Homework Session Oppression

Hello Maureen,
My third grader is one of 30 students in her classroom, and she's struggling in math. The teacher knows this but with so many students, one-on-one time isn't happening. We help as much as we can, only to have her in tears halfway through her homework. Other than finding a tutor, are there any ideas to make homework more "fun" for her rather than having her approach each session with the "I can't do it" attitude?
Sincerely,
Math Wrath


Dear Math Wrath,
Your question brings back so many memories of homework struggles with our daughter! You are not alone. It is heartbreaking to see your child so frustrated and know they feel defeated—sometimes before they even begin the task at hand. One important thing that helped me as a mom was to constantly remind myself that struggling in school is not an accurate predictor of future success. The good news is that there are many ways to make the process more interesting and fun for kids and parents. I’ll share a couple of homework ideas from my book Optimistic Outcomes. Remember, something that works one day might not work next week. We parents need a deep tool kit!

Running on Empty

Some kids need a little quiet time after school to regain energy. A noisy day at school is draining for many children. Help him build serenity into his day, and schedule homework after he has had a little time to relax. Here are three tips that will make your child’s study time go more smoothly and help him to learn more readily.

1. Set aside time for homework before your child becomes too tired. Concentration takes energy.
2. The best time to complete homework is in the afternoon or early evening.
3. Have your child complete his homework at a consistent time each day.
   Don’t expect your child to study exactly like you did as a child. If he studies better standing up or sprawled out on the floor, let him. Whatever works for your child is the “best” approach.

What’s Your Function?

Some math worksheets have a mixed variety of functions (operations). Sometimes children don’t notice which symbol is in a particular problem, and they make simple mistakes like adding instead of multiplying. If this is a problem for your child, teach her to color the math functions with highlighters. Use a different color for each function sign. This will give her a

visual cue and remind her to check which function she is supposed to use in each problem. For example, you could highlight:
+ pink
– blue
× green
÷ yellow