Confession: Before I gave birth to my twin sons, I was a teacher ‑- not just any teacher, but one who liked to assign projects complete with seven different due dates and two visual aids. This fall, my twin sons will enter the fifth grade, and more than once, when they've taken out their assignment sheets, I've uttered a silent, repentant prayer to the homework gods: "Please, not another project."
Since kids will pick up on your own feelings about homework, it helps to understand its value. According to Sam Goldstein, PhD, and coauthor with Sydney Zentall of Seven Steps to Homework Success, "Homework is an important part of the early school experience, not just because it gives children the chance to practice and rehearse what they have learned, but because it helps them begin the process of becoming independent learners." Homework also links school and home, providing parents with a view of what kids are learning and sending kids the message that learning can take place outside the classroom walls.
Homework, by its very definition, impacts home life, but does it have to mean hours of nagging? The experts say no. Here are some strategies to help kids get off to a good start and make homework a sane and happy experience for your family.