Welcome to the EduVerse with ProfessorJBA. This series is designed for parents and caregivers in an effort to inform them about the various roles and aspects of the educational landscape to ensure that caregivers can make informed decisions regarding their child(ren) education.

Over the last three years educating children seems to have become so much more difficult for parents and educators. I believe this is partly due to advanced technology and us moving away from common sense practices.

The old phrase, practice makes perfect comes to mind when I think about how parents and teachers can begin working together to help fill in the learning loss many students have from time lost during the pandemic. One resource that can be used is homework. The big question of most parents is does homework really help? I believe homework is helpful because it helps reinforce skills.

Homework should not cover new skills. It is a time for students to have an opportunity to work on skills they have already been introduced to. Let’s look at literacy skills, for example.

Literacy isn’t just picking up a book. It consists of reading, listening, and speaking skills. Literacy homework helps students solidify skills of how they connect to text. Some of my best homework assignments with students have been done with whatever moment or time they have or get with an adult family member. Even if the homework is as simple as read a book with your parents..

Practical learning that can be done at home is already happening in households. However, some parents don’t realize their parent power begins at home. Social, emotional skills are developed at home. Homework that helps parents exercise this power in ways that can impact engagement and learning at school is key. Practical application of what’s being taught in school continued at home helps students improve their skills. We often say, “practice makes perfect,” and I believe homework that engages practical, life skill development is a win for parents.

Continued lessons from school reminds us of the importance of the parent eye. What parents are observing with their student’s response to what’s being taught at school is critically important to helping schools improve. I believe that homework done with parent or family engagement not only helps the students but those in the household, if the homework is practical and engaging. The innovation with the assignment also shows parents the investment of the teacher and school in their child.