孩子与家庭作业

作者:金贝尔(Lori Kimble) 翻译 禾子

只要我在黑板上写下这样开始的句子：「今天的作业是.. 」，就一定会招来嘟囔的抱怨声。我一点不意外学生们对待家庭作业的反应。事实上，我很同情他们，毕竟，他们已经窝在教室 努力不懈地作算数、学习单词一天了，再让他们把课后的时间用来做作业真的好像太残忍了。

令我讶异的倒是有许多家长现在也加入了抱怨的行列。我常听到家长告诉我：学生的家庭作业太多了，或者他们像是在做老师的工作啦，等等。不幸的是，这样的反应会妨碍家长表示他们对教育孩子的关心。

身为教师，我发现，若是家长参与学生做家庭作业，他们的孩子会明显做得比在学校 好。也许参与孩子做作业就是你积极参与教育孩子的最好方式。家长怎么能放任孩子的学习旅程，妨害他们的心智成长呢？

明白家庭作业的目的是必要的

简单地说，家庭作业就是学生在学校功课的延伸。这意味著要通过课外的练习和应用已有知识增进孩子们对学过的知识的理解。同时，它也可以教导孩子实际生活中宝贵的一课：纪律与责任。

监督孩子做作业，就像从视窗看到孩子每日的学习状况。请谨记，家庭作业只是复习已学过的知识，而不是用来灌输新知识的。如果你觉得出现了讲新概念的状况，那么与孩子的老师沟通是很重要的。

定时定点做家庭作业可以提高孩子的责任感和做事有条理的技巧。要让他们有一个安静的环境，并将做作业需要的东西都准备好。家长要处在随时可以回答孩子问题的状态，并留心使孩子保持在做作业上，千万不要提供没有被要求的帮助。不时地检查孩子做作业的情况，让他知道你在乎他在做甚么，但不要一直待在他们的旁边。

部分家庭作业会教导孩子学习独立。给予引导孩子解决问题的帮助就足够了，切忌提供答案，就是为了让孩子快一些完成作业，也不可以告诉他们答案。如果有要好的同学在学校给你孩子问题的答案，你要告诉孩子这是作弊。替孩子做作业不但得不到所有教育上的益处，反而使孩子觉得不诚实挺好。

帮助孩子记录他们的作业内容并每天检查他们是否完成。如果老师不发作业表回家，就买一个笔记本或月历教他们记下作业内容及收缴时间。假如超过三天都不见有作业，就打电话问老师以确定孩子没有缺交任何作业。与孩子的老师保持经常性的联络就不会有误会或放任的情形出现了。

如果所有的建议都试过了，孩子还是不能完成作业怎么办？

不要为他们找藉口。让你的孩子承受没完成作业的后果，有助于他们学会有责任感。假如你打电话给老师，为你的孩子没完成作业找藉口，等于在给孩子暗示：他们无论做了或没做，爸爸妈妈都会担保他们没事。我曾经遇到一位这样五年级学生的家长，她要我别惩罚她那常常忘记带数学书的儿子。理由是：她没有把书放到儿子的书包 。我好奇有一天她是不是会急于为儿子在上司面前找藉口，因为他没去上班或没有按时交自己的帐单？

不必为家庭作业为难。当采用比较正确的态度和方法时，家庭作业是家长们向孩子们显示学习重要性的好帮手。即便以后孩子们离开了学校，他们从做作业中学到的东西仍会一直伴随著他们一生的岁月。

~作者金贝尔是位有三十一年教学经验的老师，他的丈夫在军中服务，他在美国加州出生目前住在加拿大。

Handling Homeworkby Lori Kimble

Whenever I start a sentence with the words, "Tonight's homework is", I know it will be met with moaning and groaning. I am never surprised by my students' attitude toward extra assignment. In fact, I can even sympathize with them. After all, they have been cooped up in my classroom all day doggedly working sums and sounding out new words. It seems almost cruel to ask them to fill up their after school hours with more paperwork.

More surprising to me than my students' outcry is the number of parents that join in with their complaints. All too often I hear parents telling me that homework is too much work for them, or they feel like they are being asked to do the teacher's job. Unfortunately, this mindset hinders the opportunity parents have to show their children that they care about their education.

As a teacher, I have found that when parents become involved in their children's schoolwork, their children do significantly better in school. Perhaps the best way you can actively involve yourself in your child's education is through homework. So how can a parent optimize their children's learning experience with out jeopardizing their own sanity?

Understanding the purpose of homework is essential.

Homework is simply an extension of the work students are doing in class. It is meant to reinforce what they have learned by giving them an opportunity to practice and apply newly acquired knowledge outside of the classroom. As a bonus it also teaches children valuable life lessons about discipline and responsibility.

By overseeing your children's homework, you have a direct window to see what your child is learning everyday. Remember, homework is meant to review material already learned and should never be used to introduce new concepts. If you feel that this is happening, it is important to talk to your child's teacher.

A set time and place to do homework develops responsibility and organizational skills in your child. Make sure that they have a quiet environment to work in and all the materials they need are provided. Make yourself readily available to answer questions or keep your child on task, but don't offer help that isn't asked for. Periodically check on your child to let them know you care about what they are doing, but don't hang over them while they work.

Part of the lesson homework strives to teach is independence. When you do offer help, make sure that you facilitate your child arriving at the solution. Never supply answers to your child even in the guise of helping them finish faster. If a fellow student were to give your child the answer to a problem in class, you would call it cheating. Doing your child's work for them not only voids out all the educational benefits, it does little to teach them the value of integrity.

Help your child keep track of their assignments and check to see that their homework is completed each day. If the teacher doesn't send a homework sheet home, buy your child a notebook or calendar and teach them to write down assignments and due dates. If more than three days pass without homework being assigned, call the teacher just to make sure your child isn't missing any assignments. Clear and constant communication with your child's teacher keeps misunderstandings at bay and optimizes your child's learning experience.

What if you have done everything suggested and your child still doesn't finish their homework?

Don't make excuses for them. Letting your child accept the consequences of their missing assignment can go a long way in teaching them to be responsible. If you call the teacher and make an excuse for the unfinished assignment you have just sent a message to your child that no matter what they do or don't do, Mom or Dad will bail them out. I once had the parent of a fifth grader ask me not to penalize her son because he consistently failed to bring his math book to class. She felt I shouldn't mark him down because it was her fault for not putting the book in his backpack. I wonder if she will be as eager to make excuses to his boss someday if he doesn't show up for work or take responsibility for his bills should he fail to pay them?

Homework doesn't have to be a struggle. When approached with the right attitude and tools, it can be a great way for parents to show their children that learning is important. That is a lesson they will carry with them well into the years after they have put their schoolbooks away.

~ Lori Kimble is a 31-year-old teacher and proud military wife. She is a California native, currently living in Alabama.