Parents might not know all the answers to their children’s
homework questions, but the most important thing is to show kids
that academics are important, local teachers say
Pop quiz time for parents:
1. What is 1/5 + 1/3?
2. What does this formula give you? 2(pi r 2) + (2 pi r)* h
3. In John Steinbeck’s novel “Of Mice and Men,” what does George and Lennie’s farm symbolize?
Quiz over. The answers are:
1. 8/15
2. The surface area of a cylinder
3. Freedom, self-reliance and protection from the world’s cruelties.
It’s not so easy, is it? Yet questions like these can come up when children pore over their homework at the kitchen table after school. When a child decides to ask parents about homework material the parent hasn’t seen since grade school or high school, it can be intimidating.
But South Valley teachers say it isn’t about knowing how to do your child’s homework that’s important; it’s to maintain open communication with your kids about their school work.
“I think there should always be an open dialogue about homework,” said Chuck Schallhorn, a psychology teacher and chair of the Social Sciences Department at San Benito High School. “Once kids are juniors and seniors in high school, they’re rarely going to parents for help with homework. But if parents ask about what kids are doing in their courses, when they show interest, they show that academics are important. They can also see if their kids are having problems in any subjects that they may need help with.”
By starting to talk to children about their school work when they are young, parents can help them develop a strong work ethic and advocate for themselves when they need help, he explained. When kids begin advocating for themselves, they’ll be more likely to talk to their teacher before or after school, seek tutoring or find some other way to help themselves find a better understanding of material.
Matt Hungerford, a math teacher at Gilroy High School, agreed that open communication is a huge step in helping kids with homework.
“Most of the time, I don’t even think it’s that important for parents to completely understand their children’s homework,” he said. “I teach geometry, and most parents haven’t had geometry since high school, which was a long time ago for many of them. I like it when the student can explain their homework to their parents. It shows that they have a really good understanding of the material. Even if the student has trouble getting the answer to a problem, if they can at least explain the problem, they’re halfway to solving it.”
If all else fails, parents have no qualms stopping him at the grocery store to ask about class material, Hungerford said, laughing. But he said he doesn’t mind answering parents’ questions about what their kids are learning.
For elementary school-aged students, parents should only have to provide minimal help, said Cherie Foster, a second-grade teacher at Eliot Elementary School in Gilroy.
“Homework should really be a reinforcement of what’s being taught in the classroom,” she said. “It’s an opportunity for the children to practice what they’ve learned, not something brand-new. But that doesn’t mean it’s not important for parents to stay involved with their children’s school work.”
One way parents can communicate with their children about homework is by being part of their learning experience even when they don’t need help, she said.
“If you’re making dinner, have your child read to you while you cook,” Foster said. “Have them read something they wrote for homework or a story they have to read for school. Or just have them tell you about what they’re working on while you’re cooking.”
Morgan Hill parent Teri Tingley said her 10-year-old son, Scott, mainly comes to her asking for help understanding what a question is asking rather than for the answers.
“When he does math word problems, the questions are sometimes a little obtuse,” she said. “Once I rephrase the question for him, he usually understands it and can find the answer.”
One of the hardest parts about helping Scott with his homework is letting him do it his way, Teri said.
“It’s hard not to just take it over and change it to how I would do it,” she said. “We want to offer assistance, but we have to stand back and remember this is their work. The other problem I have is answering questions about history or science in a way my son will understand. I’ve found that there are Web sites out there that help explain things on a kid’s level, like who Sir Isaac Newton was and what he discovered. So, sometimes, I’ll have Scott look up his questions on ask.com for kids or yahooligans.”
Aside from maintaining open communication with children about their school work, the most important thing parents can do to help their children with homework is provide a conducive learning environment at home, Foster said.
“It can be hard when there are three other kids in the house, you’re trying to get dinner ready, the television is going and the dog is barking. But try to give kids a quiet place where they can sit and concentrate,” she said. “Turn off the TV and radio, make sure kids have paper and pencils and an area to work, and make homework their priority. It should come before video games or movies. Support the children by letting them know you’re there if they have any questions, and when possible, be part of their learning experience.”
