Avoiding the Headache of Homework
We want our offspring to do their nightly homework and do it well, but why it is when they begin unpacking their backpacks we sometimes feel a bit panicky?
Before your eyes glaze over the next time your son asks for help with the Pythagorean Theorem, have your child check out a few of the many homework helper sites in cyberspace. The wealth of homework-related resources on the Web can be a boon for successful (and struggling!) students and parents.
Scholastic
www.scholastic.com/families/index.asp
This site is great for parents seeking grade-specific information on their child’s development in school and covers kindergarten through middle school. Parents can find information on helping poor readers, nourishing good study habits as well as subject information and a special Homework Help section at each grade level. Kids may like to wander over to the Kid’s Section for educational games, puzzles and kid news.
FirstGov for Kids
www.kids.gov/k_homework.htm
Quick! Need to know the capital of Alabama? Stumped about what a suffragette does? Heartburn over a history question? This super site points kids in the right direction with links for all ages to help with homework, including Encyclopedia Smithsonian, Kids in the House (where kids learn about the legislative process) and the Library of Congress’ Today in History site. FirstGov is a very helpful site with a strong emphasis on social studies and history.
Ask Dr. Math
www.mathforum.org/dr.math
Ask Dr. Math is a cool question and answer service for math students (ages elementary to high school) and parents. A searchable archive is available by level and topic, as well as summaries of frequently asked questions with topics ranging from geometry to place values to long division. The site is maintained by Drexel University in Philadelphia.
Information Please
www.infoplease.com
It’s an almanac. It’s a dictionary. It’s an encyclopedia. It’s Information Please: one-stop shopping for all your information needs. This site integrates the various Information Please Almanacs (sports, entertainment and general knowledge) with Random House Webster's College Dictionary and the Columbia Encyclopedia. It can be navigated by the integrated search function, or you can browse the almanacs by navigating topics. Be sure to test out the fun and useful HotWords. Highlight any word on any Infoplease page, and then click the HotWords button for a definition and links to related encyclopedia articles.
Homework Center
www.fen.com
Developed by the Family Education Network, students can find help with history, geography, math, science, social studies and English. The site also features a super search feature where kids seek help with homework questions in the site’s almanac, dictionary, encyclopedia, and biography database. For maps, students can check out the atlas or map library.
EdHelper.com
www.ed elper.com
Developed by teachers for teachers, the Web stop can be a marvelous place for parents who want to give their children extra practice in everything from algebra to vocabulary to science problems. Look for more than 1,600 word and critical thinking problems and exams and puzzles for standardized tests. Plus there are loads of links (by subject category) to other educational sites.
How Stuff Works
www.howstuffworks.com
Learn how everything works! From digital cameras to identity theft, this site is a treasure trove of useful and searchable information. Want to know how a Venus flytrap works, about the secrets of fiber optics or what exactly is a light year? Students will no doubt find it here.
Britannica.com
www.britannica.com
Although only paying subscribers can access the full text of the hard copy Encyclopedia Britannica, visitors will still find plenty to enjoy at the free Britannica.com. You can access the collection of condensed articles by keyword search, by browsing alphabetically, or by subject. History buffs will enjoy Britannica's Heritage, a look at how our knowledge has evolved over the last two centuries. For example, a 1768 Britannica map of the Americas showed California as an island. And no, this wasn't a projection of what might happen in a major earthquake.
Daily Grammar
www.dailygrammar.com
This site is like having an English teacher in your computer! Older kids can sign up for this free e-mail service to receive grammar lessons five days a week or simply use the site’s archive section to find lessons on everything from adjective clauses to adverb infinitives. A 30-year English teacher veteran in New York is the author of each lesson.