homework and the Third-Grader

Homework definitely needs to be your son's responsibility. And now is the time to give it to him. Don't sit by your child as he does his work, or you may find yourself sitting by him when he is a senior in high school. The more help you give your son now, the more helpless he will become.

If your son has a problem with his homework, teach him to reread the directions and study any examples of how the work is to be done. If this is not sufficient help, advise him to study textbook explanations of the assignment. Do not jump in to help him until he has taken these steps, and you will have given your son a valuable study skill.

You are right to be concerned about teaching your child good study habits. Schools don't always teach children how to handle their work. Here are some suggestions for you:

1. Have your child use an assignment notebook so he knows what homework is required each day.
2. Introduce a planning calendar and show your son how to use it when he begins to have long-term assignments.
3. Help your child learn how to organize his study time. Each day he should preview the assignments that he has to do and get the tough tasks out of the way first. He should write down the order in which he will do assignments.
4. Teach your child to review his work frequently.
5. Get your child an organizer, and show him how to use it so that he has a system for organizing all his school papers.
6. Have your child use a book bag to transport books and papers.
7. Encourage your child to establish a regular time for doing homework.
8. Your son should keep old quizzes and tests to prepare for future tests.
9. Eliminate distractions such as phone calls and television during homework time.
10. Establish a regular place for doing homework. One book that will give you insight into homework and teaching study skills to your child is How To Help Your Child With Homework published by Free Spirit Publishing.