Dear Teachers Q & A

By Peggy Gisler and Marge Eberts

Papers Drowning in Red Ink

          Question: Our middle school child’s papers are drowning in red ink. Her teacher circles every mistake that she makes in her writing. According to the teacher, the child has to learn to proofread and edit better. Unfortunately, the teacher does not suggest how she go about doing this. Do you have any suggestions? – Too Much Red

          Answer: No one can immediately correct all their mistakes if a paper is covered in red ink. A good approach would be for the child to sit down with the teacher and ask him or her to tell her the two, or possibly three, major mistakes she is making on most of her papers. For this to be solid advice, she will need to take several papers with her. It would also be helpful if the teacher would work with her to correct some of these major mistakes, so she will know how they should be written correctly. More than likely, the errors are due to the child’s not knowing how to write certain things correctly. Once the errors have been identified, she needs to review the grammar, spelling or essay organization rules that she is not following.

          The next step is for her to create a checklist of these two or three common errors so that she can use it to make sure she is avoiding them on the next paper she turns in. For example, the checklist might have such things as checking spelling and subject and verb agreement. Once she has gotten on top of these errors, she can add another, such as overusing a particular word. The one thing she will need to do, however, is to check every old and new item on her editing list every time she turns in a paper. By using this gradual approach, her papers should soon have a lot less red ink, and she will become a better writer.

          If your child’s written work is being done on the computer, a quick fix for a lot of errors is for her to use the spelling and grammar editing functions, as long as they are allowed. If the problem lies in the content, make it a point to read her finished papers to her out loud, so she can hear the portions that just do not make sense. You may need to do this paragraph by paragraph or even sentence by sentence. This will help her better write what she really wants to say.

Helping Children with Homework

Question: My kids often want some help with their homework. I am far from an expert in being able to answer all of their questions. Are there any good places online that will give them the help they need? – Challenged

          Answer: Most parents are sufficient experts to give children in the primary grades the help they need. However, when asked for help, parents should not immediately provide an answer. You want your young children to learn how to handle challenging work. The first step is to ask them to reread the question or problem so they understand what is being asked. This may be all they need to do. If not, ask them whether they have done something similar in class. If so, tell them to look at similar examples in textbooks, study guides, worksheets or computer lessons. If they still need help, ask questions to guide them to the answer. Finally, it may be necessary to teach a concept that simply has not been mastered. If a young child is having a problem with a math question, once a problem is solved with your help, watch the child solve several more to be sure he or she can do the work. By helping them in this way, you are putting them on the way to being capable learners.

          By the time children are in seventh grade, they should be almost entirely responsible for doing their homework without your help. We do admit, however, that sometimes it is fun to help them with projects like making salt maps or building igloos out of sugar cubes. There are absolutely loads of places that middle school and high school students can find homework help. Some of the places require students to pay for this help, especially those that do one-on-one tutoring. Doing an online search for “best homework help” will give them a good starting point. Be aware of potential pitfalls, though. A student just advised us that it is very easy to find answers by simply typing a question into a search engine.

          If parents want to brush up on school subjects that their children are studying, they will find videos on the Khan Academy website that are very helpful. They also can simply research topics online.

Create a Homework Station at Home

To help your child focus and succeed with homework, consider creating a homework station either in their room or somewhere around the house. Have them help put together the workspace so they have a sense of pride and ownership. Here are some ideas to help you get started:

1. Choose a quiet location. Find a place where your child can work without interruption or interference. It doesn’t have to be a bedroom, or even a desk or table. Just a spot that is comfortable and quiet.
2. Get supplies. Make a list of items your child frequently uses when doing his homework. Supply the station with crayons, pencils, markers, scissors, glue, tape, erasers, a calculator, note cards, paper, notebooks, etc. Make sure that the supplies stay in the area so that your child doesn’t need to go looking for supplies each day.
3. Set the routine. Does your child do better with completing homework right after school? Or does she need a break? Discuss with your child the best time to complete homework and then make it a part of the daily routine.
4. Make it a pleasing spot. Books, a table, a lamp and a comfy chair will all help to make it a welcoming environment that your child looks forward to visiting every day.

Parents should send questions and comments to DearTeacher@DearTeacher.com and to learn more about helping their children succeed in school visit the DearTeacher website.

©Compass Syndicate Corporation, 2022

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