You can support your child as she/he does homework by:
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Providing an environment that enables them to think deeply and work efficiently.
For some children, this environment is a quiet, well-lit place to do homework. For others, this means sitting at a table free from distractions. Still other children may work well with low-level background noise or sitting on their bed, for example. There is no one right setting for all children. Talk to your child and find out which setting is best for him/her.
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Providing adequate time to complete assignments and think through problems.
Children need sufficient time to tackle problems, activities and homework assignments thoughtfully. Some children benefit from having a predictable time to do homework or to engage in math games while other children respond better to more flexible, day-to-day planning.
Although Investigations homework sheets typically have only one or two problems to be solved, children must work through these problems thoroughly in order to make the mathematical connections necessary for understanding and apply this understanding to future activities and math problems.
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Asking questions.
Many families find it important to talk to their children about math work done in school as a way to help them more effectively engage in homework activities. Also, talk with your child about the ways in which they will approach a particular problem, whether it is an everyday math situation or a homework problem. These questions will help your child articulate a starting point and select a strategy they can use to solve problems. After the task is completed, ask your child to describe what they did and to prove that their answer is accurate.
If your child does homework in an after-school setting discuss and review their homework together as a way of learning about what your child is doing in math at school (after-school setting.)
"Parents agree that homework reinforces school learning, that one of homework's greatest purposes is to help their children become independent. Parents see learning how to do homework as an important prerequisite for success in life and later schooling."
—Xu, J. & Corno, L. (1998). Doing Third Grade Homework. Teacher's College Record, 100 (2), p 402-36.
