Quick Tips for Reading and Math Homework

Some quick tips for parents from OEA and NEA to help your child with math and reading homework.

For Homework

• Make sure your child has a quiet, well-lit place to do homework. Avoid having your child do homework with the television on or in places with other distractions, such as people coming and going.

• Make sure the materials your child needs, such as paper, pencils and a dictionary, are available. Ask your child if special materials will be needed for some projects and get them in advance.

• When your child asks for help, provide guidance, not answers. Giving answers means your child will not learn the material.

• Be positive about homework. Tell your child how important school is. The attitude you express about homework will be the attitude your child acquires.

• If homework is meant to be done by your child alone, stay away. Too much parent involvement can prevent homework from having some positive effects.

• Help your child with time management. Establish a set time each day for doing homework. Don’t let your child leave homework until just before bedtime.

Quick Tips for Reading Homework

• Have your child read aloud to you every night.

• Choose a quiet place, free from distractions, for your child to do his/her nightly reading assignments.

• When your child reads aloud to you and makes a mistake, point out the word he/she has missed and help him/her to read the word correctly.

• Before getting to the end of a story, ask your child what he/she thinks will happen next and why.

• After your child has stopped to correct a word he/she has read, have him/her go back and reread the entire sentence from the beginning to make sure he/she understands what the sentence is saying.

• Ask your child to tell you in his/her own words what happened in a story.

• To check your child's understanding of what he/she is reading, occasionally pause and ask your child questions about the characters and events in the story.

Quick Tips for Math Homework

• Encourage your child to use a daily math assignment book.

• Follow the progress your child is making in math. Check with your child daily about his/her homework.

• If you don't understand your child's math assignments, engage in frequent communication with his/her teacher.

• Check in with the teacher and ask what you can do to help.

• Request that your child’s teacher schedule afterschool math tutoring sessions if your child really needs help.

• If your child is experiencing problems in math, contact the teacher to learn whether he/she is working at grade level and what can be done at home to help improve academic progress.

• Try to be aware of how your child is being taught math, and don’t teach strategies and shortcuts that conflict with the approach the teacher is using.

• At the beginning of the year, ask your child’s teacher for a list of suggestions that will enable you to help your child with math homework.

Quick Tips for Reading and Math Homework (PDF)