From: Theodora Dokos
Email:
Course: cd 169
College: San Jose State University
Instructor: Eugene Matusov
ClassWeb: http://www.ematusov.com/cd169
ChildrenObservations: No
Date: 23 May 1997
Time: 20:42:24
Remote Name: dial74.netwiz.net
The purpose of this paper, is to present strategies that can help parents and educators increase a child's academic achievement. This academic achievement consists of assignments completed at home. The paper examines the importance of homework and the role parents and teachers play in the child's completion of homework.
Homework is a task a child encounters from Kindergarten, all the way through his/her desired level of education. This homework is an assignment given to a student by the teacher, to be completed outside the regular class period. It varies in difficulty and quantity, depending on the educational level of the child. Many times, assignments can be difficult and unmotivating for the child to accomplish. Both, parents and teachers play an important role in the child's willingness to accomplish the assigned work. Statistics show how the average American youth spends 900 hours in school, plus the child is expected to also complete assignments at home, that are time consuming.
When the child arrives at home, he/she may feel mentally or physically exhausted, therefore the child isn't motivated to do his/her homework. This homework can be frustrating, not only for the child, but for parents and teachers as well, who have the responsibility to help the child learn and accomplish tasks that will prepare them for their entrance to society. The biggest problem encountered by parents and teachers is the lack of motivation from the child. This lack of motivation can be present as a result of external factors, and the child's state of being, as the child might be frustrated or tired, but as Greene states "challenges offer an opportunity for a child to learn how to use frustration constructively," (p. 89, 1986). Some external factors include television, working parents, difficult, demanding and time consuming homework assignments, given out by the teachers.
When the child first arrives home from school, he/she is not pressured to do their homework. This could be a result of the child returning home from school, or from a demanding extra-curricular activity. Thus the child is lacking the motivation and concentration required to properly complete their homework. Parents need to be at home, check the child's homework, help when needed, be guides, be role models, good listeners, and help the child make a plan to do their assignment in the most efficient manner.
Parents want the best for their children, but sometimes they don't know the best methods to use with their child. Further, "reasonable parents provide reasonable protection," as stated by Lawrence J. Greene (p. 88, 1986). Research has shown how bribes and sermons about studying have short-term effects on their studying, and motivation to study. However, parents can help encourage and guide the child to study, without placing pressure on the child. Parents should always be informed of what is taking place in class, so that they can relate to the child, and reinforce what they have learned in school. Further, parents should help the child to understand the purpose of homework. As Johnson, Lutz and Wigfield (1997) stated, "It may help to remind your children that everyone needs to practice to be proficient and excel in a skill whether it is playing the trumpet, in line skating or learning multiplication tables."
Some more strategies include parents should take under consideration include how the parents see and value school. Parents are role models, therefore if their attitudes about school is negative, so will the child's. It's only through a positive attitude, by the part of the parents, that the child's attitude will change. As a result, the child will begin to value school. A parent can also be a role model for the child by showing their own commitment to learning with the use of certain indirect approaches. One main indirect approach to use is reading. When the parent reads a newspaper, or book, he/she is reinforcing what they are asking of the child. Effective learning according to Johnson, Lutz, and Wigfield (1997) comes about with "the basic fuel of love, nutrition and rest." When in the home, life is stable, peaceful and secure, then the child can concentrate on his/her studying. Sometimes the outcomes may be negative, as the effort the child places in his/her studies may not be successful. Therefore, encouragement and praise should be given with feedback to guide the child to do better. Concentrating on the efforts and not the outcomes is also effective in motivating the child to study.
Teachers can motivate students by making homework assignments an important part of the course with, grades, constituting a significant part of the total grade, as Elizabeth McLean stated. Many times students do not realize that they will not learn materials or concepts without doing homework. Teachers need to plan assignments, the best way they can to make otherwise boring topics, interesting and relevant to the child's interests. Furthermore, the teacher should not be repetitious, nor assign things that are beyond the child's abilities.
Sometimes teachers assign homework that is beyond the child's current abilities. Their theory being that if you give the child something that is challenging, it will benefit the child when they complete it and learn from it. This is fine, in theory. But, practically, if the child is presented with a task that is too hard to complete, the child will either complete the assignment incorrectly (which means that no learning will take place), cheat by having their parents help them (which defeats the teacher's whole purpose of challenging the child and helping the learn), or not do the assignment at all (because of frustration and the length of time the assignment requires.) Although the teacher's intentions are good, they should take under consideration, the child's time constraints, the child's family structure, responsibilities at home, and the child's pace of learning.
One main problem with homework is how the teacher has presented material in the class, because if the teacher has not given a thorough explanation and enough examples, when the child attempts to complete his/her homework, at certain times they may become frustrated and not complete the work. When taking into consideration, the quantity and quality of homework given, a teacher must take under consideration the fact that students learn at different paces, understand or interpret concepts differently, and often do not have the attention span or interest to spend a large amount of time on their assignments. Moreover, some subjects may be more difficult than others depending on each students varying academic ability. Therefore the teacher should consider the type of homework he/she gives, as it may be difficult and very time consuming, then becoming unmotivating for the child to finish their task.
Lack of motivation to finish one's homework may also be present as a result of watching television. Television is used as a tool by children for entertainment and for avoiding homework. All of the blame cannot be placed on children, as parents are also to blame for the amount of time the child spends watching television. Many times parents use the television as a baby sitter, because they work and don't have enough time to spend with the child. Thus, the child is left with the choice of entertaining his/herself and not doing their work. Television is unmotivating, since the child becomes relaxed, and in a sense, sedated. Even though the television offers the child entertainment, it does nothing for their brain to be active or working.
As stated before, homework is a task a child encounters from Kindergarten, all the way through his/her desired level of education. Previous research show strategies to help teachers and parents motivate the child to complete homework tasks. Even though parents and teachers recognize the problem of the lack of motivation, they often don't realize that they can change the child's motivation by using the strategies stated above. Through homework, the child understands how to complete tasks, deadlines, the demands of school and society to achieve. Parents and educators should always try to increase the child's motivation and success so that they can become successful in life.
REFERENCES
Carrington, P. (1996). Homework Hints For Parents. http://www.pace-ed.com
Greene, L. J. (1986). Kids Who Underachieve. Simon & Schuster, New York: NY.
McLean, E. (1984). Steps To Better Homework. The Mathematics Teacher, 212.
Minnesota Education Association. Motivation for learning: encouraging your child. http://www.mnea.org/102.htm.