HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD WITH HOMEWORK : A Guide for Teachers and Parents

HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD WITH HOMEWORK A Guide for Teachers and Parents Peter Kibet Koech

Description This eBook takes a look at how parents and teachers can help children with their homework. It provides great ideas for teachers and parents on how to approach homework and children’s homework. The book covers the strategies for helping children with homework, how to motivate children to do homework, the roles parents and teachers should play in children’s homework and the challenges that can be experienced offering homework.

About the Author Dr. Peter Kibet is a lecturer at Machakos University Department of Early Childhood Education where he teaches courses in reading, language arts and developmental psychology for undergraduate, masters and PhD children. Previously, Kibet taught at Kenyatta University, Mt. Kenya University and Ndalat High School. He has 23 years experience teaching in high school and University. He has published widely in referred journals.

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Acknowledgement My heartfelt thanks go to Machakos University children who taught me as I taught them and my son Brian who typed parts of this e-book. I wish to acknowledge Caro Jebet and Purity Mutua for their contributions.

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TABLE OF CONTENT Table of Contents About the Author.............................................................................................................................ii Acknowledgement..........................................................................................................................iii TABLE OF CONTENT..................................................................................................................iv CHAPTER ONE............................................................................................................................ 1 STRATEGIES TO ASSIST CHILDREN WITH HOMEWORK.............................................1 1.0 Introduction............................................................................................................................1 1.1 Strategies of Helping Children with Homework....................................................................1 1.2 Being Active and Interested in Homework............................................................................1 1.3 Reducing Distractions............................................................................................................ 1 1.5 Setting Aside Study Time...................................................................................................... 2 1.6 Be A Motivator...................................................................................................................... 2 1.7 Be A Monitor......................................................................................................................... 2 1.8 Praising Children's Efforts..................................................................................................... 2 1.9 Help children with their Homework Plans.............................................................................3 1.10 Having a Study Place........................................................................................................... 3 1.11 Identifying people to Help................................................................................................... 3 1.12 Providing Assistance............................................................................................................3 1.13 Giving Clear and age Appropriate Assignments..................................................................4 1.14 Using Goal Setting Strategy.................................................................................................4 CHAPTER TWO........................................................................................................................... 5 HOW TO MOTIVATE CHILDREN TO DO HOMEWORK.................................................. 5 2.0 Introduction............................................................................................................................5 iv

2.1 How to Motivate Children..................................................................................................... 5 2.2 Availing learning Resources.................................................................................................. 5 2.3 Allow Children to Take a Break............................................................................................ 5 2.4 Praise the Child...................................................................................................................... 5 2.5 State the Importance/Benefits of Homework.........................................................................6 2.6 Turn the Assignment into an Interesting Game..................................................................... 6 2.7 To which Extent a Caregiver/Parent should be Engaged.......................................................6 2.8 As A Parent Do Your Homework.......................................................................................... 6 2.9 Identifying Children's Weak Activity areas........................................................................... 7 2.10 Be A Facilitator....................................................................................................................7 2.11 Schedule the Child's Activities for Successful Completion of Homework......................... 7 2.12 identify a Quiet and Calm Spot for the Child...................................................................... 7 2.13 Make Homework your Responsibility as a Parent...............................................................8 2.14 Giving them a reward...........................................................................................................8 2.15 Give children a Break after School...................................................................................... 8 CHAPTER THREE.......................................................................................................................9 ROLES OF TEACHERS AND PARENTS IN HOMEWORK.................................................9 3.0 Introduction............................................................................................................................9 3.1 Roles to be played by parents/caregivers and teachers.......................................................... 9 3.2 Offering the Children with the Help they need......................................................................9 3.3 Praising Children....................................................................................................................9 3.4 Being a Source of Motivation................................................................................................ 9 3.5 Teaching the best Studying Habits.........................................................................................9 3.6 Monitoring Children............................................................................................................ 10 v

