Whether your primary role is helping with homework or being a reading tutor, you can use homework effectively to help your students strengthen their reading and writing skills. However, homework can also get in the way of learning, especially if your students just want to get it done and want you to supply the answers!
There is a real art in helping students to complete their homework and to learn effectively. First, you need to make sure that the students understand the questions and the text that they are reading. Then, your role is to help the students to develop strategies to complete their own assignments.
Tutoring one‐on‐one is ideal but not always possible. The following process describes how to help a student with homework. However as you may be working with more than one student at a time, you will need to juggle the help that you give between your students.
Read the homework instructions together
Make sure that you both understand the instructions. Many students are frustrated by homework because they do not understand the questions that they are to answer. If possible, break an assignment into smaller pieces to help the student to focus.
Build on prior knowledge
If you can, skim through the passage of the textbook before you read it with the student. Ask the student to tell you what he or she knows about the subject of the text. Then, ask the student to predict the content of the text by looking at the diagrams or headings. Fill in any gaps in the student’s knowledge about the subject.
Read the text with the student
You can read the text to the student, have the student read it to you, take turns reading or read it at the same time. (Make sure that the student is able to read fairly fluently and does not become bogged down by sounding out words.) Talk about the text as you read it together. Encourage the student to think aloud and ask questions about what was read. Show how you check your own understanding.
Discuss the text
Discuss key points that relate to the homework instructions. Help the student to organize his or her thoughts either verbally or on paper. Encourage the student to do his or her own thinking. Be patient and give the student time to organize his or her thoughts and think through an answer, but give help if he or she seems stuck.