August, 2007

I would like to welcome everyone back to what promises to be another exciting year at Eldred CSD.   The staff has been working diligently over the summer to prepare both buildings for the coming school year.  Your teachers have been in training and preparing lesson plans throughout the summer months.  Much preparation goes into a successful school year and the most important component of the preparation begins at home. 

One of the most difficult things that your child will need to cope with is the return to the homework routine.  Homework can be very frustrating for many students.  The following is a list of tips from Dr. Harris Cooper for parents to help deal with homework stress.

“ ……. Whenever homework troubles arise, guard against the desire to avoid your child’s frustration altogether. Dr. Harris Cooper stresses that helping kids with homework is different from doing the work for them. “Parents have to recognize that the only thing that kids learn when parents do projects for them is that when the going gets tough, Mom gets going. And that’s not a lesson we want our kids to learn.”

Instead, he recommends helping your child work through the steps of a problem. Give guidance, Cooper says—don’t give the answer. That’s the best way to help your child learn.

Dr. Cooper’s Homework Tips for Parents

Be a stage manager. Make sure your child has a quiet, well-lit place to do homework. Make sure necessary materials (paper, pencils, dictionary) are available.

Be a motivator. Homework provides a great opportunity for you to tell your child how important school is. Be positive about homework. The attitude you express will be the attitude your child acquires.

Be a role model. When your child does homework, don’t sit and watch TV. If your child is reading, you read, too. If your child is doing math, balance your checkbook. Help your child see that the skills he is practicing are related to things you do as an adult.

Be a monitor. Watch your child for signs of failure and frustration. If your child asks for help, provide guidance, not answers. If frustration sets in, suggest a short break.

Be a mentor. When the teacher asks that you play a role in homework, do it. If homework is meant to be done alone, stay away. Homework is a great way for kids to develop lifelong learning skills. Over involvement can be a bad thing.”

Dr. Harris Cooper, a psychology professor and director of the Program in Education at Duke University, has spent more than two decades researching the issues surrounding homework.

Welcome back and I hope that you have a very successful 2007-2008 school year!

Sincerely,

Robert M. Dufour

Director of

Pupil Personnel Services