Discuss with your child an appropriate time for doing homework. Directly after school is usually not a good time because children need a break after the regular school day. Cooperatively work out a schedule and stick to it. Homework often requires trips to the library, or collecting specific materials from home or neighborhood. Make sure rides are arranged if the library is not within walking distance.
Librarians can assist in locating reference materials.
But as parents we can also provide helpful guidance as our children struggle to navigate through library resources. Try to use assignments which involve the collection of materials found outside the library as an opportunity to engage your child in conversation about the connections between school and the world beyond it. Providing emotional support is just as important as arranging a hospitable physical environment. This means that we need to approach our children's homework in a calm, confident manner. Many of us have become so discouraged by our children's past failures to pass in homework on time, or devote adequate time and thought to it, that we begin nagging them, constantly reminding them of what they have previously done wrong.