Resolving your child's homework problems

Homework hassles can often be avoided when parents monitor and guide their children's work on assignments. But, sometimes helping in these ways is not enough. Problems can still come up. If they do, the schools, teachers, parents and students may need to work together to resolve them.

You may want to contact the teacher if your child refuses to do her assignments, even though you've tried hard to get her to do them or if the instructions are unclear. Other signs that you may want to talk with the teacher include:

* You can't seem to help your child get organized to finish the assignments. 
* You can't provide needed supplies or materials. 
* Neither you nor your child can understand the purpose of assignments. 
* The assignments are often too hard or too easy. 
* The homework is assigned in uneven amounts. For instance, no homework is given on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, but on Thursday four of your child's teachers all make big assignments that are due the next day. 
* Your child has missed school and needs to make up assignments

Communication between teachers and parents is very important in solving homework problems. Talk with teachers early in the school year. Get acquainted before problems arise, and let teachers know that you want to be kept informed. Most elementary schools and many secondary schools invite parents to come to parent-teacher conferences or open houses. You also may call the teacher to set up a meeting.

Contact the teacher as soon as you suspect your child has a homework problem (as well as when you think he's having any major problems with his schoolwork). Schools have a responsibility to keep parents informed, and you have a right to be upset if you don't find out until report card time that your child is having difficulties. On the other hand, sometimes parents figure out that a problem exists before the teacher does. By alerting the teacher, you can work together to solve a problem in its early stages.

Request a meeting with the teacher to discuss homework problems. Tell him briefly why you want to meet. You might say, "Rachel is having trouble with her math homework. I'm worried about why she can't finish the problems and what we might do to help her." Parents for whom English is a second language may need to make special arrangements, such as including another person who is bilingual.

Don't go straight to the principal without giving the teacher a chance to work out the problem with you and your child. Approach the teacher with a cooperative spirit. Believe that the teacher wants to help you and your child, even if you disagree about something. It's hard to solve problems if teachers and parents view each other as enemies.

Make sure communication is clear. Listen to the teacher and don't leave until you're sure you understand what's being said. Make sure, too, that the teacher understands what you have to say. If, after the meeting, you realize you don't understand something, call the teacher to double-check.

Follow up to make sure that the approach you agreed to is working. If the teacher told you, for example, that your child needs to spend more time practicing long division, check back in a month to talk about your child's progress.

Portions of this column were excerpted from "It Starts on the Frontline," the National School Public Relations Association's newsletter.


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