IN Brentwood-Baldwin-Whitehall Spring 2020 | Page 63

As a parent, you are the most
important and influential person in
your child’s life. Your child needs you
to be interested and involved in his/
her education. While parents may feel
that being involved in their children’s
homework means doing it for them,
it really sends the message that
children are incapable of doing the
work and that the main objective is
perfection. This denies the student the
opportunity to develop skills and gain
understanding from the experience. We
want students to have the responsibility
and the perseverance to work through
a task to completion. In fact, one of
the greatest benefits of children doing
their homework by themselves is that
it teaches them that they can struggle,
try several different approaches and
succeed. This gives them confidence in
their own abilities that will carry over to
other school tasks. If your child wants you to correct the completed
homework, you may point out errors or better yet, the types of
errors that were made. It is important to discover and correct their
own errors.
Parents can help children develop good study habits if they:
• Take an active interest in their children’s homework by finding

out what assignments are, talking with them about

assignments, and looking over completed work.
• Set aside a regular time that works
for your child and your family. Help
your children manage their time
and get organized so that
homework isn’t done just before
bed or at the last minute.
• Pick a place that has enough room

to work and lighting to see – it

doesn’t have to be fancy!
• Reduce distractions by turning

off the TV. This could be a “quiet

time” for others in your household,

and a time when adults can set an

example by reading or working on

things like balancing the checkbook.
• Be willing to help (taking them

to the library or getting materials

they might need).
• Find out about teachers’ homework

policy and talk with them if you are

concerned, or if you just want to

give them feedback.
• Provide support and encouragement, especially when they are
frustrated.
• Be your child’s greatest supporter. Your child has what it takes

to succeed, but your support and love are the engine that

drives that success!

M O O R E E L E M E N TA R Y
Teamwork Lightens
the Load - How
collaboration makes
learning fun
“Learning is hard.” That is a sentiment
that I often find myself sharing with
students, and my own children, when
they are struggling with tackling a new
concept. However, one way to make
learning seem less difficult is to incorporate
working with others. Collaboration is
considered a twenty-first century skill;
something that everyone should be able
to do in their future careers. The heart of
collaboration is working together to achieve
a common purpose. As the students
and their teachers at Moore embrace
STEAM (science, technology, engineer,
arts, and mathematics) learning, they find
themselves presented with opportunities
for collaboration.
On an average day at school you can see
the numerous ways in which students are
engaging with one another, the curriculum
and learning. Students have been observed
playing math games with each other to
reinforce math fact fluency. Third graders
worked together to solve the problem of
how to pollinate their Carolina fast plants.
This collaboration goes beyond our walls
as well; a group of middle school students
visited our second grade classrooms and
taught about astronomy and the solar
system.
Moore students also collaborate with
their teachers and peers to pursue projects
that support our community. In the fall
and winter several of our teachers created
projects to give back to the community.
Students brought in candy, toys, gloves,
hats, and food to share with the local food
banks and senior citizen centers. The
teachers and students worked together
to sort and package the items for these
organizations.
For our students and teachers,
collaboration isn’t just an important twenty-
first century skill. It teaches students to work
towards a global goal to help many more
than they could have on their own.
BRENTWOOD-BALDWIN-WHITEHALL
❘
SPRING 2020
61
Parents’ Role in Homework
E L R O Y E L E M E N TA R Y