ow do I Help My hecklist for Helping Child Develop Good Your Child with Study Habits? Homework

• Do not do your child’s homework. Doing To show that you think education and homework are assignments for your child will not help him or important, do you: her understand and use information. It may also □ Set a regular time everyday for homework? hinder your child s confidence in his or her □ Provide your child with the papers, books, pencils, and abilities. other items needed to do assignments?

• Help your child make a schedule. Writing out □ Provide a well-lit, quiet place to study? assignments will get him or her used to the idea of □ Set a good example by showing your child that the skills Homework keeping track of what is due when. he or she is learning are an important part of the things adult do? • Help your child manage time to complete □ Stay in touch with your child’s teacher? T ps and Study assignments. If your child has a long term project □ Know what your child’s homework assignments are? due, discuss all the steps he or she will need to □ See that your child starts and completes assignments? take to complete it on time, including: Selecting a topic. □ Make sure the TV is turned off while your child com- Skills Doing research by looking up books and other pletes homework? materiasl on the topic or taking notes. □ Help your child get organized? A Resource Guide for Parents Figuring out what questions to discuss. □ Encourage your child to develop good study habits? Drafting an outline. □ Talk with your child about homework assignments? Revising and completing the final draft.

Making a chart that shows how much time he or she expects to spend on each step. For more information: Alabama Career and Technical Education at:

• Help your child get started when he or she has to http://www.alcareertech.org do research reports or other big assignments. Alabama Career Information Network System (ACINS) at: Take your child to the library. If your child is using http://www.alcareerinfo.org a computer for online references, make sure he or Free Application For Federal Student Aid: http://www.FAFSA.gov she is getting the help needed to use the Internet The U.S. Department of Education produces the publication Helping properly and to find age appropriate websites. Your Child with Homework. Find it online at: http://www.ed.gov. Click on “Parents,” then on “Helping Your Child.” This website also • After your child has completed the research, has homework tips for parents. listen as he or she tells you the points he or she The National PTA and the National Education Association produce wants to get across through the report. Helping Your Student Get the Most Out of Homework and Taking the Hassle Out of Homework – How To Make Homework A More Positive • Give practice tests. Experience For Your Child. Find them online at: http://www.pta.org. Click on “Parent Involvement,” then click on “ Help your Child Succeed,” then click on “#5,” “Parents the First Teachers – Support • Help your child avoid last minute studying. learning at home.”

• Talk with your child about how to take a test. Be Alabama State Department of Education October 2012 sure he or she understands how important it is to Thomas R. Bice, State Superintendent of Education read instructions carefully, keep track of time, and Career and Technical Education/Workforce Development avoid spending too much time on any one Philip Cleveland, Director question. No person shall be denied employment, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination in any program or activity on the basis of disability, gender, race, religion, national origin, color, age or genetics. Ref: Sec. 1983, Civil Rights Act, 42 U.S.C.; Title VI and VII, Civil Rights Act of 1964; Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Sec. 504; Age Discrimination in Employment Act; The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008; Equal Pay Act of 1963; Title IX of the Education Amendment of 1972; Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008: Title IX Coordinator, P.O. Box 302101, Montgomery, Alabama 36130-2101 or call (334) 242-8165. hy do Teachers ow should I Help Assign Homework? my Child with Homework? Homework has been a part of students’ lives since formal schooling began in the United States. • Show that you think education and • Show your child that the skills he or she is homework are important. learning are an important part of the things Homework is important because it can: If your child knows that you care about adults do. • Improve your child's thinking and what is happening at school, he or she will Let your child see you reading, writing, memory. have a good reason to complete assignments using math and doing other things that • Help your child develop positive study on time. require thought and effort. Talk to your child skills and habits that will serve him or her about what you do at work. well throughout life. • Set a regular time for homework. • Encourage your child to use time wisely. • Teach your child to work independently. The best schedule for homework is what • Help your child use everyday routines to • Teach your child to take responsibility for works best for your child and your family. support the skills he or she is learning. his or her work. Your child's outside activities, such as sports Teach your child to play word and math or music lessons may mean that you need a games. Help your child look up information Teachers assign homework because it helps flexible homework schedule. If there is not about something in which he or she is your child: enough time to finish homework, your child interested. Talk with your child about what • Review and practice what has been may need to drop an outside activity. he or she sees and hears when you are covered in class. together. • Get ready for the next day’s class. • Provide an area for your child to do • Learn to use resources, such as libraries, homework. • Talk about school and learning activities in reference materials, and computer web sites to find information. Make sure the area is well lit and has family conversations. • Explore subjects more fully than classroom minimal distractions. Ask your child what was discussed in class time permits. that day. • Extend learning by applying skills to new • Ensure that there are no distractions. situations. Discourage your child from making and • Attend school activities. • Integrate learning by applying many receiving social telephone calls during If you can, volunteer to help in your child's different skills to a single task, such as homework time. Turn off the television if it classroom or at special events. book reports or science projects. is keeping your child from doing his or her homework. • Look over completed assignments before Homework benefits you as a parent. they are turned in. • Provide supplies and identify resources. Then, after the teacher returns completed When you help your child with his or her homework, read the comments to see if your homework, you can: Have pencils, pens, erasers, writing paper, child has done the assignment satisfactorily. • Learn more about what your child is and a dictionary available. Other supplies learning in school. that may be helpful include: stapler, paper • Communicate with your child about what clips, maps, calculator, pencil sharpener, he or she is learning. tape, glue, paste, scissors, ruler, index cards, • Spark your child’s enthusiasm about what thesaurus, and almanac. he or she is learning.