Children with learning disabilities and other special needs require a lot of parental involvement when it comes to homework. It may be difficult for these kids to keep track of assignments and deadlines, and they may be fearful to ask their teachers questions for clarification. And even when there really isn’t any tangible homework, there might be tests or quizzes scheduled for which your child should be preparing.
Here are seven ways you can keep tabs on your child’s homework while still giving your son or daughter a feeling of independence and accomplishment.
- Meet with your child’s teacher(s) early in the year. Bring up your concerns and whether your child may get distracted or be forgetful with homework assignments. Find out how this teacher keeps in contact with parents. Share what strategies have worked in the past, and which ones haven’t. Provide the teacher with your phone number and email address and encourage him to contact you if assignments are not being turned in.
- Student Planner – If your child’s school does not provide one, create a student planner for your son or daughter. It can be made with a simple date book with a calendar. The teacher writes down the assignments due at the end of each day. Older children can feel more independent by writing down the assignments themselves, and having the teacher check and initial the list. The difficulty I had with this system was that my daughter would say that some of the things written on the planner were the work assignments they had already covered in class. When I checked, I learned she was correct. This made it impossible for me to tell what things on the list were actual assignments. I had to contact the teacher and urge her to please only write the exact homework assignments due for the next day in class.
- Message Notebook – A message notebook could be used by both the teacher and you, where any problem behaviors, homework, field trips, or other things are noted, then returned the next day with your initials indicating you’ve seen her note. You could also write down any questions or concerns for her to initial. The child would have to be responsible for being the messenger and passing the notebook back and forth between teacher and parent. Some teachers are impatient with these notebooks, because they already prepare fliers and notes home, and feel this is unnecessary extra work for them. However, with a special needs child, fliers and other papers are often misplaced. The notebook is a way to be sure that important messages are not getting lost in transit.
- Homework Hotline – Some school districts offer a homework hotline, where parents can call a certain number which has a recording listing the assignments due the next day. Typically the teacher leaves the message herself, and her voice is heard on the announcement. This is a great way to double check on your child’s homework, however it doesn’t provide the opportunity for asking questions and getting clarification. Nor does it address any unique concerns you may have regarding your child’s disability and what is expected.
- Web-based homework list and e-mail– Many school districts will survey parents to find out how many have internet access. In areas where internet access is common, they will often provide a school website where homework assignments can be looked up on the computer. Typically parents will type their child’s student number and a password or “pin” number, and their child’s current grades, missing assignments, and homework due will appear onscreen. If you haven’t checked, try contacting your child’s teacher or the school district to find out whether a web-based homework list is available. There may be one which you’re not aware of. Or perhaps the school is in the process of creating one. An excellent way to keep in touch with your child’s teacher is through e-mail! By simpling finding out whether the teacher has an e-mail address and if you can use it to communicate, you can leave notes, ask questions, and make comments in the comfort of your own home.
- Scheduled phone calls – It wouldn’t hurt to request a time when your child’s teacher is available to touch base with you by phone regularly. This may be difficult when your child is in middle school with numerous teachers, but a phone call can be simpler, quicker, and more personal when your child has one specific teacher you’re dealing with. Perhaps a regular call on Friday after school, or even during a school day when children are at physical education or a recess break would be a good time. A phone call limits misunderstandings—for the most part—and keeps you connected to the teacher on a personal level.
- Face-to-face meetings – When things seem to be going haywire, or when you feel you’ve lost a sense of what’s going on with your child’s schoolwork, you may want to schedule a meeting with the teacher face-to-face. It will likely be difficult to do such a thing frequently, but most teachers are very willing to meet with a concerned parent even several times a month if need be. Keep the meetings friendly and brief, and jot down notes to record dates or assignment pages if you’re tracking missing work.
Remember that you MUST attend parent teacher conferences whenever they’re scheduled. If you can’t make it, reschedule a private meeting. You learn things in these conferences that you might otherwise never hear from your son or daughter. You really can’t afford to bypass the opportunity to learn how your child is managing in school.
Also, be aware that you have the right to request an IEP review at any time. However, remember that the IEP requires the participation of many individuals, and is focused on your child’s overall education strategy, and not just simple homework issues.
Your involvement with your child’s schoolwork will make an incredible difference in his or her academic success.
Kristyn Crow is the author of this blog. Visit her website by clicking here. Some links on this blog may have been generated by outside sources are not necessarily endorsed by Kristyn Crow.
Related Articles:
How To: Parent-Teacher Relationships Part One
Leapfrog and the NEA’s Parent Guide to Better Homework Help
Homework: Are You An Involved Parent?
“Mom, It’s Time for Your Homework.”
ADHD in the Land of Middle School