Post an aced test or art project on the refrigerator. Do your kids ever see you diligently balancing your budget or reading a book? Kids are more likely to follow their parents’ examples than their advice. Give encouragement, check completed homework, and make yourself available for questions and concerns. Ask about assignments, quizzes, and tests. Parents can make suggestions and help with directions. They won’t learn if they don’t think for themselves and make their own mistakes. (Occasionally, though, a phone call to a classmate about an assignment can be helpful.) This means no TV, loud music, or phone calls. Create a work schedule for the night if necessary - and take time for a 15-minute break every hour, if possible. On heavy homework nights or when there’s an especially hefty assignment to tackle, encourage your child break up the work into manageable chunks. Some kids work best in the afternoon, following a snack and play period others may prefer to wait until after dinner. Keep supplies - paper, pencils, glue, scissors - within reach. Make sure kids have a well-lit place to complete homework.

Ask about their homework policies and how you should be involved. Attend school events, such as parent-teacher conferences, to meet your child’s teachers. Know the teachers - and what they’re looking for.And who knows? Parents might even learn a thing or two! Parents can be supportive by demonstrating study and organization skills, explaining a tricky problem, or just encouraging kids to take a break. Of course, helping with homework shouldn’t mean spending hours hunched over a desk. Kids are more successful in school when parents take an active interest in their homework - it shows kids that what they do is important.

Ways to stay focused on classwork