Parents play a pivotal role in educating their children, yet family involvement is often neglected. One of the best ways to stay involved in your child's life on a daily basis is to help him with his homework.

It’s a fact that children who spend more time on homework, on average, do better in school. It is also a fact that the value of homework extends beyond school. We know that good assignments, completed successfully, can help children develop wholesome habits and attitudes.

A parent's interest can spark enthusiasm in a child and help teach the most important lesson of all—that learning can be fun and is well worth the effort. This can encourage a lifelong love of learning.

So, why do teachers assign homework? There are actually many reasons. Homework can help children review and practice what they're learning in class. It can help students learn to use resources, such as libraries, reference materials, and encyclopedias, exploring subjects more fully than time permits in the classroom. Homework can teach children to work independently and encourage self-discipline and responsibility.

An assignment should have a specific purpose, come with clear instructions, be well matched to a student's abilities, and be designed to help develop a student's knowledge and skills.
Here are some things you can do to show that you value education and homework.

Set a Regular Time for Homework
Finding a regular time for homework helps children finish assignments. A good schedule depends in part on your child's age, as well as individual needs. For instance, one youngster may work best in the afternoon and another may be more efficient after dinner. It may help to write out the schedule and put it in a place where you'll see it often.

Pick a Place to Study
A study area should be quiet, have lots of light and supplies close by. A study area doesn't have to be fancy. For many youngsters, the kitchen table or a corner of the living room works just fine.

Remove Distractions
Turn off the television and discourage social phone calls during homework time. If you live in a small or noisy household, try having all family members take part in a quiet activity during this time. You may need to take a noisy toddler outside or into another room to play. If distractions can't be avoided, your child may want to complete assignments in a nearby library.

Set a Good Example
Children are more likely to study if they see you reading, writing and doing things that require thought and effort. Talk with your children about what you're reading. Tell them about what you do at work. Encourage activities that support learning and chores that teach a sense of responsibility.

Monitor Assignments
Children are more likely to complete assignments successfully when parents monitor homework. How closely you need to monitor depends upon the age of your child, how independent she is, and how well she does in school. Whatever the age of your child, if assignments are not getting done satisfactorily, more supervision is needed.

Be Available and Look Over Completed Assignments
Young students often like to have someone in the same room when working on assignments, in case they have questions.

It's usually a good idea to check to see that your young child has finished her homework completely. If your teenager is having trouble finishing assignments, check his too. If you're not there when an assignment is finished, look it over when you get home. After the teacher returns completed homework, read the comments to see if your child has done the work satisfactorily.

Help Your Child Get Organized
Put up a calendar in a place where you'll see it often and record assignments on it. If your child is not able to write yet, do it for him until he can do it for himself. Writing out assignments will get him used to the idea of keeping track of what's due and when. Assignment books work well, too.

Homework folders, in which youngsters can tuck their assignments for safekeeping, help many students stay organized.

Encourage Good Study Habits
It takes time and practice to develop good habits. You can reinforce these habits at home. For example, if your eighth-grader has a report due in three weeks, discuss all the steps she needs to take to complete it on time, including: selecting a topic; doing the research by looking up books and other materials on the topic and taking notes; drafting an outline; writing a rough draft; and revising and completing the final draft. Encourage her to write down how much time she expects to spend on each step.

Give Praise and Constructive Criticism
Children need encouragement. “Good first draft of your book report!” or “You've done a great job,” can go a long way toward motivating your child to complete assignments.

Children also need to know when they haven't done their best work. Make criticism constructive. Instead of saying to your third-grader, “You aren't going to hand in that mess, are you?” try, “The teacher will understand your ideas better if you use your best handwriting.” Then give praise when a neat version is completed.

Work With the School
Communication between teachers and parents is very important in solving homework problems. Here are some important things to remember:

Talk with teachers early in the school year. Get acquainted before problems arise, and let teachers know that you want to be kept informed. Most schools invite parents to come to parent-teacher conferences or open houses.

Contact the teacher as soon as you suspect your child has a homework problem (as well as when you think he's having any major problems with his schoolwork). Schools have a responsibility to keep parents informed, and you have a right to be upset if you don't find out until report-card time that your child is having difficulties.

On the other hand, sometimes parents figure out that a problem exists before the teacher does. By alerting the teacher, you can work together to solve a problem in its early stages.

Approach the teacher with a cooperative spirit. Believe that the teacher wants to help you and your child. Work out a way to solve or lessen the problem. The strategy will depend on what the problem is, how severe it is, and the needs of your child. Does your child need extra support beyond what home and school can give? Ask the teacher, school guidance counselor or principal if there are tutors available to help.

Make sure communication is clear. Listen to the teacher and don't leave until you're sure you understand what's being said. Make sure, too, that the teacher understands what you have to say. It may help to summarize what you've agreed to do at the end of the meeting. Be sure to follow up. Check back in a month to talk about your child's progress.

Homework can bring children, parents, and teachers together in a common effort to improve student learning. Helping your child with homework is an opportunity to improve your child's chances of doing well in school and life. You can help him learn important lessons about discipline and responsibility. You can open up lines of communication—between you and your child, and you and the school. You are in a unique position to help your child make connections between schoolwork and the ‘real world,’ and thereby bring meaning (and some fun) to your child's homework experience.

Whether you succeed in doing all of the activities suggested is not what's most important. What's most important is that you are willing to take the time and make the effort to be involved in your child's education.