Could helping your child with homework actually hinder their learning?

According to associate professor Jaana Viljaranta, who worked on the project, autonomy granting is the most effective way of supporting children with homework. This is where parents allow their children to take charge of their homework independently, without too much supervision or interference.

In contrast to giving children autonomy with their homework, giving concrete help – such as sitting next to your child and doing the task with them, telling them how to do it, or correcting their mistakes – was found to be less beneficial.

‘This kind of help is appropriate if your child needs help and asks for it,’ Jaana explains.

‘However, if they don’t ask for help, or they ask for it but don’t really need it, it can be somewhat intrusive, and give the message that they are unable to do their homework independently. This could then lead to diminished feelings of competence and, as a result, less persistence with their homework.’

This then leads to poorer skill development: for instance, if you do their history homework research for them, they won’t develop the ability to research topics for themselves.

It could also have a knock-on effect on their self-esteem, as they come to believe that they’re no good at studying, and therefore there’s no point trying: a vicious circle that can affect not just their learning, but also their sense of wellbeing.

Although the Finnish research looked at homework help given by mothers, it’s likely that the same advice would apply to dads. Indeed, research has shown there are long-term benefits for children whose fathers are involved with homework and reading.

‘My tip for dads is simply to be there for the child,’ Jaana says. ‘It's important for all parents to show that they are interested in their schooling and are there to help, but that they also trust in their ability to learn and take care of their school work.’

At times, all children will need help with their homework. They may not have grasped (or remembered) a concept that was explained in school, for example. They may need an extra pair of hands with an art or design project, or someone to test them on their spellings or times tables.

If your child constantly needs lots of help with their homework, however, it could be that they’re struggling with the level of work or amount of homework set. In this case, it’s worth having a chat with their teacher.

‘Parents and teachers may see a child's strengths, needs and working habits very differently, because they see them in different learning situations and environments,’ says Jaana.

For example, if your child is shy and quiet, they may not raise their hand in class if they’re finding a task difficult. Their teacher may then assume they understand, and set their homework accordingly.

‘It’s very important that parents and teachers can trust each other and work together to help each child to learn new skills, to work as part of the class, and to “learn to learn,”’ Jaana explains.

1. Agree on a homework plan. Will they do their homework straight after school, or later in the evening? Do they want to sit at the kitchen table or do it in their bedroom? Let them take charge of their learning.

2. Help them develop research skills. Don’t just give your child the answer to a question. Suggest ways that they can find it out for themselves, for example by using the internet (supervised!), reference books or a dictionary.

3. Keep your knowledge up to date. Find out about how spelling, writing and maths are taught in your child’s school: there will often be a meeting about teaching methods early in the school year. Teaching has changed since we were at school, and using ‘out of date’ methodology will just confuse your child.

4. Encourage them to check their own work. Rather than pointing out errors in spelling, punctuation or maths problems, support your child in spotting and correcting them by themselves.

5. Communicate with school. If your child is finding their homework too hard (or too easy), or if you think they have too much, make a note in their planner for their teacher to read. If homework is sent home with corrections, go through them with your child and support them in working out how to put them right.