BellaOnline Forums Family Sons How Much Homework Help to Give Your Son

Homework can be a difficult topic for many parents. How much should you help your son? Is his homework appropriate for his age? When should you talk to the teacher? This article will help you dissect this issue and answer these questions!

How Much Homework Help to Give Your Son

Hesitant to say this but sometimes it is really because the teacher assumes every student in class learns at the same pace. While it is difficult to tailor homework to a students' abilities, it goes a long way in helping them. Here in Singapore, most times, schools place students in classes depending on their results at the end of the school year. The cons about this is that sometimes more challenging homework is given to those in the higher ability classes but not made accessible to others. I feel this is not right as at the end of the day, these students sit for the same exams!

You are absolutely right. There are widely varying differences differences between students' abilities in a given class. It's a real challenge for teachers, but I think it is one they need to address. I was a beneficiary of ability grouping (placing students in classes according to their abilities), but our system in the U.S. is not the same as yours. Ability grouping is a contentious subject in itself. I think I'll write about that soon! Thank you :-)

In fact, I wrote about it today! Thanks for the idea!

Ability Grouping in School

I find that I will help one of my son's more than the other - not because he is struggling, but - because - I know he knows how to do the work and I know he knows how to find the answer. On the few occasions when he's had "enough" - I've helped him. (It's terrible, I know)

Typically, I will sit and be a presence but I will not give answers. I will try to help with concepts and occasionally will tell one of them to take another look at an answer.

Laura - I really liked your article on Ability Grouping. I'm back and forth on the topic, but I appreciated the research findings you provided. Well written - thanks.

Thanks, Lisa :-)