What do you do when you cannot solve your child's homework?

[Nihauma]

in the beginning of p1 i always hovered around him. now i just let him do. somehow he has gained the ability to finish the task on his own. so i am letting go slowly. if has questions ask me. for me chinese very bad so i will check dictionary or ask his dad. if all dont know then just do and see what answer the teacher gives lo.


hopefully in a future he will be independent enough to do his homework without being asked.

[ammonite]

I used to do that with my kid as he had some learning needs, but now at P3, I don’t anymore. He will ask me if he has questions. Generally I can manage the work (Chinese/Maths). If I can’t, the dad definitely can’t. Modelling was hard for me at first, but after getting a few books for myself to look through, I can manage it now. I will also look at the Maths threads for P5/P6 questions when I am free and learn from the examples. They are very useful!

[Coolkidsrock2]

My school gives very little homework, almost none, so it is more homework from home instead.


I subscribe for e-learning websites so the marking is automated. Sometimes I sit beside DS (p3 now) when he is doing the work so that I can get a sense of his standard/speed but I do not do it all the time.

DS has to do 5 pages of Chinese writing daily as part of his training to 修身养性 and it is also easier for me to manage his Chinese spelling.

[ammonite]

Coolkidsrock2:

DS has to do 5 pages of Chinese writing daily as part of his training to 修身养性 and it is also easier for me to manage his Chinese spelling.

Wow, that is very good! pei fu!!

[Steadyberry]

Coolkidsrock2:

My school gives very little homework, almost none, so it is more homework from home instead.


I subscribe for e-learning websites so the marking is automated. Sometimes I sit beside DS (p3 now) when he is doing the work so that I can get a sense of his standard/speed but I do not do it all the time.

DS has to do 5 pages of Chinese writing daily as part of his training to 修身养性 and it is also easier for me to manage his Chinese spelling.

My ds is also in p3 but yr ds and my ds is completely diff. Sometimes ask to stay back at tuition to complete his hw & given warning by ft for not doing his hw. No assessment books throughout the yr except test papers just before the real ca & sa. I want to :stupid:

Since he is only in p3, most of the que can be solved. If I m stuck in maths n sci, will look for similar que in assessment bks n figure out how to solve by looking at answers provided. eng, refer to web. CL, he is on his own as I m Chinese illiterate.

[Mawar]

I don’t sit down with my kids when they complete their homework. Once in awhile they will ask me to clarify certain concepts or bounce off certain ideas. They are able to complete their own work independently. If they are unable to complete their homework for whatever reason, they refer to their school teachers.

[Steadyberry]

But once he is in p5 & p6, not sure whether I can still help him or not. Most likely like jedamum, guess first & wait. Previously my ds has a 1-to-1 tutor. I did ask for help once but seemed like the tutor didn’t want to help with school hw. Worst thing was he will always get my ds to do new topic first for example fractions. If he has mistake, he will go over that question only and not the whole topic. No mistake, he will move on. Then switched to group tuition. Not able to ask too as she has classes before and after my ds’s class. So for me, first is to refer to books and web, if still can’t solve, only can guess and wait.

[Steadyberry]

Mawar:

I don't sit down with my kids when they complete their homework. Once in awhile they will ask me to clarify certain concepts or bounce off certain ideas. They are able to complete their own work independently. If they are unable to complete their homework for whatever reason, they refer to their school teachers.

Hi mawar

Yr dc so lucky. Can ask sch teachers. I never ask my dc to ask sch teachers because I see hw done few days ago still not marked and worse, still inside bag not collected. Do not think the sch teacher has the time to go over with my ds. My neighbor told me her ds's ft called her and asked her to do something which means either she teach herself or engage a tutor. Our ds from same school and same level, but diff form teacher. So either I try to help or else guess and wait.

[Mawar]

Steadyberry:

Mawar:

I don't sit down with my kids when they complete their homework. Once in awhile they will ask me to clarify certain concepts or bounce off certain ideas. They are able to complete their own work independently. If they are unable to complete their homework for whatever reason, they refer to their school teachers.

Hi mawar

Yr dc so lucky. Can ask sch teachers. I never ask my dc to ask sch teachers because I see hw done few days ago still not marked and worse, still inside bag not collected. Do not think the sch teacher has the time to go over with my ds. My neighbor told me her ds's ft called her and asked her to do something which means either she teach herself or engage a tutor. Our ds from same school and same level, but diff form teacher. So either I try to help or else guess and wait.

Oh, I just assumed teachers would be the first persons to ask. At the beginning of each school year, the teachers briefed us to let kids do their homework on their own. If the kids get it wrong or left it blank, the teachers would know where to work on. They don't want perfect and all correct pieces of work. So far all the FT share the same message, so maybe it's from the top down. With one teacher, she would call the student out to redo parts that needed correction when the rest are engaged elsewhere. Then all homework are meticulously filed, signed by parents and countersigned by HODs.

This is good for me else I have a tendency to 'take over' or give too much input especially for projects or compositions. So I take a backseat and watch the learning journey of my kids. They learn more from their teachers and friends.

[Steadyberry]

Hi mawar


Thanks. I agree with you. Will start with do/guess and wait approach first. Hopefully, the ft will go through his mistakes with him.