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Parent tips for homework

The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has provided guidelines to parents on how they can help their children with their homework.

The guidelines provide tips on how to organise homework, the time that children should spend on homework in each grade, and the benefits of doing homework properly.

"Homework requires careful planning and support from principals, teachers, parents and learners," says Kobie Kitshoff, Deputy Chief Education Specialist, Curriculum Development, at the WCED.

"Efficient management of homework, accompanied by careful planning, guidance and control by all the parties involved, will ensure that it does not become a burden."

The WCED is distributing the guidelines in Afrikaans, English and isiXhosa to parents via schools mainly in poor communities.

"School management teams and school governing bodies should use this opportunity to discuss with parents the importance of supporting their children with their homework," Ms Kitshoff said.

The guidelines provide the following tips on how parents can help children with their homework:

• Go to the first parent-teacher evening of the year. Find out what homework for the new grade entails. Find out how you can help your child with homework.
• Ask the teacher what the homework policy of the school is.
• Praise your child for doing homework and for finishing tasks.
• Help your Grade 1 and 2 child with homework. Also help your older child with homework, if asked.
• Homework must be done at a specific time each day. Decide with your child when that time will be - then stick to it.
• Ensure that your child always does homework in the same place.
• Keep all the homework equipment in a box so you do not have to look for it every day. Homework equipment includes scissors, coloured pencils, glue, old magazines, a dictionary and extra paper.
• Homework time must include rules for the whole family:
• Switch off the TV.
• No visitors.
• No loud telephone conversations by other members of the family.
• Use the time to read a book or to plan the budget.
• Know how to contact your child's teacher.
• Talk to the teacher if your child struggles with homework.
• Remember, both you and the teacher want your child to do well.

The WCED recommends that children spend the following time on homework, depending on their grade:

• Grade 1: 10 minutes
• Grade 2: 20 minutes
• Grade 3. 30 minutes
• Grade 4: 40 minutes
• Grade 5: 50 minutes
• Grade 6: 1 hour
• Grade 7: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Grade 8: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Grade 9: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Grade 10: 1 hour 40 minutes
• Grade 11: 2 to 2 hours 30 minutes
• Grade 12: 3 hours

"The benefits of doing homework properly include developing a sense of responsibility and achievement," Ms Kitshoff said. "Homework will help children to develop their self-esteem, knowing that they can complete tasks and projects, and will build their capacity for working independently. If properly handled, homework can also teach a child how to manage time well."

Parents can find the guidelines on the WCED web at http://wced.wcape.gov.za (see Curriculum Development Minute 65/2007).

Tauhirah Adams

5 top tips for helping kids with school work

By: By Godfrey Madanhire2015-07-27 09:01

The school year has just ticked over into its second half. After the recent holidays and the report card from the previous term you should know how your child is coping with their school work. At the start of a new school term, some parents might be a little worried about their child's progress.

Godfrey Madanhire is a professional motivational speaker and was previously an educator for seven years. He has been approached by concerned parents on this very question at his seminars. These are his 5 top tips on how to help your child with their school work.

Help to organise their time

This is a crucial part of tackling this problem. Helping your child plan a schedule will not only make the tasks more manageable, but it is an important life lesson. Allowing them to make their own plans will help build their confidence. These plans can be put on a chart in their bedroom, or they can be programmed into their cell phones with reminders. However you choose to document a plan, you need to make sure they follow it until it becomes a routine.

Make sure they know that studying is their job
Often children think school is drag, especially when they are struggling to keep up. As a parent you need to make sure that they think of school work as a "job", and help them to feel positive about it. Changing the way they think about school is a good first step in getting them to pay attention in class. This is a challenge, but once they've changed their outlook, they will start to pick up more from their lessons and improve their results.

Create an educational space at home
Allowing your children to have their own set space to learn is important. Practise makes perfect, so give them an area where they will enjoy working. If your home doesn't have the extra space for them to learn in, dedicate an area in the kitchen or living room. Creating an environment that they associate with learning will make getting study time easier.

Learning is different to knowing

Often children learn a topic for a week, and then forget. As a parent you need to be involved in the process and be aware of what your child is learning, in order to help reinforce it. After a test is completed, drop into conversation some of the topics that they studied for. Depending on your child's age, an example could be asking them to add up a bill at a restaurant, or encouraging them to read out loud a headline on a street pole. Parents need to understand after a lesson is learnt, your child needs to practice it until they perfect it, otherwise it will be forgotten.

Sometimes they should be teaching you

Only a person who can teach a subject knows it. Once your child has engaged with a subject for long enough the best way for you, as a parent, to cement the lesson is to ask them to tell you about it. Play dumb and ask what "9x9=" is, as an example, if they're learning their times table. This might seem counter-intuitive, but it will help build confidence and school results will improve. 

Does your child manage to study effectively at home?

Parent24