Helping Your Teen With Homework
Just as grades are starting to matter more and assignments are becoming increasingly harder, teens are rapidly maturing, both physically and emotionally. Now, more than ever, many adolescents want to be independent and consider socializing a top priority. So homework and studying often have to be scheduled around teens' ever-growing list of to-do's - from after-school activities to part-time jobs to time spent with friends.
Now that many assignments are longer and more difficult, homework for students in middle school and high school can be intellectually and emotionally challenging for both parents and kids - gone are the days of times tables and grammar lessons. Some teens' homework can overwhelm even the most educated parent.
But the foundation for good study skills should be set during your child's elementary school years. By age 12, many students have learned the importance of organizing their work and managing their time. Many are motivated to do their best and are proud of the grades they earn. According to the U.S. Department of Education (USDE), from grade 7 on, kids who complete more homework not only score better on standardized tests, but also get better grades, on the average, than those students who do less homework.
Although teens need to feel independent as they grow older and become more mature, they also need their parents to continue to show interest and involvement in what they're doing, especially when it concerns school. In fact, according to the USDE, when parents are involved in their teens' lives and teachers and parents work closely together, teens do better academically. Unfortunately, parental involvement in school tends to drop off as soon as students hit high school, says the USDE. Whereas 75% of parents in the United States say they're highly or moderately involved in their 9-year-old's school- related activities, when kids reach age 14, parental involvement drops to 55% and continues to decrease as teens progress through high school, says the USDE.
So even though your child's need for independence is in full force now, it's never too late to make sure your adolescent is focusing enough time on schoolwork and still trying to do his or her best. A little encouragement and communication can go a long way in motivating your teen to succeed and develop the necessary skills for life after high school, while still leaving plenty of time for fun.
Setting Up Shop
Unlike younger kids who often like sitting down at the dining room table to be near Mom and Dad during homework time, teens often prefer to retreat to their own haven of privacy - their rooms. Even if your child is out of sight while toiling away, you may still want to check in periodically to make sure that he or she is focusing on the task at hand, rather than talking on the phone, chatting online with friends, playing video games, or watching TV. Wherever your child opts to do homework, make sure your teen's routine includes a quiet, well-lit, distraction-free place to study, usually near the computer (if you have one). The space should be stocked with paper, pencils, a calculator, dictionary, thesaurus, and other supplies. The chair, desk, and computer space should be comfortable.
Many teens like to study with music, but you should have some say about the volume. The TV shouldn't be on when your teen is doing schoolwork, and if your teen seems distracted by phone calls or non-school-related computer use, consider limiting those activities until homework is completed.
Homework Help, Internet Style
Many students, both young and old, now use the Internet for homework help and research. But as most savvy teen Web users are well aware, inappropriate sexual and violent material is just a click away.
Some of the tools you can use to help make your teen's Web surfing safer and more productive include:
- parental controls or blocking options, which nearly all Internet service providers (ISPs) offer
- blocking software, which prohibits or blocks access to designated sites based on a "bad site" list compiled by the parent and the ISP
- filtering software, which uses keywords to block sites containing certain words and phrases
- outgoing filtering, which restricts personal information (such as name, address, and phone number) from being sent online
monitoring and tracking software, which records the length of time spent on the Internet, time of day, sites visited, and time spent offline
But the best filter and monitoring device is you - if you give your teen access to a computer during homework time, it's a good idea to put it in a common space, not in the bedroom. This way, you can keep an eye on what your child is doing and discourage playing games, chatting with or emailing friends, or surfing the Net for fun.
Also, just because a site advertises itself as a homework help site, doesn't necessarily mean that the information on it is accurate. To help ensure that your teen is using the very best resources the Internet has to offer, suggest that your teen bookmark some favorite homework help Web addresses (KidsHealth, for example) to give your child easy access to reliable information.
It's also a good idea to talk to your teen about plagiarism. Let your child know that it's never OK to copy information directly from a website - and that the Internet should be used as a resource to help understand material being taught in class, not as a quick and easy way to complete assignments by using someone else's writing word for word.
Teen Driver's License Ups Chances of Drug Abuse
High school students are more likely to smoke, drink and use marijuana when they get their driver's license because they get more opportunities to be free of adult supervision, says a University of Missouri-Columbia study.
"The increase in substance use in all three categories after getting a license supports the notion that new drivers have more opportunities for use," study author Denis McCarthy, an assistant psychology professor, said in a prepared statement.
This is the first study to examine the link between changes in alcohol and other drug use by teens after they get a driver's license. The study included 2,865 high school students who were surveyed about alcohol, cigarette and marijuana use. [NOTE: Studies done in the San Francisco School District indicate that 64% of marijuana users start before their sophomore year]
The results showed that students were more likely to be involved in substance abuse after they initially obtained a driving license. At the same time, these same students showed an increased awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving.
"For drinking and driving, it may be that newly licensed drivers have a period of 'protection' or perceived vulnerability, but that their drinking and driving behaviors become riskier with more driving experience. Understanding what influences this effect may help drinking and driving intervention efforts," McCarthy said.
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Wellness Center
Christy Parsons (Wellness Coordinator) is available daily.
Ian Enriquez (Youth Outreach Coordinator) is available daily.
Sheening Lin (psychologist) is available daily.
Monica Murphy (Nurse, Tobacco Intervention Coordinator) is available on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday.
Emi Koga (Japanese speaking counselor) is available from Tuesday to Thursday.
David Thompson (psychologist) is available Mondays.
Sharon Wong (psychologist) is available Wednesdays.
James Guay (therapist) is available Wednesdays.
Rebecca Peng (Mandarin speaking counselor) is available Thursdays and Fridays.
Kory Okun (relationship counselor) is currently unscheduled.
Reconnecting Youth classes held 7th period.
Chris Pepper (peer resources) is available daily and teaches classes during 4th and 5th period.
LYRIC Magazine Project
LGBTQ students interested in journalism will need to attend an informational meeting on Monday, September 20th. The meeting will be from 4-5 p.m. on the second floor of the LYRIC house, 127 Collingwood Street, San Francisco, CA, 94114. At the meeting, you will get an overview of the project and an application to join the magazine staff. Youth journalists will be paid a stipend of $100 for the project, which will begin in late September and run through November.
If you plan to attend, please contact us to RSVP. If you are unable to attend the meeting, but would like to be involved in the project, please contact us to set up an individual appointment. We look forward to meeting you!
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