3. 7 keeping the Parents Informed............................................................................................. 10 3.8 Varying the Kind of Homework.......................................................................................... 10 3.9 They should be Stage Managers.......................................................................................... 10 3.10 Parents should be active and show interest in their children's homework......................... 10 3.11 Help Parents on Becoming Actively Involved...................................................................10 3.12 Make Homework a Family Affair......................................................................................11 3.13 Make Homework Organized.............................................................................................. 11 3.14 Checking Completed Homework.......................................................................................11 3.15 Encouraging Independence................................................................................................ 11 3.16 Giving Support...................................................................................................................11 3.17 Monitoring to ensure they do Their Work......................................................................... 12 3.18 Planning for Activities....................................................................................................... 12 3.19Having Clear Communication on Children's Performance.................................................12 3.20 Providing Oversight of The Homework Process............................................................... 12 3.21 Providing Support to Increase Effectiveness..................................................................... 12 CHAPTER FOUR....................................................................................................................... 13 CHALLENGES OF HOMEWORK.......................................................................................... 13 4.0 Introduction..........................................................................................................................13 4.1 Challenges of Homework.....................................................................................................13 4.2 Rushing Through to Complete Homework..........................................................................13 4.3 Note Taking..........................................................................................................................13 4.4Time Management and Being Organized............................................................................. 13 4.5 They May have Challenges Studying Effectively................................................................14 4.6 Retaining Information they have Already Read.................................................................. 14 vi

4.7 Learning Independently....................................................................................................... 14 4.8 Little Information Level or Progress....................................................................................14 4.9 Tension.................................................................................................................................14 4.10 Distractions........................................................................................................................ 15 4.12 Planning and Organizing....................................................................................................15 4.13 Encourages Cheating..........................................................................................................15 References......................................................................................................................................16

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CHAPTER ONE STRATEGIES TO ASSIST CHILDREN WITH HOMEWORK 1.0 Introduction Homework as the name suggests is all the tasks given to be done by the learners outside the classroom setup and mostly it's done at home. Commonly these assignments are given out by the teachers to be attempted/done during the child's free time and since the breaks are very short they end up doing them at home at night. These tasks include reading, writing, mathematical quizzes to be attempted, or other practical tasks that are meant for the learner to acquire certain skills (in other words the practical tasks are goal-oriented or objective).

1.1 Strategies of Helping Children with Homework The section will provide the strategies of helping children with their homework: 1.2 Being Active and Interested in Homework Children are more successful when their parents are more active and interested in their homework. This motivates the child to be actually fully committed to their work; this may also put the children in a position of embracing and treating the work as an important task ahead of them. Assisting the children with their assignment simply means spending all your time, being psychologically and emotionally there for the child assisting them to complete their assignments successfully. The caregivers /Parents /elder siblings should offer a lot of support to children by first probing to know what the child already knows where to start from, demonstrating, organizing skills, breaking down complex tasks into the simplest form that the child can understand and more so by giving the child moral support when performing these tasks.

1.3 Reducing Distractions It is very normal for children to be distracted by TVs, radios, loud sounds, phones, excessive lighting, toys, and their siblings. Children like playful activities since they are interesting and this may make them forget they had assignments to be done. Therefore caregivers /Parents /elder siblings should withdraw these distractions or keep them to minimal as possible for them to do their assignments .children also need some fun to relax their minds after spending all day in school. So parents should consider that and not put a lot of pressure on children to do their homework and other activities. They should also give them some time to interact with TV, phone, and music to enable them to have fun and relax. Whenever children are doing their homework there should be no noise e.g. loud music or any other form of noise that would distract their concentration. TVs or radios should not be turned on when the children are doing their assignments/homework since it will highly distract them and they won't be in a position to finish 1

their work. Therefore leisure activities should come after the completion of the assignment but not before.

1.5 Setting Aside Study Time This is a reminder to a child to keep in mind that they are supposed to do their work at a particular time. And by any chance, you feel like the child has forgotten as a parent you should remind them until they master their study time. Scheduling a regular study time is the best since the child can't be confused about what to do at a particular time hence being punctual in doing their homework. You should schedule a time that the child works best. To arrive in this involve the child in scheduling the time so that they can give the time that they like and think it's best for them. You should schedule a time that will favor you and your child because during this time when the child is doing his or her homework you are supposed to be there not to do for them their homework but to be a role model and give them support whenever they need.

