Feature article 

Score top marks for helping with homework

1. How you can help

2. Set a schedule

3. Create a classy space

4. Respect their needs

5. Show them how it's done

6. Play teacher

7. No cheating!

8. Study your child's learning style

9. Quiz the teachers

10. Gold stars and elephant stamps work wonders

11. Keep it real and be positive

12. Learn lessons together every day

Score top marks for helping with homework

A great way to get involved in your child's education while hanging out with them is to help with homework. This may seem easier said than done, especially if your child wants to watch TV instead of writing an essay or the homework is too difficult for you to understand. However, giving a hand with homework can teach kids that learning is valuable, interesting and can be fun - especially if Mum or Dad is there to coach, coax and jolly things up when the going gets tough.

Even if you don’t know one end of a logarithm from the other, just being there for them, listening, making suggestions and being interested can mean a lot to your child. And there’s bound to be at least one subject that you can claim, "Hey, I’m good at this!"

You can encourage good study habits and a positive attitude toward learning and problem solving in your child, even if you’re no genius yourself. Here are some guidelines for you to study:

Help your child choose a regular time to do their homework every afternoon or evening. When discussing a timeslot with her, keep in mind:

· Your child's after-school activities

· The family's dinner time

· The time of day that he or she is most alert and ready to work

· The timeslot for a much loved TV show – watching it could be the reward for getting homework done earlier on the night the show is on

· Bed time

Everyone does their best work when they have a great workspace with a good vibe for getting stuff done. You might not be able to front up a penthouse corner office with harbour views and a wall-sized LED monitor, but you can give your child an attractive area in which to do their homework. Help your child set up their study space, be it in their bedroom or another part of the house. Make sure it’s comfortable, quiet, has plenty of space and light, and is cool in summer and warm in winter. If the study area is in their room, the two of you could decorate it together. If budget allows, buy a desk, shelves, lamp and a comfortable chair. If she is doing her homework at the dining table or breakfast bar, make sure this area is always clear and clean at homework time, with her equipment laid out for her.

Make the study area out of bounds to other family members and pets during homework time, so your child can get on with their work without distractions.

Turn down the TV and stereo or shut doors so the noise doesn’t interfere with their concentration. Otherwise, get your child some headphones so they can listen to music, a podcast or the radio while they do their homework.

Borrow a few adult workplace tools and techniques to help your child work efficiently and effectively. A dry-erase calendar, whiteboard or a blackboard is a great way to help them keep track of assignments, especially long-term ones like science projects or book reports.

You can teach her how to divide up her workload and manage her time wisely, including making lists, doing things in order of priority, and setting realistic deadlines and achievable goals. Having a clearly defined process or plan for doing things will make it easier and more enjoyable for her to tackle homework tasks, both big and small.

Help your child study for a test by quizzing her on the subject. If she is having trouble with homework, go over the material with her and brainstorm ways to solve it.

For larger projects, help break the assignment down into manageable pieces or "chunks". If she's still having trouble, suggest a trip to the library together, a Google or Bing search on the Internet, or other study resources. You could also encourage her to seek extra help from the teacher, even if it’s just a few minutes to go over the question or get a sticky point explained or clarified.

No cheating!

Tempting as it may be, make sure that you're not doing the homework for your child. By encouraging her to find things out for herself, you help her to get her head around the material and develop problem-solving skills that will last a lifetime.

Doing your kids’ homework is a form of cheating and can backfire badly: as well as undermining their confidence in their own abilities. Imagine the fallout when they sit tests and exams without you there to provide the answers.

Not all children learn the same way. Some learn more through reading and using language. Others are better with visual cues and learn from looking at pictures. Some children have a mix of learning styles.

If you know your child's learning style, it can help you explain homework problems to her in a way she can understand. For example, divide a pizza into segments to explain portions and percentages.

If you’re not sure, what your child’s learning style is, sit down with her and ask her, using a suitable props such as pictures and books to find out what she responds to best.

Talk to your child's teachers at the beginning of each school year to find out what kind of homework your child is up for. If your child seems to have too much or too little homework, or if she is having trouble understanding her assignments, discuss this with her teachers.

We all love a pat on the back for a job well done and kids are no exception. In fact, children crave approval and encouragement from their parents. Compliment your child’s work at every opportunity. Praise for her enthusiasm, effort, creativity, a good test result, or even just managing to finish a project on time will go a long way towards motivating her. A good way to recognise your child’s work is to set up a chart for gold stars. When she’s earned a set number of stars, reward her with a treat, such as a new book, pocket money, colouring in pencils or something she needs for school. As your child gets older, replace the gold stars with a new icon, but keep the rewards coming.

Kids see through fake compliments so if a piece of work isn’t her best, don’t be afraid to say so but in a nice way. It’s vital that you avoid being sarcastic or negative when appraising kids’ work. Negativity and criticism make kids feel bad and discouraged, so make your feedback balanced and positive.

Here are some examples of positive but realistic feedback:

· Instead of saying "You can't hand in that mess" say: "The teacher will understand your ideas better if you use your best handwriting"

· If she’s flunked a test, don't say "Why didn't your study harder?" say "Let's find out which part of this subject doesn't make sense to you" or "Perhaps we can find a way to make tests easier for you".

By helping your child with her homework, you are helping to inspire a love of learning. But not all the answers are found in books or on computer screens. There are loads of other things you can do together that will help your child’s education. Here are some suggestions for teaching your child to love learning about life and the universe:

· Read aloud to your child every day. Bed time is a good time as reading is relaxing for both of you, and it will help her settle down and go to sleep

· Do practical projects together, such as fixing something around the home or planting a vegetable garden. Explain what you’re doing and why. Let her help if it’s safe

· Starting from a young age, include her in some of your tasks and talk her through what you’re doing. For example, take her to drop the car off to the mechanic. Explain what’s wrong with the car and tell her what the mechanic will do to fix it

· Once she can read, read the same books she does so you can talk about them together, discuss issues or questions she may have, and have a good laugh over the funny bits

· Become members of your local library and make it a habit to do a weekly visit to borrow and return books

· Take her to art galleries and museums, especially those with displays and exhibitions that are of special interest to children – such as dinosaurs, animals and rocket ships!

· Go on family trips to historical sites. Make sure you read up on the site’s history before you go so you can explain why it’s such an important place

· Encourage her to ask questions. Show you have a passion for learning and your child will pick up on it. If you don’t always know the answers, suggest the two of you look up it on the computer or in a book when you get home

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