Some Homework Tips

I'm taking full advantage of some of the posts from the Blogs I follow.  This one was originally published in 2017 on Understood.com

Its title (Teacher Tip: 5 Ways to Use Slow Processing Speed Accommodations at Home) could be misleading so I've distilled some of the ideas that would apply to just about every elementary student.

I have mixed feelings about homework, especially in the younger grades, but certainly daily reading at home (and being accountable for it) is a must.  And there are always those projects that need more time at home.

Here goes:

1. Avoid the timer for homework completion.  For some kids, working to the clock, totally works.  It brings out the competitor in them (and it works, as longs as 'beating the clock' does not impact the quality of the work!) For others, it adds undue anxiety to what can be an already stressful assignment. Instead, stick to a routine of x number of minutes (build in some breaks) per task.  
1. Bring your child in on this decision-making (see post about Developing Self-Determination).  Together, set a time limit of how long to stay on task for any one assignment.
2. Same old (place); same old (time). Whenever possible, stick to the routine of doing the homework in the same place and at the same time (not always possible but it's a goal). Keep to a routine of what to do first as well (should it be the Home Reading, or spelling, or Math).  Again, help your child make these decisions and then stick to them.  And if the decisions don't work, or need to be changed up, it's a chance for another discussion about decision-making!
3. Watch the time. This is where a timer works for you.  There are guidelines* for how long a student should spend on homework, depending on grade level and your school board.  When a task is taking too long, or your child is becoming too frustrated for any productive work, call it quits.  Send a note to the teacher explaining how it all went down.  That's helpful for the teacher - she/he now knows that this is a task that probably needs some more class time (it could also be that the student was having difficulty focusing during class time and therefore missed key elements in what was needed to complete the homework task but that's another post!!)
4. Keep it simple. The younger the child, the fewer number of steps in any one set of instructions.  Too many at one time, and it's overwhelming.  Give short, simple instructions, and only one or two at a time; ramp it up as your child develops that skill set of retaining multiple steps.  Rather than, "Hang your coat up, take out your agenda, and then let's get a snack." why not try, "After you hang your coat up, open up your backpack."  When that's done, add, "Now find your lunch boxes and your agenda." (And hopefully there is an agenda or Communication Log in there because you're using the End of Day Buddy System - see earlier post).  

* Homework guidelines statement from a school in York Region: Teachers will: Ensure that homework is appropriate for each age group and includes reading; as a rule, the expected time for homework shall be (10 minutes) X (the grade level)  For example, in Grade 2: 2x 10=20 minutes.

Find the complete set of guidelines for the school here.

What's worked for you?

Developing Self-Determination

One of the blogs I subscribe to is from Brookes Publishing Co.  A recent post was listing strategies for helping children strengthen their self-determination skills.  Although the post was adapted from the book, Getting the Most out of IEPs, by Colleen A. Thoma & Paul Wehman, I thought that there were some good ideas for all students and I've adapted three of them

below to suit my audience. Some apply to younger children and others to older.  You choose.

Just as students need frequent practice with math or literacy skills, they also need daily practice to develop the skills that provide a foundation for self-determination.

1. Offer choices: It could be allowing children to choose where they do their homework (with some limitations based on expectations you have shared); it could be as small as letting them choose the writing implement they want to use to complete the homework.  Let them decide what goes on the checklist described in the previous post (End of Day Buddy System).  With any action, you can start by offering two options and gradually increase the choices.  
2. Model decision-making:  When you're making a decision, talk through it with your children; let them hear the thought-processes that you use to make decisions.  A Pros and Cons list is a great way to help them see what goes into decision-making.
3. Follow-up: When they've made a decision, talk with them about what was good or not so good about the decision they made.  What would they do differently if they could do this again? You can do some follow-up-modeling yourself after a fairly major decision has been made.

The "End of Day Buddy" System

I've been thinking about a student that I taught several years ago who had a difficult time remembering what he had to take home.  I learned from his mom that he'd rush in the door saying, "Hey Mom, I've got this assignment about reindeer that I've started at school.  Look at it." and he'd start digging through his backpack and then look up dejectedly and say. "Oh, I left it at school."

So we created the 'End of Day Buddy" system.  I paired those organizationally-challenged students  with those who were better organized.  In fact, it got to be that I could pair any two students and they would work with each other.  I'd hear - "Do you have ????" and '"Nope, wait, it's right here." and together they helped each other get organized at the end of the day.  It certainly reduced the number of times I would hear from parents about lost assignments or projects.

From a teacher's perspective, it meant ending the 'official' teaching part of the day perhaps five minutes earlier to give students the chance, in a supervised setting, to get themselves organized. But the time spent at the end of the day meant so much more time available in other ways because assignments went home, Communication Logs went home, and we didn't spend time trying to get caught up or figure out what was lost and then start over. Besides, learning how to be organized is a worthwhile skill - see the Learning Habits and Works Skills section of the report card (and coming soon - a post about a student-friendly version of those habits and skills!)

Here's a suggested Checklist from Understood.org that the End of Day Buddies can use.   The suggestion is that the Checklist goes on the backpack.

I like the larger size and would suggest that there be a laminated checklist for the top of the desk or the inside of the locker, as well as the backpack.

Those who have read Smart but Scattered, recommended in an earlier post, will recognize a list such as this one.  Note that lists such as these become 'invisible' with time.  Children are so used to seeing them that eventually they don't!  So switch them up.  After a couple of weeks, review the list together and figure out what can be removed or added.  Maybe change the colour of the paper.  Let your child 'own' it by suggesting what should be on the list and then personalize it (with stickers, drawings etc).

Here's to organization!

Helping Children to Advocate for Themselves

As children get older, it is important that they learn how to advocate for themselves.  Role playing is a great way to help them learn how to do this.  We can't just say - "Tell your teacher you're frustrated"; or "Just tell her/him that you didn't understand it". When children practise how to say those things in a safe environment, as we would do with any skill, it gives them the confidence to go in and pitch for themselves.  Being a self-advocate is a skill for all of  us.

Here's the first paragraph from a post on Understood.org about the topic: 

The rest of the short article includes examples of how to practise with your child on what to say.