Mummy Buzz

May
05
2014

Helping With Homework Actually Hinders Your Kid's Grades

Inadvertently Fostering Helplessness

child doing homework

Much has been written about helicopter parenting in recent years. Now an article in Today claims that the help we give our kids with homework may actually hinder their academic performance.

The article cites surveys from professors at Duke and the University of Texas, published in the book, The Broken Compass: Parental Involvement With Children’s Education.

“Some of the things that [parents] do may actually lead to declines in achievement—inadvertently, of course,” said one of the authors, Angel L. Harris.

The research covered three decades' worth of data collected from the U.S. Department of Education, spanning racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. 

In all cases, routine assistance with homework led to "compromised [academic] achievement."

Though well-intentioned, "help" often led to parents taking over and essentially doing the homework for the child, thereby robbing him of the take-home lesson. 

Parents are advised to limit involvement to ensuring that homework is complete. 
 
Are you at all surprised by these findings? 

This mom took helicopter parenting to a whole new scary level.