How to improve Homework Focus
- 1. How To Improve Homework Focus Lunch & Learn Series Heartscope Learning, Overland Park, KS
- 2. What is Homework Focus? Quality Efficiency Autonomy
- 3. Measured By Time Management Skills Cost of Grades Student Stress Cost of Family Stress
- 4. When does Homework Focus Represent a Problem? Any ongoing academic ‘burden’ Any pattern of missing assignments Any ‘adjustments’ to report card grade For example, ongoing ‘accommodations’ required at school
- 5. How Much Is Too Much Homework? 1st grade > 20 minutes 3rd grade > 45 minutes 6th grade > 90 minutes 9th grade > 2 hours 11th grade > 4 hours CONT
- 6. Types of Support Healthy Support Reading Together Preview Evening Schedule Answer Specific Questions Review Evening’s Results Situational Tutoring (short-term)
- 7. Types of Support Risky Support Parents ‘Teaching’ esp Reading or Math Teachers Recommend ‘Extra’ Help Ongoing Tutoring (>3 weeks) Parents ‘Hands-On’ in: Starting homework Pacing homework Completing projects
- 8. How Much Is Too Much Support? 1st grade > 20 minutes 3rd grade > 15 minutes 6th grade > 10 minutes 9th grade > 5 minutes 11th grade > 0 minutes CONT
- 9. Because Excess Support Improves Quality But KILLS……. Efficiency Autonomy
- 10. BECAUSE: Help once a month: You are a Hero 3x a month: You are an Enabler
- 11. Low Homework Focus: HUGE Costs Expensive (and often hidden) Student stress is cumulative like tobacco smoke
- 12. HUGE Costs Family resources are not unlimited parental time patience Future college debt student debt parent burden of future student debt
- 13. HUGE Costs Quality of Life parents‘ quality time with kids kids‘ time to just be kids
- 14. Seven Rules of Homework Focus
- 15. Rule #1: Every Issue Looks Like a Homework Focus Issue Similar Symptoms For Cognitive Medical Cultural Emotional and Curricular Issues
- 16. #2: Learning Challenges Are Usually NOT Caused By: Poor parenting Poor teaching
- 17. Rule #3 Kids Won’t Break If You Drop Them Once. Human brains and bodies are wired to be resilient.
- 18. Rule #4 Kids DO Scar If Dropped Repeatedly Emotionally Situationally Cognitively
- 19. Rule #5 Learning Challenges Are Not A Form Of Mental Illness
- 20. Rule #6 Use Medical Tools To Solve Medical Problems Awareness of side-effects Awareness of symptoms vs causes
- 21. Rule #7 Rescue a child once a month: be a Hero Rescue a child three times a month: be an Enabler
- 22. Corollary #1 (Everything Looks Like a Homework Focus Issue) Everyone has an opinion Few have evidence
- 23. Corollary #2 (Learning Challenges Are Usually NOT Caused By…) However, learning SOLUTIONS can be blocked by: Short-term Parenting Test-score Teaching
- 24. Corollary #3 (Kids Won’t Break If You Drop Them Once). Children’s brains and bodies need to LEARN how to be resilient.
- 25. Corollary #4 (Kids DO Scar If Dropped Repeatedly) Wounds on the outside easy to treat because easy to see. Wounds on the inside extremely challenging to treat because challenging to see.
- 26. Corollary #5 (Learning Challenges Are Not A Form Of Mental Illness) Grownups’ talk as if they ARE can lead to: Learned helplessness Grownups’ limiting candid talk about learning challenges can lead to: Anxiety, depression, substance abuse, etc.
- 27. Corollary #6 (Use Medical Tools To Solve Medical Problems) Medical tools unlikely to address other challenges: Cognitive Emotional Situational A child who is not sick cannot be ‘cured.’
- 28. Corollary #7 (Rescue a child once a month: be a Hero…) No parent intentionally enables a child to be dependent Learn to fail now… Or later?
- 29. Heartscope Options Cognitive Coaching Cognitive Training
- 30. Next Step Phone Brainstorming 1st 15 min are free 913-362-8777