1.6 Be A Motivator Parents need to be always there for their children to cheer them in their academic race and give them a word of hope when homework gets tough. Children tend to believe in what their parents tell them and if you tell them they are the best students in the world they will become that since they have someone who believes in them. Appreciate their daily efforts to complete assignments on time as motivate them to do their homework by always asking about their assignments. Talk to them on the importance of doing their homework. Check completed homework and always make yourself available for questions and concerns. Be with your child when he or she is doing homework Shower them with rewards whenever they do their homework as a form of motivation.

1.7 Be A Monitor Be there to also monitor your child when doing their homework. Check if they are doing it in the right way and if not guide them. Children have a short attention span hence you should always check on them so that they won't divert their attention away from their homework. Monitor them to ensure that they do all assignments that they were given by the teacher. Some children avoid some work so that they can have much time to relax and have fun. For instance, if the time to do homework was scheduled to be done immediately after school the child might want to go and join their fellows who may be playing at that time. So monitor them to do all their homework before going out to play.

1.8 Praising Children's Efforts Praise their work and efforts. If the child keeps the time when doing their homework praise them always. For instance, if the child used to forget the planned homework time and then suddenly 2

keep the time praise them for that. You can even go ahead to rewarding them for their punctuality and this will highly foster their commitment to doing their homework. If the child tackles the whole task themselves and correctly praise them also for that. Children love it when their efforts are recognized.

1.9 Help children with their Homework Plans Children don't have a clue on breaking down of bulky assignments they can tackle a whole weekend's assignment in one day or shockingly in an hour. They do this because assignments should be completed on time or due to a lack of understanding. Parents are supposed to assist the child to come up with a good plan on how to do their assignment. This will help the child to do the work in his/her own pace and complete it without straining much.

1.10 Having a Study Place The child should be provided with a place that is conducive to learning. This place should be noise-free, well lit, spacious, and well ventilated. The child can assist you to identify that place by suggesting what they need for the successful completion of homework.

1.11 Identifying people to Help Parents sometimes are busy doing other house chores and instead of frustrating the child one can appoint other family members to assist the child with the assignment. By so doing children can appreciate the efforts of all family members and their concern. Children like learning from other children instead of adults, so why deny them the chance to be assisted by their elder siblings.

1.12 Providing Assistance Children who have parental assistance in completing homework spend more time on their assignments. This makes them feel at ease and they may not experience the negative emotions associated with homework .when children get older they may often resist being assisted with their homework or being supervised by the parents since they feel they have attained independence and they are no longer children. As a parent, you should find a way to know how the homework was done and if it was completed successfully. Always ask if they have any assignments whenever they arrive from school this will make them see your concern in their studies. Failure to do so the child will even hide their assignments so that they can relax and then go rushing through their assignments in the morning or even copy their friends' homework. This habit is not of any benefit since homework is given for the child to practice what they learned over the day.

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1.13 Giving Clear and age Appropriate Assignments Teachers should give assignments that are age-appropriate and clear to the child for the child to do the homework without difficulties. The teacher should also consider the workload because the child is not developmentally ready to do a lot of assignments. The teachers should not give assignments without checking if the child is in a position to tackle it or not. For the teachers to make the children interested in the assignment they should mix up hard questions with easy ones so as the child won't encounter frustration. Some quizzes should be easy to keep the child's hopes up. The assignment should be given with some clear explanations on how to go about the homework.

1.14 Using Goal Setting Strategy Using a goal-setting strategy also works. Goal setting strategy helps in improving once performance since the child already knows their strengths and weaknesses and their aim. They may work very hard to achieve the goal set. They may not be reminded to do their homework but they will do and finish on time since they are working towards achieving something at the end of the day. The child should be given feedback on their homework performance so that they will know their progress.

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CHAPTER TWO HOW TO MOTIVATE CHILDREN TO DO HOMEWORK 2.0 Introduction Children may never show interest in doing homework because they feel it's like a duty given forcefully to be done by the teacher. They don't get it that it is their daily duty and that it has an impact on their academic life. That's why it's so crucial to motivate children to do their homework. These ways include; 2.1 How to Motivate Children 2.2 Availing learning Resources The parent/caregiver should ensure all learning resources that a child may require are available.

