Homework help: Taking a hands-off approach
When it comes to homework, Toronto mom Kristyn Gelfand has made the conscious decision not to help her kids, Azzurra, 11, Sonika, 10, and Basil, 7. It?s not an easy choice, especially when she sees her eldest struggling with grammar.
?I want the teacher to have a true understanding of where she?s at and a realistic idea of where she needs help,? says Gelfand, who believes this hands-off approach to homework help will benefit her kids more than her spotty recollection of grade school lessons.
We have long been led to believe that our serious involvement in kids? education is one of the keys to their academic success. But new research suggests that all those hours correcting take-home assignments may not be working in our kids? favour. In January, professors at both the University of Texas in Austin and Duke University in North Carolina released results of the largest study to date looking at the effects of parental involvement on academic achievement. It examined almost 30 years of data and, surprisingly, found that regardless of education level, race or socioeconomic background, a parent?s direct involvement didn?t translate into better grades. In fact, once kids reached middle school, help actually brought scores down?likely because, despite their best intentions, moms and dads may have forgotten the material over time, or never understood it in the first place.
Watch: How much should I help my kids with their homework"
...
-------------------------------- |
|
COMPETITION: Win a 5-star Family Holiday in Limassol, Cyprus
27-04-2024 08:05 - (
moms )