Parent Involvement With Homework

When I was in high school, I shadowed a Kindergarten teacher from my Elementary school in Hummelstown, PA. At the time, I was interested in becoming a Kindergarten teacher and although that desire is no longer with me, one discussion that we had in relation to the setbacks for teachers in primary education pops up into my head every so often. That setback is the need for more help in academics from parents at home. For example, the class was assigned a homework sheet and one student failed to have it completed that morning.

My curiosity over this issue continued as I briefly researched the topic online. I stumbled upon a blog post from a website called Learning Liftoff, where they discussed two differences between parent engagement of homework.

Learning Liftoff explains that “children consistently complete their homework when their parents are involved in their education”. By doing this, the article suggests that parents become more interested in what their children are learning, allows for a scheduled time to make sure they do their work, and helps to diminish distractions.

After reflecting on the article, I can’t seem to find a definitive reason as to why a Kindergartener isn’t getting their school work completed. Who’s at fault for this? The student, teacher, or parent? There can be plenty of room for debate when trying to answer this question but I do find that from personal experience growing up, I side with the idea that a parent cannot be too involved in the homework that their students are required to do at home.

A tip that may be helpful in student success from home would be to go through all of their work with them each night around the same time, to ensure that they are prepared for the next day. Be a guide for them when they need it! It’s what my parents did for me growing up and I can say that I am thankful for it. It kept me in a routine, taught me the importance of responsibility, and emphasized their care for my success. Overall, their involvement benefitted everyone.

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