The learning resources include; books, pencils, papers, or any other stationery that they may require to do their homework. This highly motivates children to do their assignments.

When there is a lack or inadequate supply of these resources they tend to lack interest in their assignments and this makes them reluctant.

2.3 Allow Children to Take a Break Work without play makes tom a dull boy that's what they said and for children, it's very true.

Parents /caregivers should not force children to finish up their assignments when they are exhausted they should be allowed to take a break and rest for a bit and then come back. By doing this they will get back to their homework more rejuvenated, more afresh and ready to tackle the assignment. Whenever children require a break just permit them to avoid problems and the child completing the assignment for the sake of completing.

2.4 Praise the Child This has been used for decades by psychologists and has worked /yield. When you as a parent /caregiver praise your child for work well done it always intrinsically motivates the child. Once in awhile reward children for specific tasks attempted correctly to motivate your child. When children get home and do their homework without being reminded appreciate them and this will motivate them of even doing better .Parents/caregivers should specify the exact reason why they are rewarding the child. Praise every simple improvement on assignments do not ignore anything because ignoring makes one feel like their efforts aren't recognized. Children are prone to forgetting and they might not attend to their assignments as they used before so negative rewards should be administered like giving educative stories about children who are punished because of 5

not doing their homework or withdrawal of presents used to be given before. When children become intrinsically motivated they won't see their assignments when the child gets to be intrinsically motivated they won't view their assignments as a burden but instead as something enjoyable because they will have understood that this will improve their performance.

2.5 State the Importance/Benefits of Homework Parents/caregivers should be at the front line to show their children the importance of homework and the reason why they are administered to them. Engage them in conversations about homework, let them open up how they feel about homework and every activity area this way they will feel you are concerned about their wellbeing, and after that, you can guide them correctly and this way they can appreciate homework and to take it seriously. Homework is known to shape the child's academic life but parents should find a nice way to pass this information to their children and children will embrace it.

2.6 Turn the Assignment into an Interesting Game Children find games interesting and they may tackle the assignments and complete them successfully without noticing if it was something complex. For example, you can provide sweets to solve math problems like addition and subtraction. Promise children if they attempt a question and get it right then they will get a sweet, don't help the child achieve it but instead let them have problems solved for a reward by trying their best to give the right answer for every question given. This will make children associate assignments with fun hence liking doing them.

2.7 To which Extent a Caregiver/Parent should be Engaged Homework is strictly meant to be done by the child. If a parent/caregiver is overly involved/engaged the child may not learn from the assignment. Children should only be guided on how to go about their work and left alone to do their work. Offering them this support always enables children to understand that homework is important since their parents are concerned.

When parents do assignments for their children the child will never see the benefits of an assignment. Instead, parents should be serious when telling the children to do their assignments.

2.8 As A Parent Do Your Homework When the child is busy doing his/her find something to do and don't be idle. This will make them feel they are not alone but they have someone to identify with. Children will find homework as a normal thing for everyone. Children will see a responsible person in you and they will want to emulate you hence becoming responsible too. They will have you as their role model.

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2.9 Identifying Children's Weak Activity areas Parents/caregivers should find out the specific areas that their children are having difficulties.

Take time to discuss with your kid all subject areas and know their favorite and weakest subjects this way you will be able to know the reason behind that. It is only after identification that you can know what they are weak in and the reason to why they feel so. Activity areas which they have difficulties you may ask them if they would like to improve in them and ask them how you can assist them to improve.

2.10 Be A Facilitator As a parent/caregiver you can only be an overseer if you want your child to do well in his/her academic life but if you spend all your life yelling, threatening your kid, or doing for them assignments you may ruin your child's academic life. Be there to cheer your child and offer necessary assistance for your child to do well not only in their assignment but also in their life. If you let them learn on their own they will grow to be innovative and inventive and problem solvers. Don't hold back your child in the name of protecting her/him from frustrations let them fail to learn from their mistakes and become the best in the whole world.

2.11 Schedule the Child's Activities for Successful Completion of Homework Making a schedule for all the homework activities is simply creating a routine that will help children know that is expected of them, e.g. Allowing children to have a twenty minutes break for leisure like playing immediately they get home from school before they do their homework.

