Parental Involvement in Homework

The Importance of Parental Involvement in Homework

One way for parents to become involved in their child’s education is through their homework [1]. Homework can be helpful in letting parents know how their child is doing, providing parents and children with a reason to discuss what is happening at school, and giving teachers an opportunity to hear from parents about how their child is learning [1].

Parents often choose to become involved in their child’s homework because they believe that they should be involved, that their involvement will make a positive difference in their child’s learning, and believe that their involvement is invited and expected by school personnel [2]. But many parents don’t know where to start, or too many fights about homework have led to them taking a step back. Staying involved in your child’s homework routine is still important. Here are some reasons why:

Why does being involved in your child’s homework matter?

Research has shown that training parents to be involved in their child’s homework results in increased homework completion, fewer problems and difficulties with homework, and improved academic performance among elementary school children [3]. In addition, parents’ homework involvement influences the child’s success as a student because parental involvement supports attributes that relate to achievement, like attitudes about homework, perceptions of competence, and self-regulation skills [4].

Researchers have also found a positive association between parent involvement and achievement-related outcomes for elementary and high school students [5]. There was a stronger association found for parent rule-setting compared with other involvement strategies [5]. Overall, different types of parent involvement in homework have different relationships to achievement [5]. In addition, another study found that the relationship between parental involvement and academic achievement was found to be positive, regardless of how parental involvement was defined or how achievement was measured and across different grades [6].

Strategies to Use When Helping your Child with Homework

So, where should you start? There are various strategies that parents can use to help children with their homework, and to get themselves more involved in their child’s homework. Some strategies include:

Get to know the teachers and their expectations [1,7]. You could do this in-person or send them an email with any questions you may have.
Set up a homework-friendly, distraction-free area [7] with tools available for them, such as extra pencils, a dictionary, etc. [8]
Schedule a regular time to study and try to make sure they do their own work [5]
Help your children make a plan [7] (this also helps develop executive functioning skills!)
Monitor and motivate them [7]
Set a good example [7]
Remain positive and praise their effort [1,7,8], e.g., “I love how hard you are working!” or “thank you for trying so hard!”
If there are persisting problems, seek additional help [7]
Help them manage their time and set break times [8] (e.g., do math for 20 minutes, take a 10 minute break, and then do some language arts)
Make sure to “teach” them as opposed to “telling” them [8]
Help to foster independence in your child [8]
Help them regulate their emotional responses to homework [1]

Choose a few from the list above and see what works best for you and your child. Every child is different and responds to different strategies in various ways. It is important to remember that a strategy that works for one family may not work for your family, and this is normal. And what works for your oldest child, might not work for your youngest child. See which strategies your child responds best to!

What does all of this mean?

In sum, research indicates that there are various benefits of parental involvement in homework, such as increased homework completion, fewer homework problems, improved academic performance, positive attitudes towards school work, and development of self-regulation skills, amongst others. There are also many different strategies that parents can use when helping their child(ren) with homework. However, each child requires different levels of support and will respond better to certain strategies. Work with your child and collaborate with their teachers to determine what works best for your child and your family.

Blog post written by Kassandra Burk and Dr. Andrea Stelnicki.

*The information contained in this blog post is based on a narrative review of available literature. Some studies may have been unintentionally omitted. You are advised to speak with a healthcare professional to determine if the information is appropriate to your specific circumstances.*

References

1] Walker, J. M. T., Hoover-Dempsey, K. V., Whetsel, D. R., & Green, C. L. (2004). Parental involvement in homework: A review of current research and its implications for teachers, after school program staff, and parent leaders. Retrieved from https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=646524b6163a46720005099da775dbbced5745de

[2] Hoover-Dempsey, K. V., & Sandler, H. M. (1997). Why do parents become involved in their children’s education? Review of Educational Research, 67(1), 3–42.

[3] Patall, E. A., Cooper, H., & Robinson, J. C. (2008). Parent involvement in homework: A research synthesis. Review of Educational Research, 78(4), 1039–1101. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654308325185

[4] Hoover-Dempsey, K. V., Battiato, A. C., Walker, J. M. T., Reed, R. P., DeJong, J. M., & Jones, K. P. (2010). Parental involvement in homework. Educational Psychologist, 36(3). https://doi.org/10.1207/S15326985EP3603_5

[5] Patall, E. A., Cooper, H., & Robinson, J. C. (2008). Parent involvement in homework: A research synthesis. Review of Educational Research, 78(4), 1039–1101. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654308325185

[6] Wilder, S. (2013). Effects of parental involvement on academic achievement: a meta-synthesis. Educational Review, 66(3). https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2013.780009

[7] Gabor, E. J. (2023). Top 10 homework tips. Retrieved from https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/homework.html

[8] Orenstein, A. (2023). Homework without tears: 12 homework tips for parents. Retrieved from https://blog.mindresearch.org/blog/bid/396559/homework-without-tears-12-tips-tricks