How parents can support their child doing homework
Many parents want to help their children with their homework but often don't know how to help with out accidentally completing it for them. There is a fine line between helping and providing valuable assistance to giving the answer and diminishing the students ability to learn. Parents can often feel frustrated when their child struggles with what they see as simple tasks however it is important for parents to remind themselves that what they deem as simple is something entirely brand new and often challenging for the student. Parents can help by sitting near them and letting the student know that if they are confused or need help to ask for it. Most of the time the child has the confidence and understanding to complete the task entirely on their own or will ask if they need help. This passive approach can often be the most effective as it can build the students confidence in working independently as well as show the student that their parent is confident in their ability as well.
However, if the student does require help the first thing any parent should ask is for the child to show them how they approach the question. This allows the parent to identify where the student is getting stuck or needs help. When the student reaches the point where they are stuck and unable to continue the parent should ask follow up questions such as ; "How did your teacher show you to complete the next step?". This allows the student to actively recall things they have learnt at school and also makes sure the parent isn't teaching their child new strategies which could confuse the student further in the long run.
If the student is unable to recall what was taught in class the parent can then go through their school book or examples the teacher has provided and show the student similar questions to help them find to solution on their own. These techniques allow the students confidence and independent learning skills to build. Allowing them to feel confident and comfortable to approach questions that they are unfamiliar with.
