Homework Up Date

I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who commented on my recent post titled Homework Help! I can not tell you how much I appreciated your thought, ideas, and your empathy! I have learned a lot from you and from the research our homework trouble has driven me to do. In any case, things are going much better for us- "homework hour" is actually about homework these days and it is SOOO nice. In fact today Spencer wrote a fantastic two page paper on the Elk in Yellowstone National Park in about 25 minutes WITHOUT COMPLAINING!! It was incredible. Anyway, I wanted to share with you (in a series of posts) some of the things you shared with me and some of the things I have learned along the way. I hope these things will be helpful to you or someone you know.

Over the last few weeks I have managed (with the help of a friend- thanks Stephanie!) to get my hands on two fantastic books about homework written for children! I figured since my attempts to read and implement change were not working- I would let Spencer take a shot at it. I must say, he has enjoyed and responded well to both books.

The first and most comical is How to Do Homework without Throwing Up. Of Course the books is geared toward children (with a name like that) but it was actually quite helpful. Not only did it empathize with childrens' feelings of dislike for homework, it gave specific ideas they could do and not do to make homework more manageable. My favorite part was that it simply states that homework is a part of life that can not be avoided. And that it is up to each child to decide how they will feel about the assignments they are given to do at home. How to Do Homework without Throwing Up is an inexpensive book and well worth the few dollars you may spend to add it to your library.

The second book Get Organized without Losing It! was also written for children and I absolutely love it! Because I am not one who struggles to get or stay organized it is REALLY hard for me as a mom to teach my son how to organize himself. Get Organized without Losing It put into very simple terms all of the things I was trying to teach my child but couldn't find the words for. It focuses on teaching children to organize their stuff and their time. It is written is a practical, humorous, and (most important to Spencer) an empathic way. It reminds both parents and children that getting organized takes time and practice and that it really is a skill that once mastered will benefit children in every aspect of life. If you have a child who struggles with homework the way mine did, I highly recommend this book!

Both of these great books are available various places on- line and I believe both are also available through traditional Scholastic Book Clubs offered at most elementary schools. Happy Reading!