PCS Guidelines for Parental Involvement in Homework (K-12)
After researching the role of homework and participating with a book study in partnership with CLC Network, the following guidelines have been developed to assist parents in determining their role regarding homework. Please feel free to communicate with any teacher about these points.
Parents Are Encouraged To...
Ask their child about what the child is studying in school.
Ask their child to show them any homework assignments and ask about missing assignments.
Help with Bible memory and spelling words.
Read aloud books of choice to their child.
Oral reading teaches children more about our world, Biblical truths, provides an opportunity for discussion of reading with discretion and the author’s purpose, and reading extends the child’s vocabulary and sense of sentence structure.
Provide an appropriate space for their child to do homework.
Contact and work with the teachers if the child has an excessive amount of homework at night on a regular basis
General guideline is 10 minutes per grade level. Investigate use of class time, study strategies, after school program, social media, electronics, and study halls.
Remind children (Grades 7 – 12) to check their academic progress via PowerSchool and assignments via Moodle
Some assignments are available on Moodle in case the child has lost the assignment.
Encourage children to attend church services and work out homework arrangements preferably a couple days ahead with the teacher(s).
Note: we cannot have a blanket statement to avoid homework on certain nights since churches do not have coordinated services. Parents may contact the teacher to address individual family needs.
Parents May If They Wish...
Build Self Advocacy
To build self-advocacy, help train children to ask for help of parents and teachers rather than assuming someone will jump in to help them automatically. Young people need to learn this life-skill to be able to seek help in high school, the work place and college. If the child should be asking the teacher a question the next day, feel free to alert the teacher via email. Then the teacher can work with the parent to encourage self-advocacy, particularly with reticent students.
Help their child interpret assignment directions.
Proofread their child’s work, pointing out errors.
Grades 7 – 12 please only do this after any peer reviews are finished or students lose the value of peer feedback.
Read aloud required reading to their child.
Give practice quizzes to their child to help prepare for tests.
Help their child brainstorm ideas for papers or projects.
Praise their child for completing homework.
Focus on encouraging perseverance!
Parents Should Not...
Complete assignments for their child.
Feel expected to teach their child concepts or skills unless this is part of the child’s educational plan.
We do welcome and appreciate working alongside parents of struggling students who need re-teaching of concepts or skills.