How can I support my child with homework?
There are many ways to support your child with their home learning, but the two key ways are given below.
Provide what is required to complete homework
Students will need a number of things to be successful in completing their homework, and if you are able to help provide these for them, they are more likely to be able to gain the full benefit from the work. They include:
- A quiet area in the house - It is difficult to concentrate if there are loud noises such as a TV or children playing, so if it is possible to provide a quiet area to do the work, this will help.
- A dedicated area to complete work - we associate behaviours with places, so if there is a calm place where your child always works, they will feel more comfortable working there. It will also allow them to store equipment so it is always on hand.
- Equipment - Providing pens, pencils, a rubber and sharpener, calculator, ruler, colouring pencils and glue stick will mean your child should be able to complete all work set.
- A regular homework time - If your child has a regular time to do their work, such as 4.00-6.00pm, they are more likely to get into a routine and so focus on the work set.
Check that they have homework set, and that they are doing it
You have your own log into Firefly to allow you to check whether your child has homework. the link to the right will give you the details if you are unsure how to log in to firefly.
1. When you do log in, you will need to click the 'Your Child' icon.
2. This will give you access to a list of the work set.:
3. You can view the task set by clicking on the task:
This will allow you to see what has been set, and check that your child understands and has completed the work.
Support them with completing the work
This doesn't mean we expect you to know all of the answers! It may be that you do, and can help your child understand. However, there are other ways to support them:
- supporting them with their organisation so they do not miss deadlines
- checking that homework has been completed (There is a video explaining how to do this here)
- showing an interest, and congratulating them on work produced to a high standard so they feel good about it
- helping them locate information to help them understand, such as revision guides or tutorials on youtube.