Teachers can’t control what your child does when their not in school. Here are 10 Tips to Support Your Child’s Learning at Home:
- Schedule a consistent time and provide a clean and quiet workspace every day after school to do homework.
- Check a “to-do list” or that all assignments are recorded in child’s weekly agenda.
- Encourage your child to write down the name and phone number of at least two other reliable students to call in case there is any confusion about an assignment. These numbers should be recorded in the front of the weekly agenda assignment notebook and on a post-it note near your home telephone.
- Plan the nightly agenda at the onset of the homework session and begin with the most difficult assignment. It is better to complete the hardest homework before fatigue sets in.
- Allow your child to take timed 10 minutes breaks after 30 minutes (20 minutes if young) of sustained attention on studying.
- Model for your child by wearing a watch, using a calendar, and reading daily.
- Schedule a time each week (Sunday night) to clean out and organize backpacks and binders as well as the student’s home workspace.
- Quiz your child before a quiz or test.
- Lend a second set of eyes to proofread assignments and papers.
- Use TARGETS motivational strategies:
Task – discuss, display interest, or relate to the task
Autonomy – give the student a choice
Recognize – praise the student
Group – complete a task together or with another student
Evaluate – use the teacher’s rubric in advance or give specific feedback
Time – schedule enough time for assignments
Support – mutual respect and believing in each other