Homework in kindergarten
has become more than accepted- it's expected! From the first day of kindergarten to high school graduation... that's a lot of homework! So, why aren't families better prepared with homework supplies and materials? Why are we running around every night looking for a pencil, pulling our hair out over every report and losing our minds when the computer shuts down and our kids can't look up a definition?
Let's stop pretending that homework supplies and materials are going to magically appear on their own- they won't!
If we want our children to do their homework and study with ease and independence, we must provide them with the tools and skills to do so. And, the very first thing every family needs is a
Magic Homework Box!
You might find that after creating a
Magic Homework Box,
that many of your homework issues and problems magically disappear. But, you are not quite finished! There are still a number of essential items you need in your home:
Essential Homework Supplies
Think of these items as the knives, forks and spoons of your basic family library: not fancy but absolutely essential.
Children's Dictionary. Keep the dictionary in the Magic Homework Box so that looking up a word is easy.
Thesaurus. Show your children how much fun it can be to find a better, different, perfect word when writing.
Writing Manual. Quiet as it's kept, there rules of grammar. The problem is that there are so many of them! Who can keep it all straight? You can- if you have a writing manual handy.
Basic How-to-Read Book. Is your child reading at grade-level? Do they know their sight words? What is their fluency level? What? You don't know? Relax- you can find out and monitor all of these things yourself.
These are the
essential homework supplies
that I use in my home and have recommended to countless parents and children over the years.
Other Homework Supplies
There are some other items that every family should have:
Atlas. It's a big, big world out there...
Globe. See above.
English-Foreign Language Dictionary. Someone studying another language? They need a good dictionary!
Encyclopedias. I LOVE encyclopedias! Before you laugh, let me tell you that students from all over the school came into my classroom to use the set of encyclopedias I "borrowed" from my parents!
Of course, encyclopedias become outdated, but some things aren't changing! A 15 year-old entry about George Washington is fine! Plus, encyclopedia entries are like potato chip: nobody can read just one. Your children will open the book to find out about 'photosynthesis' and end up reading all about other 'p' stuff!
Still, this is, the technological age, and you will also want access to an
online encyclopedia,
as well!
Math and Science Reference Books. I have found it very helpful to have basic math and science books- for me! Now, I do NOT believe that parents should re-teach school, but when our children have basic questions, it's nice to be able to answer them!
Don't spend a ton of money on these; try to find used textbooks at swap meets, garage sales, second-hand stores or on Craigslist. Replace the books with more difficult ones as your children get older. You might, however, come to a point where you realize that
your child's math homework is too hard- for you!
Remember, parents, it is not enough to buy these things and throw them in a closet! Your children should see and use each of these homework supplies regularly. They'll do it, too, if they see YOU using them!
Yes, they need to see you look up 'gato' in the Spanish-English dictionary or open the atlas and figure out exactly where the county of Azerbaijan is located!
