Homework should not be a struggle or battle of wills between parent and child.

When parents are informed and active in their child's academic life, there is more motivation and success experienced by the child.

The better a parent's relationship is with the teacher, the more positive the child's school experience will be.

Homework is a natural part of your child's school experience; therefore, it is a good idea to make that relationship a two-way street. Begin early to make the following a normal part of the process:

¦ Talk daily with your child about school. Listen to the day's events both good and disappointing.

¦Plan to meet with your child's teacher at least three times during the school year, communicating a willingness to cooperate and not waiting for a personal invitation before making those visits.

¦ Learn about the homework policy for the school and class your child is in. Some schools have homework policies for how much homework should be given depending on the grade level. Ask how often homework is assigned, when it is assigned, and how the homework will affect your child's grade.

¦ Learn about your child's teacher right from the start. Find out if the teacher is certified and the areas of certification. Also, find out how long your child's teacher has been teaching and whether she has graduated from an accredited university. This information can be received from the principal.

¦ Learn about the curriculum at your child's school. What is your child being taught? Some schools may provide a summary of the curriculum or a direct link to the courses and content to be covered during the year.

¦ Find out how you will be informed about your child's progress, including the dates for report cards and whether your child's school has an online grade book with parental access.

¦ Respond quickly if you suspect there is a problem. Ask to meet with the teacher; don't just show up as this can result in incomplete information. Give the teacher an opportunity to prepare for your visit.

How much homework is enough? Once you are aware of the homework policies, you will be aware that homework increases as your child moves into higher grades.

A general guideline is ten minutes per grade level. Homework should not involve anything that is brand new to your child. If your child requires a lot of help with homework, schedule a conference with the teacher. Possible causes may include:

¦ Your child not paying attention in class;

¦ Your child may have problems with listening or memory;

¦ Your child may be using homework to get your attention;

¦ Your child may have a learning difficulty that is affecting understanding;

¦ The teacher may be assigning homework that is not taught;

¦ The assignments may be unclear, unfair or without purpose.

Remember, helping with homework doesn't have to be the responsibility of the parent only. Some parents don't have the skills to help their children with homework. Other family members may be able to help. What's more important is the quality of parent-child interaction.

What's key is that homework should never be done for the child! Helping with homework should not put an excessive burden on anyone. It may be useful to check for online help for support as some schools have 'Dial-A-Teacher' support.

Setting a homework schedule can eliminate some of the wars around homework. Children need structure and consistency to feel safe, and a homework schedule further supports that.

Keep in mind that some children may need to unwind after school, so the time should be carefully selected; make sure your child is not hungry, as this will affect concentration, and time for homework should not consume the entire evening but be built around grade level expectations for homework.

Be creative in finding a place that will support homework: good lighting, minimal noise, a computer (be cautious about unsupervised Internet surfing!) and accessible materials like paper, pens and reference materials.

If homework does become a persistent battle of wills, don't hesitate to first make an appointment with the school and even seek professional assistance. Prepare for your school conference by making a list of your questions or concerns.

Ask the teacher or school about the school's procedures for psychological evaluation or seek outside testing. Discuss the results in a conference with the teacher, the school counsellor and the principal.

A change in the classroom assignment may be needed or more specialised help may be needed. Keep in mind your primary purpose is helping your child.

Next Month: Literacy Matters: More on Homework Help and Preparing Your Child for Standardised Testing!