US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION RECOMMENDATIONS

The Department of Education believes that parental involvement is critical and has issued a brochure including Tips for Parents.  Recommendations for parents include:

• Make sure your child has a quiet, well-lit place to do homework.
• Make sure the materials your child needs are available.
• Help your child with time management and development of good study habits.
• Be positive about homework. Tell your child how important school is. The attitude you express about homework will be the attitude your child acquires.
• When your child does homework, you should do homework. Show your child that the skills they’re learning are related to things you do as an adult.
• Follow teaching techniques consistent with your state school’s curriculum, to avoid confusing the child.
• Watch for signs of failure and frustration.
• Reward progress in homework. When your child is successful and has worked hard, reinforce the positive effort by celebrating with a special event, such as a trip to a park or another favorite activity.
• There are many things we can do as parents to improve our children’s educational experience. Some are tried and true, such as reading to them even when they are very young, but other suggestions and ideas that are less well-known can make a world of difference.In these pages we will be covering issues that can help you help your children at various stages of their development. We will do our best to cover a wide range of topics of interest, ranging from how to get the most from your parent/teacher conference to where to find grants and financial aid.