ome
Carefully i Dd
graded omework bas a
greater influence on
cbildren' academic succe
tban any olber factor, iDclud­
inl family inco e,
socioeconomic status or
educational background,
reports the September
Re er's Digest.
Yet tbe National commis-
io on Excellence in Educa­
tion cited I ck ofbome or
one of the major rea 'ons
American tudents have fallen
behind tho e of other
countries. Two-third of U.S.
high school s tudents study
less than one bour a nigbt, ac­
cording to commission
figures.
The mo t effective and
economical way to improve
U.S. education would be to
give more meaningful
homework, says Herbert J.
WalJberg, profe sor of educa­
tion at the University of Il­
linois at Chicago.
Homework teaches stu­
dents self-discipline and self­
direction, cultivates good
study habit and fosters initia­
tive. It can also help your
child catch up to or urpass
contemporarie and can
promote harrnoniou family
relationship .
"IGd like to know what's
expected of them." ay
Fredric M. Levine. a ociate
professor of psychology at the
State University of Ne York
at Stony Broo and co- uthor
of ·Winning the Homework
War."
. Levine ay 80 percent of
f milly conflicts in his private
practice center on homework.
·If you·c stablish a homework
progr m and .ctc r et of
rules to follow day in and day
out. tbe humewor wars end."
he y ..
The parental role in
or
o
er:
bome ork i crucial,
educators say. Here-are their
suggestions for making
bome ork less painful aDd
more productive:
-Start fro. da, ae.
Even if your kinderlarte er.
bas no bome ork a sign­
meats, et aside 10 to 20
minu es a day for iDg
bim or discussing tbe day's
cIa �. That conveys your in­
terest in your child's educa­
tion and show tbat learning
gee on at borne too.
"Don't call it home ork
time,· dvise Pat Green, of
t Quality Education Project,
a nation ide parent-involve­
ment program. "That lets kids
say, 'But J don't have any
homework today or 'I did it
at school.' Call ita study
period, or quiet time.
EstabJi h finnly that they
always have some homework
- reading. writing letters. or­
ganizing note or preparing
for tomorrow."
-Don't orry bout
perfect place to tudy. For
some, a well-lit desk in the
child s b droorn with paper,
pencils and reference books is
an ideal place. But ny quiet
location free from household
distractions - e pecialJy TV
- i 0 K. Wri uc n work re­
quires a level surface and a
sturdy but comfortable ch ire
They al 0 minimize fatigue
and eyestrain. But. atter sit­
ting all day in schoolroom fur­
niture, a child m y prefer a
bed for reading. Provide lap
des as a compromise.
-Folio a daily clled.le.
Adhere to the study period and
once it begins, it houldn't be
interrupted - no snacks,
phone calls or TV. It needn't
start at the ame time each
weeknight. Shape a schedule
to accommodate music les-­
SODS, sports, even favorite TV
,
,
co
responsible for their own day­
to-day existence, but the wor­
riers invested tho e routine
tasks with great meaning. To
them, doing the laundry was
more than having clean clothes
for the week. It meant they could
function . out their parents
. family,· the researchers ex-
plain.
The worriers, focused OIl •
����(I �e
ive your c
I
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�RMUtlfJ
iStll( \i�ht
fllnt l�nr\� t\'
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(,-(,"1 :t\l111'l lowh\ ."
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programs. But keep the study
period the same minimum
length -- regardle s of
homework volume.
Older children m y need
sistance with drills.
memorization or recitation.
You al 0 can reinforce Its ons
with practical application.
-Co II, do. fl lead •.
When your child rac'c a tough
problem or reaches an incor­
rect answer. res ist the urge to
provide the correct answer.
Homework enable the
teacher to find out whether
come from normal families. All
of the families valued achieve­
ment and the worriers were no
more enmeshed in or dependent
on their families than those who
breezed through," the ,e­
searchers say.
. Wh accounts for the dif-
, fereDce? "The id
their IIIDIbCS
your Chi Id is keepi ng up i Ih
classroom instruction. and H
encourage independence. If
you do your child'
homework, the teach r only
learns how much you kno .
Study time i. n't totally
ha d -off. A young child may
need an signment explained.
For example, to teach frac­
tion, bake cookie . Have your
child double the recipe and
figure out how to multiply &WO
times three-quarters of a cup.
-Keep 0 e or 10.
Have your child record c ch
9
that non-worriers kept their
anxieties in check by ·shrinkiDg
the task. - That is, they diverted
heir attention away from the
'great issues in life' related to
identity and focused on the
specifIC everyday ctiviti in­
volved. By doing thi , they
neutralized 0 harnessed their
. initial aaxicty. ShrinkiDg the
. a good copi .
Cotor and Zirkel DOte.
Osee the studctns reactied
their senior year, WOIrnCJrs
more relued about aQlcIeII",
were c:xcessWdy CODCCrDed
makl°_ frieDds alta' tIaey
paduated.
"We foUDd they
more likely go on to &ra4C1Ua1te
pro(! • oaal schoo We' c::aa
only 'pecul e,· Cutor· ud
Zirkel added, "but ince they
d fiaaIIy mastered the coueac
life they y hPe
cmZEN PAGE7
Ie ge
day' as ignment in a
noteboo and sbo it to you.
Go over the list with your
dhild before study time. A
daily bome ork log makes
dear w t need to be done,
eliminates frantic lime-con­
suming phone calls to
as mates about les on • and
t�rpedoe the excu c ") left
the assignment at school."
Check home or for com­
p etene s. If your child doe
not have homework, a k the
teacher why. If the amount
seems exce ive (or your child
claim to be overworked). talk
to the teacher, If your school
lacks an official homework
policy, wor with your PTA
and school administrators to
e tablish one.
Recommendations about
homework amount v ry.
Some cd uca tor calc ula te
minimum homework time thi
way: Multiply the child's
grade hy ) O. So. a fifth-grader
. would receive 50 minute. of
homework per weeknight.
In. is t that the teacher
grades or comment on
homework. Studies show that
graded homework i more ef­
fective.
Set a good example. I f you
don't want your child to plop
down in front of the TV, don't
turn it on either. U the tudy
period to rea� or pay bill .
'If you don't
ant your
hild to flop
own in front
f tv, don't
urn it on
to prolong that feeling of
security.
"It i po sible t at worry­
prone udents wiJl always fmd
life tran itions more difficult
than other people," they dd.
"They will be just as successful,
but they will feel more angst
bout the first job, getting mar­
ried, the first child d so 0 ••