helpingyourchild

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with homework

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why is homework

important?

In the early grades, homework can help children develop strong study

habits and positive attitudes. From third through sixth grades, small

amounts of homework, gradually increased each year, may support

improved academic achievement. In seventh grade and beyond,

students who complete more homework score better on standardized

tests and earn better grades, on average, than students who do less

homework.

Homework helps students to:

✪Review and practice what they have covered in class;

✪Prepare for class the next day;

✪Learn to use resources, such as libraries, reference materials,

and Web sites;

✪Explore subjects more fully than classroom time permits;

✪Extend learning by applying skills they already have to new

situations;

✪Integrate their learning by applying many different skills to a single

task, such as book reports or science projects; and

✪Learn to manage time and meet deadlines.

tips for parents

You can do many things at home to show your child that you value education

and homework, such as:

✪ Set a regular time and place for homework;

✪ Remove distractions;

✪ Provide supplies and identify resources; and

✪ Be interested in what your child is learning.

Communication with teachers is very important for helping your child with

homework. Here are some important things to remember:

✪ Talk with each of your child's teachers early in the school year. Let teachers

know that you want to be kept informed about what goes on at school.

✪ Contact teachers as soon as you suspect your child has a homework

problem. Schools have a responsibility to keep you informed about your

child's performance and behavior. Or, you may realize a problem exists before

the teacher discovers it. Together, you can solve a problem in its early stages.

✪ Request a meeting with teachers to discuss homework problems.

Tell teachers briefly why you want to meet, and make the arrangements.

✪ Let teachers know whether your child finds the assignments too hard

or too easy.

resources

This brochure was drawn from the larger booklet in the Helping Your Child

series, “Helping Your Child With Homework,” which helps parents of

elementary and junior high school students understand why homework is

important and makes suggestions for helping children complete

assignments successfully. For more information on how you can help your

child with homework—along with a wide range of other subjects—visit the

Helping Your Child series Web site at

www.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/hyc.html.

For more information on how you can help your child with homework,

take a look at the following resources from the U.S. Department of

Education and other organizations:

U.S. Department of Education: www.ed.gov or 1-800-USA-LEARN

The Parents Portal: www.ed.gov/parents/landing.jhtml

Federal Resources for Educational Excellence (FREE):

www.ed.gov/free/index.html

Parental Information and Resource Centers:

www.ed.gov/programs/pirc/index.html

Homework Tips for Parents:

http://www.ed.gov/parents/academic/involve/homework/index.html)

NOTE: This document contains information about and from public and private entities and

organizations for the reader’s information. Inclusion does not constitute an endorsement by

the U.S. Department of Education of any entity, organization, or the products or services

offered or views expressed. This publication also contains hyperlinks and URLs created

and maintained by outside organizations and are provided for the reader’s convenience.

The Department is not responsible for the accuracy of this information.

The hours in a school day and the amount of time a teacher can spend

individually with students are limited. As a result, teachers need the

understanding and help of parents and families in supporting

classroom instruction and learning outside school hours. Parents can

lend this support by taking an interest in the homework that their

children bring home and finding the most effective ways to help them

with assignments.

Homework has been part of students’ lives since the beginning of

formal schooling in the United States. It is important because it can

improve children’s thinking and memory. It can help them develop

positive study habits and skills that will serve them well throughout their

lives. Homework also can encourage children to use time well, learn

independently, and take responsibility for their work.

Helping children with homework has benefits for parents and families

as well. It can, for example, provide opportunities for parents to see

what their children are learning in school and help families

communicate with their children and school staff.

All parents, regardless of their own challenges, want their children to

do well in school and receive a quality education. The No Child Left

Behind Act, the national effort to improve education, aims to make

this desire a reality by holding schools accountable for children’s

learning. This brochure is based on the larger Helping Your Child series of

publications for parents and families, which is designed to provide

parents with the latest research and practical information to help them

support their children and ensure their children’s success in school

and in life.

A parent is a child’s first and most important teacher, which is

why the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 recognizes parents’

vital role in education.

—Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings

If you expect your child to be well educated, you have the

responsibility of making sure your child gets educated, starting at

home, with some basic fundamentals.

—President George W. Bush

U.S. Department of Education