Helping with Homework

Parents play a vital role in education their children.  Unfortunately, one of the most important things we can do is sometimes the most difficult.  Helping our kids with homework is hard on many levels.  It is hard to admit to our kids but sometimes we just don't remember enough.  Sometimes the method of instruction has changed over the years.  Sometimes we can't understand all of the directions. But sometimes we just can't decide how much is encouragement and how much is too much. 

The staff of the Keene Public Library offer these tips for parents:

  Set a regular time and a regular place for homework;
  Remove distractions;
  Have supplies and resources on hand;
  Monitor assignments;  
  Providing guidance.

The library can be a good place for homework.  Another suggestion, from the staff is to come to the library before homework to become familiar with what we have to offer.  We have many books for checkout and for use in the library.  We also have the expertise to help.  After school, we have homework mentors and tutors available to help.  Parents or students should call the Youth Department at (603) 757-1856 and make an appointment with a tutor if they feel they need any special assistance. 

If your child does homework at home and you have a Keene Public Library card and access to the Internet, you have homework help backup 24/7 through the resources of Tutor.com.  Safe and anonymous online tutors are even available to help one-one-one with your child between the hours of 3 pm and 10 pm.  All you have to do is log onto Tutor.com and enter your library card number.

A final tip is to make sure that you and your child give yourself plenty of time for research.  For instance, if the library doesn't have the materials you need, we are happy to borrow items from other libraries but interlibrary loan does take time.  Remember to account for this time in your planning.

Recommended Book and DVD Resources:

Great homework and study skills [videorecording DVD]

The homework myth: why our kids get too much of a bad thing by Alfie Kohn

How to help your child with homework: every caring parent's guide to encouraging good study habits and ending the homework wars: for parents of children ages 6-13 by Marguerite Cogorno Radencich and Jeanne Shay Schumm

How to help your child with homework: the complete guide to encouraging good study habits and ending the homework wars by Jeanne Shay Schumm

Scholastic explains writing homework: everything children (and parents) need to survive 2nd and 3rd grade

Recommended websites:

  106 Ways Parents Can Help Students Achieve from Education World 

  Helping Kids to Thrive on Math - for teachers and parents from Math Cats

  Helping Your Child With Homework, a handbook by the Office of Education Research and Improvement in the U.S. Department of Education

  The Homework Dilemma: How Much Should Parents Get Involved? from Education World

  Homework Tips from Family Education

  Parent Corner MotivA+ionstion from Discovery Education

  Parent's guide to helping kids with learning differences, and disabilities

  Simple Things You Can Do To Help All Children Read Well and Independently by the End of the Third Grade

Website Disclaimer: Due to the ever-changing nature of the Internet, we cannot guarantee that the above links will remain valid. Similarly, we cannot be responsible for changes in the content of the sources to which we link, or the content of sources accessed through secondary links. As with printed information, users are encouraged to evaluate the validity of information found. Keene Public Library provides these links as a convenience to our users, and the inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply endorsement.