Helping with Homework: A Parent's Guide to Information Problem-Solving - Softcover

Eisenberg, Michael B.; Berkowitz, Robert E.; Plotnick, Eric

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0937597422 ISBN 13: 9780937597422

Publisher: Linworth, 1996

Synopsis

This handbook shows parents a tested approach for helping children of all ages learn and achieve in an information society. By applying the Big6™Skills for information problem-solving model, parents can help students understand and successfully complete homework and other tasks. Eisenberg and Berkowitz apply the Big6 model to sample assignments in language arts, science, math, social studies and real-life situations. They also discuss computer software, the Internet, and other educational technology tools as part of the problem solving process.

About this title

About the Author

Michael B. Eisenberg is dean emeritus and professor at the Information School of the University of Washington.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

This book is about helping kids succeed in whatever theychoose to do. It's about parents being able to do more than simplyproviding a quiet place for their children to study and urging them todo their homework. It's about tried and tested ways of working withkids of all ages to help them complete tasks and solve problems.

Parents Helping Children: The Challenge

We all know that parents can play an important role in helping theirchildren succeed. There is a wide body of research (including the 1994United States Department of Education report, Strong Families, StrongSchools) that shows that parents can make a difference in theirchildren's learning. There is evidence that helping children withhome-based work in particular can enhance the learning process.

This is very encouraging, however few parents know how to help inmeaningful ways. They try hard, but even their best efforts can resultin disappointment and conflict rather than in satisfaction andsuccess.

That's what we address in this book - how parents can help theirchildren in meaningful and satisfying ways that result in success.Our goal is simple but powerful:

to give parents an effective approach and the tools they need to helptheir children learn and achieve.

We believe that parents can work in meaningful ways to help theirchildren learn and do well in school. Many researchers agree thathomework fosters student initiative and responsibility. But homeworkand assignments can do much more than that. Homework and assignmentscan provide opportunities for children to learn how to complete tasksand solve problems. And parents can help to see that this happens.

Wherever students turn, they're faced with answering questions,writing reports, and creating projects. Most of these assignmentsrequire work beyond the school day. Homework and student assignmentsprovide excellent opportunities for parent-student connections.

Our Approach: The Big Six

Most books about helping children with school stress good studyhabits, a quiet study area, and managing time. We certainly agree withthese recommendations, but we believe that parents can do evenmore. Parents can help their children by guiding them through aninformation problem-solving process called the Big Six.

The Big Six process applies to all kinds of school work-homework,assignments, projects, reports, and even tests. For students, the BigSix provides a familiar, tried and tested approach to completing theirwork. For parents, the Big Six provides numerous opportunities forthem to ask the right questions and to guide their children in helpfulways.

Although well-meaning, many parents don't know the best ways to helptheir children with school work. Frequently, parents wind upstruggling or in outright conflict with their kids about how to dosomething. Parents need to pick the right time and offer appropriatetypes of assistance , or the results can be disastrous. For example,does the following sound familiar?

Laura and her father are working on math problems. He is trying toshow her how to do a long division problem. She is getting frustratedand yells, "That's wrong: that's not the way my teacher does it!" Hetries to explain that there are different ways to get to the correctanswer and this way is easy and has worked for him for years. ButLaura won't listen, and she finally storms off saying she will do itherself.

It's important that parents strive hard to avoid this type ofconfrontation.

In our opinion, the key to helping students succeed lies in theprocess of helping them, but not doing the work for them or trying toteach them. Leave teaching to the teachers and the work to thestudents. A better role for parents is to provide guidance andassistance, making it easier for children to succeed. The Big Sixprovides a workable framework for providing meaningful guidance.

Technology: A Valuable Tool

Adding to the burden for parents is pressure related to today's newtechnologies. Is it essential for my child to to have a computer athome? If we already have a computer, is it good enough? What about theInternet, multimedia, and CD-ROMs? And, how can I help my child withall these things if I don't know how to use them myself?

Computers fit nicely into the Big Six process. Too often, computersand related technologies are presented as solutions in search ofproblems. For students and parents, it is helpful to view computers astools that expand our ability to do things. For example, when buildinga house, it's quicker and easier to use word processing on a computerto organize and present information. In both of these examples, if thetechnology is used effectively, it will result in more accurate andimproved final products.

Through guidance, parents can help students use technology inmeaningful ways. For example, by asking the right questions, parentscan help students recognize when and how various computer capabilitiesmight be applied. Parents can also assist by arranging access fortheir children to computers and related software (through school,libraries,, community agencies, or at home).

The challenge for parents, then, is to know how to guide theirchildren, to know what questions to ask them, and to know when to doso. The Big Six approach to information problem-solving provides avaluable framework for meeting this challenge.

Overview of the Book

This book focuses on various strategies that parents can use to helptheir children succeed. The Big Six framework is the key. We explainall strategies in terms of the Big Six. Each cahpter focuses on oneaspect of the challenges facing students and parents:

Chapter 1: The Big Six Approach: A Framework for Helping Children

Chapter 2: What your Children Face Every Day in School: Assignments

Chapter 3: The Big Six Applied: A Framework for Helping Children WithHomework

Chapter 4: Computers, the Internet and Other Technologies: Can TheyReally Make a Difference?

Chapter 5: Assisting With Assignments: Examples from Various Subjects

Chapter 6: Bringing It All Together: A Parent Conversation with Mikeand Bob

Our purpose is to help parents become partners in their children'ssuccess in school by offering them practical ways to help withhomework and assignments. every parent can help to some degree. Evenif you weren't personally "a star" in school, you can still help yourchildren. Your first step is to accept the role of a guide, not ateacher. Your second step is to learn how to ask questions that willhelp your kids work through the Big Six process.

Edition details

• Publisher: Linworth
• Publication date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0937597422
• ISBN 13: 9780937597422
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 182