This can be a successful plan only if you involve the child when making it. It is not wise to make the schedule alone because if the child is not comfortable with that they won't follow it. It is very important to involve the child in everything you are planning for them so that they may feel part of it.

2.12 identify a Quiet and Calm Spot for the Child When people talk about a quiet place for children to study at people think of a study room but that is not the case one can choose to have a study room in their home and some may not even have one due to economic reasons. In this case, as a parent/caregiver just look for a wellventilated room, with appropriate lighting, clean, spacious, and quiet for the child to do their assignment comfortably. In many middle-class families, children do their homework in their sitting rooms which isn't wrong but as a parent, all you need to do is to make the environment conducive for learning.

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2.13 Make Homework your Responsibility as a Parent Homework gives you a nice experience to teach and even to learn from your child. It keeps you updated on your child's academic growth, psychological development, and exposure to their environment. This way children will feel appreciated and treasured if you are so concerned about their assignment. At the end of the day, it's your child you are impacting so a parent should take it as his/her responsibility. Always make sure they know the implications of not doing their assignment.

2.14 Giving them a reward You don't wake up and reward someone for nothing, you don't reward people for a shoddy work done, we only reward excellent work done. Rewards can be in the form of material things, a clap, or giving them some time to play outside with their friends. This will make them feel motivated to complete their assignments on time every day. Avoid giving children very expensive gifts for them to do their assignment since that's like introducing a bribe in a child's academic life which isn't right.

2.15 Give children a Break after School Children should not be forced to do their homework immediately after getting home from school.

Give the children a break to rest or play with their friends or their toys or even narrate to you how their day was. This will help break the monotony because they have been into books the whole day. The break will help the child freshen up and be in a position to focus when it comes to doing their homework.

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CHAPTER THREE ROLES OF TEACHERS AND PARENTS IN HOMEWORK 3.0 Introduction The parents/caregivers and the teacher are the primary stakeholders in children's academics.

Therefore teachers have a critical role to play in assigning children to work to do at home every day. The work is usually meant to be done at home by the parent's assistance. Thus these primary stakeholders have roles to play in the children's homework. These roles are explained below; 3.1 Roles to be played by parents/caregivers and teachers 3.2 Offering the Children with the Help they need Parents/caregivers and teachers should offer help/assistance as needed. Learners with problems should get help from their parents or teachers, children shouldn't be afraid of asking for help whenever in need. They should encourage children to ask any question that they find it difficult.

To achieve this the parents and teachers should show love to their children and not being harsh to them. They should also encourage them to ask any question any time without fear.

3.3 Praising Children Teachers and parents should praise their children whenever they do their homework. This should not be only after getting the questions right but for attempting them. Children love being recognized and praised for any effort hence they should not forget to do this.

3.4 Being a Source of Motivation They should also motivate children to do their homework since most children associate homework with boredom. They should on removing that feeling of boredom in their minds whenever they are told to do homework. Talk to them about the benefits of homework.

Encourage them to always have the interest to do their work without one being forced to.

3.5 Teaching the best Studying Habits Teachers and parents teach the best study habits to be applied by the children. Children need good study skills to complete assignments successfully and gain from them academically.

Children with poor study habits will not understand hence parents and teachers should take instilling good study habits as their responsibility so as children benefit from their studies or homework.

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3.6 Monitoring Children The primary stakeholders of a child's academics should monitor children's homework. Parents and teachers should monitor children's homework daily. They are supposed to monitor closely to detect a sign of failure and frustrations. If the child asks for assistance provide guidance, not answers.

3. 7 keeping the Parents Informed Teachers should keep caregivers/parents informed on the children's homework. Inform the parents on days you give assignments so that parents can monitor their children at home when doing their homework. Naturally, children don't like homework and therefore they may resist doing it in the evening and go ahead to copy other children's work at school in the morning.

3.8 Varying the Kind of Homework ECE practitioners should also vary the kind of assignments they give for homework. The teachers should not give assignments only in one area for homework every day. They are supposed to ensure that children practice all curriculum areas. For instance, they should give the reading, writing, or calculating mathematical problems to solve rather than reading or writing every day.

