Parental involvement often makes a child more likely to graduate and receive better grades, according to America's Career Resource Network. Helping with homework is a way that all parents can get involved in their child's education. Giving parents the tools they need to assist their kids with homework increases the parental involvement in the classroom.
Teach Parents How to Help
Letting the parents know at the beginning of the school year that they can and should help their children with homework sets up the expectation. Some parents may not know how to help their kids with homework. Create a list of suggested ways to help their children with classroom assignments. This might include creating a homework area in the home, asking them about current homework assignments, reviewing the homework with them or helping them find the answers in the textbook.
Provide Resources
Parents don't have the time to heavily research every topic you teach in the classroom. Providing the parents with resources for the topics makes it easier to find the important information necessary. A classroom website with links to relevant websites allows the parents to access the information. Pointing out specific pages in the textbook or providing lists of key points provides additional resources for those who don't have access to the Internet.
Assign Family Projects
Assigning family homework projects requires the parents to get involved with the work. Interviews of the parents, family history projects or family stories are a few examples of effective family projects. Provide thorough instructions with the assignment so the families can carry it out on their own. To ensure that the parents actually help with the assignment, you may want to include a signature line or ask the parents to write a quick note.
Open House
An open house gives you a chance to meet the parents and establish a relationship. The open house also gives you a chance to explain how to help with homework. Connecting with parents makes them more likely to get involved in the education of their children, which includes homework and other assignments. Other special nights throughout the year, such as a math or reading night, gives you a chance to focus on those subjects with tips and ideas for helping kids at home.
