(English translation available after the Chinese article)
新學年，有些家長會鬆一口氣，因為孩子可以上學，不用每天困在家中玩遊戲機和看電視。有些家長則會感到有壓力，因為要再次面對孩子的功課了，又要陪伴和教導孩子做功課。假如孩子不專心，做功課時間很長，不論家長和孩子都感到很辛苦。究竟家長應該如何參與孩子的功課？
- 陪伴和鼓勵孩子
有些學校的課程較深，孩子學習的英文詞彙十分深奧，有些父母不懂孩子的功課，但也可以用其他方法參與，就是陪伴和鼓勵孩子。
有一個研究指出，某中東國家媽媽移居英語國家後，因本身不懂得英文，又不熟悉該英語國家，因此沒有能力教導孩子做功課。她們可以做的，就是坐在孩子身旁，鼓勵孩子用母語討論自己學到甚麼。
- 製造一個適合做功課的空間
香港的家居環境大多較逼狹，未必能給予孩子獨立的做功課空間，或許要在客廳茶几或餐桌上做功課。
家長可以幫助孩子劃出一段專屬做功課的時段，例如晚飯後一小時，這段做功課的時間，父母（以及其他同住家人）都要配合，關上電視機，給予孩子寧靜的環境，專心做功課。父母則在旁做一些安靜的活動，例如閱讀，當孩子需要幫忙時，可隨時走過來找父母提問。
除了做功課外，家長還要創造一些其他學習機會，例如親子閱讀、一起討論日常事情、參觀博物館、觀看教育類影片等。
- 配合孩子年齡和學習階段
家長要按照孩子的年齡和學習階段，用不同方法參與孩子的功課：
(A) 幼稚園階段
父母要告訴孩子，學習很有趣。父母主要跟孩子聊天、閱讀和玩耍。
(B) 初小階段
父母幫助初小孩子建立良好讀書習慣。父母的責任是確保孩子有健康飲食、充足睡眠和精力去應付功課。
(C) 高小階段
高小的孩子開始不想聽父母的指示，那麼父母可以聘用補習導師、鄰居或孩子的表兄姊，教導孩子做功課，甚至是較大型的專題報告。
- 讓孩子自己完成功課
看到小標題，會不會覺得這是理所當然？事實上不少父母看到孩子完成不了功課，或者拖延不做功課，又或者不忍心孩子做功課太累，就看不過眼，忍不住幫忙完成。
做功課除了是學術訓練，也能培養孩子責任心、專注力和思考力。孩子應該自己完成功課，這樣才有練習的機會，知道自己的學習進度，也能知道自己的責任要自己負。
盼望家長和孩子都能享受做功課的時刻！
資料來源：
How to help your kids with homework (without doing it for them)
10 Mistakes Parents Make with Their Children’s Homework
Homework Done Right: What’s a Parent’s Role?
本文章所發表的全部內容均屬個人意見，並不代表Little Monkey之言論及立場。
關於作者
思嘉是一個在職媽媽，兒子約四歲，很明白在職爸媽面對的挑戰，希望能透過文字，跟各位爸媽分享有關為人父母的課題，互相支持和勉勵。
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[ENGLISH TRANSLATION]
How Should Parents Be Involved in Their Children’s Homework?
It’s a new school year and some parents are breathing a sigh of relief because their children can go back to school instead of playing games and watching TV at home every day. Other parents will feel pressured because they have to deal with their children’s homework again and have to accompany and teach their children to do their homework. If the child is not attentive, and it takes a long time to do homework, both parents and children will feel the pain of doing homework. How should parents be involved in their children’s homework?
- Accompany and Encourage Children
Some schools have more intense courses and their children learn more advanced English vocabulary. Although some parents do not understand their children’s homework, they can also participate in other ways, that is, to accompany and encourage their children.
There’s research about a mother from a Middle Eastern country who moved to an English-speaking country. This mother was unable to teach her children to do homework because she did not know English and was not familiar with the English-speaking country. All she could do is sit next to her children and encourage them to discuss what they have learned in their mother tongue.
- Create a space suitable for doing homework
In Hong Kong, most home environments are cramped and may not be able to provide children with their own space to do homework. Perhaps they have to do their homework on the living room, coffee table or dining table.
Parents can help children set aside a block of time for doing their homework, such as one hour after dinner. And during this period of homework time, parents and other family members who live with them must cooperate by turning off the TV to give the children a peaceful environment so they can concentrate on doing homework. Parents can do some quiet activities by their side such as reading and when their children need help, they can come over and ask their parents at any time.
In addition to homework time, parents should also create other learning opportunities, such as parent-child reading, discussing daily affairs together, visiting museums, watching educational videos, etc.
- Align the learning with the child’s age
Parents needs to align the children’s learning according to their age by using different methods of involvement in their homework:
(A) Kindergarten Stage
Parents should show their children that learning is fun by chatting, reading and playing with them.
(B) Lower Primary School Stage
Parents help lower primary school children to establish good reading habits. The responsibility of parents is to ensure that their children have a healthy diet, adequate sleep and energy to cope with their homework.
(C) Upper Primary School Stage
Upper primary school children don’t like to listen to their parents’ instructions, so parents may hire tutors, neighbors, or children’s cousins to teach the children to do their homework or help with projects and reports.
- Let children do their own homework
Seeing the title of this section, do you think this is a given or known truth? In fact, many parents view their children as unable to complete their homework, or are procrastinating doing their homework. They also cannot bear to see their children are too tired from doing their homework thus cannot hold back but to step in to help.
In addition to academic learning, homework can also cultivate a child’s sense of responsibility, concentration and thinking. Children should complete their homework by themselves, so that they have the opportunity to practice, to know their own learning progress, and also know that they are responsible for themselves.
We hope that parents and children can enjoy the time to do homework together!
Sources：
How to help your kids with homework (without doing it for them)
10 Mistakes Parents Make with Their Children’s Homework
Homework Done Right: What’s a Parent’s Role?
All the contents published in this article are personal opinions and do not represent the opinions and views of Little Monkey Hong Kong.
About the Author
Scarlett is a working mom with a 4-year-old son, who knows the challenges encountered by working parents. She would like to share some thoughts on parenthood that may serve as support and encouragement for moms and dads.
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Scarlesson
Website：https://www.scarlesson.com/
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