STUDY SUPPORT SEMINAR HOW PARENTS CAN HELP THEIR SON MANAGE HOMEWORK/STUDY

DEVELOPING EDUCATED YOUNG MEN OF OUTSTANDING CHARACTER

HOMEWORK POLICY AT PNBHS  At Year 9, students should have roughly one hours homework per night.  Homework set should be meaningful homework.  Homework should not be causing you or your child stress or anxiety.  Homework is set so that families can support their son’s work at school.

HOW DOES HOMEWORK BENEFIT YOUR SON’S EDUCATION?  It provides opportunities for reinforcement of work learned in class.  It can aid in the understanding of material covered in class.  Students who seek information for themselves from reference materials such as CD ROMS, the internet and reference books become independent learners.  Aids in the development of routines.

HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD WITH HOMEWORK  Let your son get over the school day.  Ensure that they have a peaceful room and a clear surface.  Help them plan their time. Suggest short spells of work rather than a long stretch.  Help them to establish a routine.  Be sure that they have the correct equipment i.e. pencils, ruler, pen etc. so there can be no excuses.  Try to fit family activities around their homework, so they are not left out while others are having fun.  Offer help, but don’t do the homework for them!

PRACTICAL WAYS TO HELP WITH HOMEWORK  Provide a suitable environment.  Have a regular homework routine.  Praise effort and achievement.  Show an interest.  Provide equipment  Set a good example  Monitor homework.  Special occasions should be special.

THE DREADED “F” WORD…. FAILURE!  It’s not the end of the world!  If they make a mistake, what have they learnt from it?  Failure will help develop resilience.  Professionals involved in research and development will need to redesign and retest their products multiple times in order to succeed.

HOMEWORK DIARY

PROBLEMS WITH HOMEWORK  Homework set can be too hard or too easy.  Your son refuses to do homework despite your encouragement.  Student has problems completing assignments on time.  Neither you nor your son understand the homework.  There may be too little homework on some nights and too much on others.  Your son becomes distressed over homework.  You would like your child to do homework missed through illness.

HOW NOT TO ANSWER HOMEWORK

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS  Whatever the problem, communicate with the school.  Meet with, , ring your son’s teacher and discuss the situation.  If you have a concern or a complaint avoid aggressive confrontations. By discussing the issue in a calm and cooperative manner you and your son’s teacher are more inclined to find a way around the problem.

SOLO TAXONOMY Structure of Observed Learning Outcomes Developed by John Biggs and Kevin Collis in Is a taxonomy that teachers feel confident using in the classroom. Used by some schools from Year 1 to Year 13 (St. Andrews College, Christchurch) Staff PD with Pam Hook Used in teaching at junior levels initially.

BENEFITS FOR OUR STUDENTS Getting students to use SOLO as a mental model. Changing the way students think about their own learning outcomes. Metacognition – getting students to think about their thinking. Students monitor their own progress in a learning task and make smart decisions on their next steps. Help students gain the writing skills to cope with the increased demands of NCEA

AN EXAMPLE FROM NCEA SCIENCE

THIS COUNTS FOR EXCELLENCE (c)The kinetic energy gained by Rosemary when she reached the bottom of the slope does not equal the energy she had when she was stationary at the top of the slope. Explain using the principles of physics why her energy at the top of the slope and her energy at the bottom of the slope are not equal. In your answer, you should:  name the type of energy Rosemary has at the top of the slope  calculate the difference between her kinetic energy at the bottom of the slope and her energy at the top of the slope  justify the difference between her kinetic energy at the bottom of the slope and her energy at the top of the slope.

 A snap shot of your son’s progress. Categories: Behaviour Coursework Effort Homework Graded from 1 – 5 1 Unacceptable. 2 Has to be reminded frequently. 3 Has to be reminded occasionally. 4 Generally focussed and meets an acceptable standard. 5Has high standards. STUDENT TRACKING

BE A RESPONSIBLE ROLE MODEL  Your son is more likely to read and develop sound work habits if he sees you working at home.  Tell him about your job and what it entails.  Talk about real life applications of some of the material he is covering at school.  Get him to make a grocery list for the weeks shopping, then analyse how effective it would have been.  Support his school activities.

FUTURE ISSUES TO CONTEND WITH Relationships Substances Financial commitments Disconnection

Be as supportive as you can, no matter how trying the circumstances. “He’ll be ok!” (Celia Lashlie)

Thank you!