By Clark Isaacs, Clark’s Eye on Books
Children of today bring home their lessons disrupting the household routine from being that last bastion of peace and tranquility. Parents want to enjoy a pleasant evening after a hard day’s work. Children want to succeed so they can bring joy to Mom and Dad. Little Jimmy or Ruthie break up a peaceful evening when they struggle to do their homework without guidance or a plan. “Homework Made Simple” is an organizational tool which every household can use to great advantage.
Ann K. Dolin, M. Ed. has put 20 years of educational experience into the parental guidebook, “Homework Made Simple” which has charts, diagrams, and references where to find some really nifty study aids directly from the internet. This is an up-to-date planner which can be used by both parents and children as they get on track to better grades, peace of mind, and a more serene home life.
Many homework conflicts arise because of lack of planning and organization. Each chapter of the book discusses different problems. There are a series of questions which lead into each section to help determine if that chapter applies to your homework situation. If there is a need to apply the advice, then you are instructed to continue. If not, move on to the next chapter. There is very straight forward advice on handling situations whether for a 6-year-old or an 18-year-old by using techniques which appear to be simple, but are very effective.
What made this book outstanding are the examples which are taken from parental interaction with their children and the solution which seemed obvious, and is backed up by studies by leading educators. Parents will recognize many of the problems such as “The Rusher,” “The Procrastinator,” “The Avoider,” “The Inattentive,” and these are just a few of the 12 Chapters which have “Tips, Tools and Solutions for Everyday Challenges and Concerns.”
Organization of school work assignments is stressed throughout the book as being one of the crucial elements to success. Methods are discussed about how the parent can be involved in the selection of assignments that should be done first. The child is involved in the process so that when a contract (yes, a contract) is made, both the parent and child know what is expected of each other. There are rewards which are incentives to achieving completion of assignments. These are in the form of specific breaks, use of cell phone, listening to music, or other normal distractions. These uses are limited to specific time limits and can only be put into play if the child shows the parent that the homework covered by the contract has been completed.
Advice is given to single parent homes. Divorce does not eliminate the need for communication between the parents in a unified effort to ensure the child realizes that even though the parents are separated, homework and school success are still expected.
Ann K. Dolin has written an excellent guidebook which covers many topics. Not all apply to good parenting skills, but they certainly are a step in the right direction regarding homework. This is a reasonably priced book which is highly recommend to help achieve that peace and tranquility we all seek.
Homework Made Simple
Tips, Tools, and Solutions for Stress-Free Homework
Author: Ann K. Dolin, M. Ed.
ISBN: 0971460981, Pages: 274, $14.95, Publication Date: September, 2010, Trade paperback, Education, Published by: Advantage Books; Distributed by National Book Network (NBN)
Clark Isaacs is an accomplished book critic who is published in local newspapers and national book review lists. Contact Clark through his website at clarkisaacs.ning.com or through NewsBlaze.
