How to Assess a Student's Approach to Homework

This week, I fielded three phone calls in which the parents complained how their child did great on homework but struggled on tests (& quizzes). Each parent had turned to us in hopes that our services could teach their students to test effectively. While all three of these parents felt their child had some "bad test-taking gene", I knew otherwise. Low test scores are often the result of ineffective preparation (i.e. improper homework completion).

Here are some tips to assess your student:

Is there a clear discrepancy between his homework grade and test average?
If yes, skip to the next question.

Is his homework grade based on homework completion?
Most teachers reward students for completing homework. And most young students do just enough to complete the homework. Whether they answer 70 percent or 100 percent of questions correctly, they still receive full credit. They use homework as a tool to evaluate understanding. When students miss 6 of 20 questions in an assignment, instead of dissecting the mistakes, they happily take their "credit" and stuff the assignment in a binder. That's a major problem.

Does he rework missed questions?
All students should rework missed questions independently. Note: a teacher showing students how to answer the question does not count! Be able to explain why you missed the question to anyone who asks. Even better, keep a special spiral notebook of all questions you've reworked.

Does he read the textbook lesson and his class notes before starting an assignment?
If not, encourage him to work through the example problems. In contrast to what a teenager may argue, working through example questions saves time because you have a better understanding of the material.

When you try to help, does he argue with you?
If yes, call Hammer at 858-793-7737.