3.9 They should be Stage Managers Parents at home are supposed to be stage managers. In other words, they should ensure that where the assignment is to be undertaken is quiet and well lit to be conducive for learning.

Parents also should make sure that materials such as pencils, papers, and other stationeries that are required are available.

3.10 Parents should be active and show interest in their children's homework Parents should be active and take an interest in their children's homework to support them to complete the assignment. If parents are active and interested in their children's homework they will always ensure that their children are done with their homework in time, they will also support their children to do their assignments too.

3.11 Help Parents on Becoming Actively Involved Teachers are not only there to guide children but are there to also guide parents on how to assist their children do their homework. The parents need to know the do's and don'ts when assisting their children so as not to ruin the well-laid foundation by the teacher at school. In simple terms, 10

the teacher is training the parent on how to go about with the child's homework since he/she won't be there when the homework is being done.

3.12 Make Homework a Family Affair The same way meals, cleanliness discipline, prayers, and unity are taken seriously the same way the homework should be taken seriously too. Parents should inculcate this virtue when the children are still young. You can set regular schedules which are attainable when children are doing their assignments the parents may be doing other activities somewhere nearby like reading novels and this can help them model good study habits.

3.13 Make Homework Organized Parents/caregivers should help children make their homework organized. This assignment may help children develop organizing skills and time management skills. You can begin by teaching children to follow the routine of everything this helps children to be organized. Whenever the child is doing homework always be there to see if they are organizing their work properly. If not do teach them how to always keep their work neat and organized.

3.14 Checking Completed Homework It is the role of the parents to check completed homework for neatness and accuracy and give feedback. When the homework is completed check it for neatness and accuracy. Have your child redo messy work, if there are errors have your child correct them. When the child gets better in checking, you can give general feedback. For example, telling him or her the ones they answered correct and incorrect ones. He or she can correct them on their own. This will give your child practice in checking.

3.15 Encouraging Independence Teachers and parents should encourage independence. This is done by ensuring that the kid understands the direction before starting their assignments. Have him or her work alone during the work periods. To encourage the child to work alone you should limit the number of times he or she can ask for assistance.

3.16 Giving Support They should support rather than helping do homework. The purpose of homework is usually to give children a chance to practice skills already thought in school. You should not help the child since this will increase dependence on you. Instead, provide your child with support he or she needs to complete his or her homework on their own.

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3.17 Monitoring to ensure they do Their Work Parents should also make sure that the child does their homework. They should not allow their children to get help from their older siblings or any other person. This is because if the child gets the help they will not, therefore, gain from the homework and thus they lose instead. So they should be Keen to make sure they don't get any help.

3.18 Planning for Activities The parents should monitor the time spent viewing television and playing video games. Children can spend more time on this than they do on their homework therefore the parents should monitor to ensure that there is a balance on this rather than leaving them to only do one thing or spend more time having fun than little time to rush through their homework. To help further you can look for a program that is related to what the child is studying, this will foster their understanding.

3.19Having Clear Communication on Children's Performance There should a regular update on the child's performance either at school or at home. In case of any changes, the teacher needs to inform the parent and vise verser. The teacher and the parent in this case need to be very honest with each other to assist the child. This is because when a problem is identified early enough it could be corrected instead of ruining the child's academic life because of a lack of clear communication.

3.20 Providing Oversight of The Homework Process Teachers provide oversight of the homework process. Parents, school staff, and family members can only be assisted by the teacher to understand what homework monitoring involves and its importance. For instance, helpful monitoring includes being accessible, being willing to help the child understand directions, maintaining awareness of the child's emotional state and work pattern, and offering positive feedback on engagement in homework.

3.21 Providing Support to Increase Effectiveness Teachers can only know if the parents are fully supporting their children with their homework by getting feedback through the sign-off sheets for parents. They can compare the child's performance with the parent's comments and questions. This way the parent is motivated to assist their children with their assignment. This way the parent cannot assume the child's homework but instead will take it seriously otherwise they will be answerable to the teacher.

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CHAPTER FOUR CHALLENGES OF HOMEWORK 4.0 Introduction Most children have problems with their homework once in a while. Homework challenges vary from one child to another. The sad fact is that they cannot simply ignore the assignments, so children must try out some new ways to overcome the challenges.

