Creating a positive learning environment in your home is an excellent way to encourage educational development in your wee one. School age children will be starting out or heading back to school in September, coming home with homework ranging from A, B, C’s to tricky math problems. It is important to play an active role in your child’s education supporting and encouraging them along the way.
Throughout the school year, you will see various types of homework supporting learning in one of the following ways:
- Introducing New Content – provide an introduction to a topic or background.
- Checking for Understanding – determine what students have learned from the materials presented in class.
- Practice – practice, review, and reinforce a skill or process learned in class that students can do independently but not fluently.
- Elaboration – elaborate on information shared in class, reflect on concepts, think of new questions, and synthesize information.
- Extension/Creative – provide opportunities for students to explore topics or skills of their own interest.
6 Tips for Parents/Providers helping with homework:
- Check class/teacher website agenda for homework or speak with your child about homework.
- Find out what is expected from your child on that assignment/project.
- Make it part of your routine.
- Know when your child needs extra help (tutoring, homework clubs etc.).
- Be helpful but don’t do the work for them.
- Be involved in your child’s school life (school schedule, assemblies, parent-teacher interviews, extracurricular activities).
For more tips and information:
Ministry of Education: https://www.edu.gov.on.ca/abc123/eng/tips/homework.html
Halton District School Board: https://www.hdsb.ca/PARENTINFO/Pages/HomeworkGuidelines.aspx