Understanding Special Education and Supporting Your Child’s Ability to Learn

A few tips for working with

your child at home

Parents Can:

1. Create a specific time to do homework each day.

2. Provide a quiet, consistent homework location.

3. Have extra supplies.

4. Assist with prioritizing activities.

5. Use a calendar to make a homework schedule for

each week and for longer time periods.

6. Reward good organizational skills.

Organizational Skills

Identify a preferred activity to complete after homework is finished

Design routines (homework, packing backpack)

Write lists/reminders

Ensure that your child is prepared for school

Organizational Skills Cont.

There are strategies you can use that are positive

and proactive that can prevent problem behavior

from arising during homework time.

But… YOU need to remember to use them!

They only work if they are in place.

What can you do if your child does not want to do homework?

Choices may be the most effective strategy to reduce noncompliant/oppositional behavior

Choices can be offered regarding: Where to do a task When With which materials How With whom

Offering Choices

Everyone likes to have a choice…

Identify a set of high probability requests Identify a set of low probability requests Deliver the high probability requests (each

followed by praise) and then deliver the low probability request

High Probability Request Sequence

Parent Student Parent

“Write your name” Writes name “Wow, that looks great!”

“Put the date.” Writes the date “Wow! You spelled February perfectly!”

“Write the subject.” Writes the subject “Your hand writing is getting better and better.”

“Write a paragraph.” (low probability request)

Writes paragraph “Hurrah!”

Identify an activity your child does not like to perform or complete

Split the responsibility of the task Gradually require your child to take on more

and more of the task independently

Example: Kala had her daughter Faith pick three words from her list of 10 and Kala looked them up in the dictionary for her. The next time, she had Kayla pick 2 words, and the next time, only 1. Over time, Faith did it herself.

Collaborative Activity

Identify a set of preferred items/activities that do not interfere with homework.

Allow your child to access one of the preferred items/activities while doing his/her homework.

Examples: Listening to a favorite song, eating/drinking a favorite snack, working in a favorite area, being with a friend.

Preferred Item as Distractor

Sample Token Systems

What I need to do:-Read for 20 minutes-15 math problems-Study my spelling words

I am working for:Games on my computer

C O M P U T _ _

I’m working for the…

Time I focused on my homework

I completed assignments

I earned my

3:30 – 3:45

3:45 – 4:00

4:00 – 4:15

4:15 – 4:30

4:30 – 4:45

Plan ahead… With prior planning, homework can go from this:

To this:

It can be a positive experience and result in academic gains!