What Should Parents Do ....

After Receiving the 1st Term Students’ Report Cards?
The first term of the 2008/2009 academic year in Ontario has come to an end. School report cards will go home to parents and parent interviews held in schools in December. At present, many school boards in Ontario, including the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) require teachers to prepare three report cards in the school year. Whether teachers prepare three or two report cards (preparation is tedious and time consuming though) during the school year, the most important question to me is: how do these report cards help parents to help their students succeed at school? What should parents do after receiving such report cards?

Unlike the traditional report cards we knew in Ghana, which mainly showed the test marks for the student, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) as well as other School Boards report cards show a comprehensive assessment of the student’s total performance during the term. The first term report card is always a flag for the student whose performance needs improvement if she or he is to meet the requirement of the Ontario curriculum at her or his grade level (i.e. Level 3).

The academic assessment of the student is not solely based on the student’s performance in quizzes and tests. Homework/project work also plays a major role in determining the academic assessment teachers do on your child throughout the academic year. It is therefore very imperative to support your children’s efforts to do homework/project work.

Many students would achieve higher academic levels if they would take their homework serious. And many students would take their homework serious if parents would support their efforts to do homework. As an educator and a teacher for over 20 years experience tells me that parents and guardians who care about their children’s education do not neglect their responsibility of supporting their children’s efforts to do homework.

As a parent do you ask your child about his/her homework/project work at the end of the day? Do you welcome their questions on how to do their homework/project work? Do you at sometimes sit with your child through his/her homework/project work? Do you create a favorable environment at home for your child to do homework/project work? Perhaps this short discourse might help you support your children’s efforts to do homework/project work.

School At Home:

First and foremost, it is important to set apart a “special place” in the house for your child to do homework. The location must be away from the bedroom where the child might be tempted to lay on the bed and fall asleep in course of doing homework. It should also not be sited close to other places of distractions in the house. For example, not close to the T.V. set or the telephone. Equip the place with a well-lighted desk or table, pencils, paper, and any other books or equipment-such as rulers, calculators, and reference or text books and so on-that the child may need. Thus, provide a quiet, regular, well-lit working area for your child’s homework.

Also, set aside a special time each day (i.e. Monday to Friday) for doing homework/school assignments. Make yourself available during that time to answer questions that might arise. Help your child organize homework assignments. Let your children see you do your own homework-paying bills, reading your devotional book, or making grocery list!

I remember a scenario that a friend used to advise some parents who thought their child was always hiding his homework from them. The friend advised to show much greater interest in their child’s homework. “Ask for your child’s homework each day”, he said. Then sit with him/her and ask him/her to teach you how to do the work s/he has brought home from school. If you find out that s/he is unable to explain how to do the work to you then know that s/he needs help to do it. Show interest and concern!

But don’t do your child’s homework/project work for him/her. Remember, homework/project work should create a bond between school and home. It is meant to enhance on a daily basis the lessons taught at school, and to promote good work and study habits.

Watch These Things: Although it is gratifying to have your child present perfect homework papers, the perfection should be the outcome of your child’s own exploration and efforts-NOT YOUR OWN!

Read to your child and with your child. Have your child read to you and ask questions about what s/he reads. Give books for presents. And have a wide variety of things to read in your house.

Don’t burden your child with the responsibility of taking care of his/her younger siblings after school at the expense of doing homework. It is not fair to your child if you make him/her take your responsibility as a parent while you don’t show any in his/her school and homework/project work.

I understand many parents, especially Ghanaians, have to work to put food on the table for their families and can’t be at home at all times. However, working around the clock in order to make more money is not the best thing to do for your family. Make time for your children and their education. That’s their future!

Conclusion: It might be argued that most parents are not abreast with the school curriculum of their children and are therefore not in the best position to help their children with homework, parents could encourage and monitor their children’s efforts to do school assignments brought home. Constant communication with your child’s teacher on assignments given is one of the means to find out how best you could assist your child to do homework.

You could then take your child to the public library if necessary for the help that s/he needs to complete homework/project work.

Ask for your child’s school agenda/planner to see which homework is assigned him/her at the end of each school day. Seek for help for your child in textbooks or from school boards’ web sites. You may also check to see if there is a telephone homework service in your area to make use of it in assisting your child do homework. Some schools have gone online to allow parents and students to interact with teachers and school administration on school work. For example, my school, Brookview Middle School in Toronto has such website called RECESS. Parents and students can sign on! Don’t forget to praise your child for job well done when the work is completed. Report cards are painstakingly done to reflect your child’s performance at school over a period of time. Parents need to do a lot to help their children succeed in their education after discussing the report cards with teachers. This begins at the home! For, it is said that charity begins at home. Moreover, we need to be positive about school. Let your children know how important you think education is. Find time to visit your child’s school and attend school council meetings as well as school information nights. Fortunately for the Ghanaian community our community leader, Eric Botta of Toronto has developed two websites to assist our children to do their homework and cope well with school work to be more successful.

Visit them at: http://www.ghanatubes.com/

http://www.ghanascope.net/ Let all Ghanaian parents/guardians take the 1st Term Report Cards of their children seriously and address the red flags the report cards may raise for our kids. It is good to catch them young. And though it is always never too late, THE EARLIER, THE BETTER!