Do you think your child gets too much homework? Many schools follow the National Education Association (NEA) rule of 10 minutes of homework per day for each grade level. However, sometimes students take longer to complete their daily assignments, especially those who learn and think differently.
How do you talk to teachers about the amount of homework your child is assigned? These are some suggestions.
Find the right way and time to communicate
Some teachers prefer to communicate via email, but it may not be the best way to talk about problems and solutions.
An in-person meeting with the teacher may be more productive. It allows them to exchange information and discuss strategies on the spot, rather than waiting for correspondence.
If it is not possible to meet, suggest talking on the phone for half an hour when both of you can do so without interruption (make sure your child is not present).
When you ask to speak to the teacher, let them know why: There are problems at home related to homework. That way, the teacher can prepare before the meeting about his child’s homework habits.
Communicate clearly
Focus on what your child is doing, not what the teacher is doing or what the rules are for homework. Provide details of what you are seeing at home, but do not criticize the teacher. Help him with a research paper writer.
For example, saying, “You’re giving so much homework that my son spends hours trying to finish it,” may sound like you’re blaming him. In addition, it does not clarify what his son’s difficulties are.
Try saying something like, “Some students may not be a problem with the amount of homework, but my son spends more than 30 minutes on each subject every night.”
Click here – 6 Different Types Of Educational Software
Here are some examples of how to describe what you are looking at:
- “My son has a hard time understanding the instructions on the worksheets and takes an hour to do them instead of 20 minutes.
- “My son has trouble organizing his ideas and spends the whole afternoon answering questions.”
- “My son loses focus after solving two pages of math problems. He needs two hours to finish all the exercises.”
- “My son reads very slowly and has to stay up late to finish his reading homework. He sometimes starts to cry.”
Don’t worry if you’re not sure what your child’s problem is, you and the teacher can find out together by exchanging information.
Focus on the solution
The ultimate goal is to find ways to get your child to do homework. Ask the teacher what solutions have helped other students.
Also, contribute your ideas and ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask things like:
- “What is the maximum amount of time children should spend on homework each day?”
- “Can I sign the part of the homework that my child could not finish after working for a certain amount of time?”
- “Are there other ways for my child to learn and show understanding besides doing homework?”
- “How can the amount of homework be adjusted according to my child’s learning needs? Could I have more time to do the math problems?”
- “Can my son get more help at school? Is there a place to do homework after school, or do you have office hours?”
- “Is there a way to make sure my son understands what he has to do on homework before he leaves school?”
If you would like to try certain strategies or supports in particular, say so. It is better to say to the teacher, “I would like to ask you if it is possible to make some changes for my child as _________”, rather than, “I think my child needs something different”.
If your child has an IEP or 504 plan and you want to add homework accommodations, request a team meeting. You can also request it if your child has accommodations, but the teacher is not using them consistently or they are not helping.
If your child doesn’t have any of those plans, you can ask if there are things the teacher could do to help. Many teachers are open to collaborating with families in finding solutions.
Once you agree on a plan of action, set a date in a few weeks to discuss your child’s progress. If there hasn’t been much progress, discuss the next steps.
Click here – Outdoor Adventures to Keep Yourself Fit