How to Help a 6-Year-Old With Homework

Know what the teacher expects. If your child̵7;s teacher has not already made homework expectations clear, communicate with her to find out how much help she expects you to offer. She may prefer that most assignments be completed with a lot of parental involvement, or she may expect students to do much of the work on their own with parental supervision.

Ask your child whether he understands the instructions. Go over the directions carefully with your child so you both know what needs to be done before you start, and have him repeat them back to you in his own words. Ask your child whether the teacher gave any special instructions when he assigned the homework.

Find out whether your child needs help understanding a particular subject before she begins the homework assignment. Talk about the lesson and explain any concepts that she finds confusing.

Encourage your child and try to avoid negative language. Instead of scolding your 6-year-old for a less-than-perfect paper, tell her that you know she is capable of doing a good job, and see whether she needs more help understanding the topic.

Divide homework up. Six-year-olds often have more than one subject to work on in one night. For instance, your child may have math homework and a book to read. Tackle the math homework first, then relax with the book before bedtime.

Let your child take a break if he becomes frustrated. Avoid responding with anger; encourage him and let him know that you know he is capable of successfully completing the assignment.

Praise your child when he does a good job, and offer rewards when he completes a particularly complex assignment or does an exceptional job on his homework.