By Stacy DeBroff 

Teachers rely on homework to strengthen and review classroom work, often counting on parents to help clarify misunderstandings and confusion. In essence, you become an adjunct of the classroom, providing the tutoring, editing, or advice your child needs to grasp the material.

Homework allows you to take an active role in your child's education and serves as a bridge between your world and your child's classroom. By reviewing the content and checking his work, you become involved in your child's academic progress.

Find out what your child's teacher expects in terms of homework. What does she want your child to learn from the assignments: time management or responsibility? Review material or learn new material? The directions should be clear and your child should know, without guesswork, what the teacher expects of him.

Time management is a critical skill which your child needs your help to master. You can help him by deciding together how much time an assignment will take, marking a time for him to start his work, and checking in when the work is finished. This will help your child learn how to manage his time and pace himself.

Figure out how your child works best. Does he do better with the pressure of deadlines, or is he good at doing work gradually? If he meets deadlines but always seems to be cramming everything in at the last minute, help him create a calendar of mini-deadlines to follow.

Offer to clarify instructions or steps that initially seem daunting or confusing, quiz your child on memorization assignments, such as vocabulary words or multiplication tables, and proofread homework for mistakes. Drop hints when he gets stuck on a homework problem and brainstorm strategies when he can't think of a solution.

Make homework time family time. Have all family members do "homework" at the same time in the same place to enforce the importance of education as a family. If you don't have any work, do a crossword puzzle or read, as long as you are doing something productive and quiet.

Ask your child to explain his work and teach it to you. This helps him understand the assignments better, gets you involved, and bolsters his self-esteem because you show interest in skills he can teach you.

Ask to see homework after the teacher returns it. Go over the assignments and discuss the teacher's comments and problems that have arisen.

Reward your child's progress with plenty of praise, and display his best work on your fridge.

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