4.1 Challenges of Homework 4.2 Rushing Through to Complete Homework People naturally like shortcuts and saving their time for other things. Children want to rush through homework to go and see that they are done and go out to play or watch television. This is mainly caused by being given the simple assignment, a lot of work, complex questions, or in case of any distraction like cartoons. This can lead to the submission of incorrect work or a messy one. This is because they haven't even taken their time to understand the questions.

4.3 Note Taking Children have challenges when it comes to taking notes since their eye-hand coordination hasn't developed and their hand muscles too. They may find it hard to read a text and at the same time write it down because they might even have forgotten due to their short attention span. Their handwriting maybe even wanting because they haven't developed writing skills. Children need to be guided slowly on note-taking. They are supposed to be encouraged to copy texts from newspapers at their own time to develop writing skills and develop their memory.

4.4Time Management and Being Organized When children see a clock face count from when they wake up until when they go to sleep then wake up on the day they called tomorrow and find the clock face still counting they cannot make sense out of it. They will think things were meant to be that way. They don't get when you tell them that every minute counts. They may not be in a position to keep track of their time. They can only develop this skill with the assistance of the teacher and the parent when they get home.

Staying organized too may be a challenge since children are known to be messy because they are ever playful. They may even not be in a position to breakdown big assignments into doable ones or even have a plan on how to go about their homework.

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4.5 They May have Challenges Studying Effectively Children can study the whole day and if asked what they have been studying all day they don't know. This is because they haven't been taught how to study effectively. Parents need to be equipped with good study skills to inculcate them in their children. They need to be supplied with a variety of print materials and tutorials on how to study to develop this skill.

4.6 Retaining Information they have Already Read Children may read for hours but still have problems retaining information. Children may tackle their homework very well and when it comes to assessment at school fail and they are the same things they are given as homework this is because they have a poor memory or they are inattentive. Children should be encouraged to be very attentive and to take their assignments seriously.

4.7 Learning Independently Children can be lazy and so dependent sometimes so the parents should not do the homework for them but direct them for them to know the areas that they need help and when to work alone since they are not dumb. All they need to understand is that they can work indecently and still complete their assignments successfully. When parents/caregivers can impart this spirit of independence, children will be able to do their homework on their own without asking lame questions. Some children may not be in a position to study alone they tend to be reluctant because they don't have company. They may want the company of their fellows and the spirit of working alone should be imparted since they may be an only child in their family where will they get other children to work with.

4.8 Little Information Level or Progress Homework provides teachers with little information level or progress. Since homework is not completed under the teacher's guidance they are often unaware of mistakes children make when completing assignments and have no control over who completes homework.

4.9 Tension Excessive homework often creates tension between parents and children because it takes away from family time. They are seen to be taking away family's time hence no one likes it. Parents also are bored with homework because it takes away their time. Since it is their role to guide their children to do homework they become bored too.

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4.10 Distractions Distractions at home when the child tries to do the homework, chances are high that they will be heavily distracted by conversation, television, radio, or even phones. Children need a quiet place to do their homework so that they can concentrate. At home, these distractions may be too much for the child to concentrate on their homework.

4.11 Management of Time If you do not practice proper time management, you are going to have problems tremendously each night. Children do not know how to manage their time properly therefore parents should step in here to guide their children on time management. This involves what to do at a particular time so that the child does not overdo one thing.

4.12 Planning and Organizing Children with planning and organizational problems find homework difficult for several reasons.

They tend to lose and forget things and to have difficulty managing their time. They tend to put things off to have difficulty estimating how long it will take to do tasks, and they often give up before the homework is done.

4.13 Encourages Cheating Homework also encourages cheating. Since the teacher is not around to monitor the child do assignments on their own and this makes them have the advantage of cheating. Finding homework complex and a waste of time they tend to copy instead of doing it themselves.

Children fall into this trap because some parents are not keen on controlling their children when working on their homework.

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References Miller, D.L, & Kelly, M.L. (1991) . Interventions for improving homework Performance. A critical review. School psychology quarterly 6,174-185.

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