Help with Homework
Unfortunately, we hear time and time again from parents and students alike that homework in real life is no joke! From taking too long to battles over quality, neatness and effort, we know that sometimes homework can turn into a nightmare.
The good news is that there are ways to help.
It’s also important to remember why we do homework. Some of the main benefits of homework are:
A good reader understands what he/she is reading, reads at a suitable pace, pays attention to full stops and direct speech in the text, and actively questions and thinks about what they are reading. To help your child become a good reader, you could ask them questions about what they are reading, rather than just listen to them reading out loud. For example:
Before reading:
During reading:
After reading:
If your child comes across a word they cannot read, ask them to sound it out, look at the pictures for a hint, or to read the whole sentences and try to figure out another word that might make sense instead of it. It is very important that your child does not read sentences/paragraphs/pages without understanding what they are reading. Sometimes a child sounds like they are reading perfectly, but if you asked them a question about what they have just read, they will not be able to answer it.
We’ve put together a number of links to provide advice and support for homework.
The good news is that there are ways to help.
It’s also important to remember why we do homework. Some of the main benefits of homework are:
- It helps a child to become an independent learner
- It helps to practise skills and topics that your child has learned
- It can be used to finish off work started in school that day
- It helps the parent to keep track of the child’s progress
A good reader understands what he/she is reading, reads at a suitable pace, pays attention to full stops and direct speech in the text, and actively questions and thinks about what they are reading. To help your child become a good reader, you could ask them questions about what they are reading, rather than just listen to them reading out loud. For example:
Before reading:
- What do you predict will happen in this book/ on the next page/ in the next chapter? Why?
- What is the name of the author/ illustrator? What does the book blurb say?
- Have you read any other book like this one before?
During reading:
- What happened first/ after that/ near the end?
- What do you predict will happen next?
- Can you make a connection between what you are reading, and something that has happened in your own life/ in another book?
- How do you think the character feels? Why? Did you ever feel like that?
- Where is the book set?/ What is the setting? / Where is the story happening?
After reading:
- Can you tell me what happened in the book/ on that page/ in that chapter in five sentences, in your own words?
- What was your favourite part of the book? Who was your favourite character? Would you recommend the book to somebody else to read?
If your child comes across a word they cannot read, ask them to sound it out, look at the pictures for a hint, or to read the whole sentences and try to figure out another word that might make sense instead of it. It is very important that your child does not read sentences/paragraphs/pages without understanding what they are reading. Sometimes a child sounds like they are reading perfectly, but if you asked them a question about what they have just read, they will not be able to answer it.
We’ve put together a number of links to provide advice and support for homework.
- This post covers general tips for helping with homework.
- This post describes how best to help your child with their learning homework.
- This post provides tips for helping your child with their reading at home.
