by Kelly Knowlden
“Go do your homework,” seems like a simple enough command. And it is for those who have been trained to do homework. But I am concerned that children and young people are often told to go do their homework without interactions from parents. I know that by seventh or eighth grade, the math becomes more difficult than parents can remember. But really that does not matter.
Reading or any subject that requires reading, is an opportunity for you to interact with the world that is being presented in the text and guide your child’s thinking about it. Math is an opportunity to interact with the world of numbers. My kids knew that when Dad asked math questions, he was clueless about what should be on the paper, but they always enjoyed me saying, “Oh, goodie! Let me help you with your trig!”
Parents studying spelling with their children until there are no more spelling tests shows that you are interested in them. Asking them vocabulary words can make learning fun. Reviewing work sheets helps them organize thought. (My wife and I had multiple refresher courses on the history of the world, space science and on every topic that was a term paper until the twelfth grade.)
Homework is exactly that. It is work to be done at home… in your home… with you. There is no alternative that is better. Train up a child in the way he should go… involves being with your child and helping them think about the world. Homework provides a valuable means to do that. Try, “Come, let’s do your homework.”
