Help with homework

When children are younger, parents may be actively involved in helping them learn specific things such as spelling and counting. As your child progresses through school the things they learn will become more complex and homework may become more demanding, especially in secondary school.

Young people also become more independent as they grow older and may not want parents to know what they are doing or to offer help. 

We all know that homework can be a source of tension and argument in the home for a number of reasons. Even if you do not know much about the subject, you can offer support in different ways. 

• Show an interest in what they are doing and encourage them to talk about it.
• Ask them to explain the things you don't know about.
• Listen to what they are saying.
• Give praise by acknowledging their successes.
• Try not to compare them negatively to others – either older or younger brothers and sisters or other children in their class. This will discourage rather than motivate.
• If they need support, encourage them to think about how they can find answers for themselves. This will help them more than doing the work for them.
• They shouldn't need to spend all their time on school work. Encourage them to have other interests. A balance of leisure activities, time with friends and family as well as school work is important.