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Home > Consumer Focus Archive > Helping Kids with Homework > Getting The Facts On Homework Help
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Consumer Focus: Helping Kids with Homework
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Getting The Facts On Homework Help

Pencils and paper are just the beginning when helping your child with his or her homework. Computers have become an essential learning tool and the world wide web offers endless information and assistance. In addition to the basics, here are some more tips and tools to help you and your child get the most out of homework.

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Homework and Computers

These days many schools have computers in classrooms, and many households have personal computers. Ask you child's teacher to explain his or her policy about the use of computers, typewriters or any special equipment for homework.

If the teacher allows students to use a computer, but you don't have a computer in your home, or if your family computer is being used by many family members, check with your child's teacher, the school library, and the local public library about using their computers. Some schools offer after-school programs where your child can use the school's computers. And many public libraries make computers available to children.

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Online Homework Resources

Using a computer is becoming increasingly common and sometimes necessary for children to complete their homework assignments. Computers can be a great learning tool and provide access to the many resources that are available on the Internet. Although, identifying reliable resources can be overwhelming for both parents and children. To help you get started, FCIC has compiled a list of web sites that can help you find online homework help.

Learn how you can protect children's privacy online by visiting the Federal Trade Commission's Kidz Privacy web page.

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Image of a girl holding up a test with an "A" on it.

Giving Practice Tests

  • Work memorization subjects into your daily schedule. For example, quiz your child on multiplication tables while grocery shopping, on the state capitals while cleaning up from dinner, or on spelling words while in the bathtub.
  • Let you child be the teacher. If he can teach you the subject, he knows it.
  • Take your child's learning style into consideration when doing homework. For example, if you child is a visual learner, you may want to make flash cards for her practice tests.
  • Talk with you child's teacher about her testing methods at the beginning of the school year. Knowing whether tests will be multiple-choice, true/false, question/answer or essay and how the tests will be administered such as verbally or written will help you design more helpful practice tests.

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Overcoming Resistance

Children have good and bad days just like adults. You may see occasional resistance depending on the subject and type of assignment. If resistance becomes a daily part of the homework routine, you need to deal with it directly. Below are a few tips that may help you solve the dilemma.

  • Give kids a short break between school and homework.
  • Know your child's diet. Proper nutrition and hydration are key to alertness and energy.
  • Do the easy stuff first. It sets a pattern of success, and a smaller amount of hard homework may seem more manageable for some children.
  • Give plenty of positive reinforcement during homework time and try to ignore the negative behaviors of homework resistance.
  • Set standards for how the homework is to be done that parents and other adults who are helping know about and agree on.
  • Include kids in setting up the homework schedule and study area. Kids need to have some choices and control over their time and activities.

Some students resist homework because they do not understand what they are supposed to do. If this could be the case, encourage your child to talk with his teacher, or set a time when you and your child can talk with the teacher together. This may also give the teacher some much-needed information. If your child does not understand the assignment, other children may not understand it either. By talking to the teacher, you have provided an opportunity for him to clarify the assignment to the entire class.

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Other Resources

This is just a brief overview. For more information on how to help your child with homework and related issues check out these resources from the World Wide Web.


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* Names of resources and organizations included in this online article are provided as examples only, and their inclusion does not mean that they are endorsed by the Federal Citizen Information Center or any other Government agency. Also, if a particular resource or organization is not mentioned, this does not mean or imply that it is unsatisfactory.

*If you click on these links, you are leaving FCIC's website. Please bookmark us before you leave so you can return easily. FCIC is not responsible for the content of these websites.

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