By John Johnston
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Alexandria Robinson of North Avondale will be a seventh-grader at Clark Montessori. She's done work this summer on a homework outline. (Ernest Coleman photo) | ZOOM |

Coming soon, stuffed in the backpacks of students you know: homework!!!

"Children need to practice and overlearn so that valuable skills stay with them," says The Homework Handbook (McGraw-Hill; $12.95) by Harriett Cholden and John Friedman with Ethel Tiersky. Doing homework, the book says, fosters independence, responsibility and a sense of accomplishment.

Fine, but almost everyone - parents and children alike - needs help clearing the homework hurdles now and then. With that in mind, we checked first with 12-year-old Alexandria Robinson, who will enter seventh grade at Clark Montessori this fall. She's organized, scores high on proficiency tests, and was working on her summer homework packet when we called.

Her No. 1 tip for students: Don't procrastinate. "If you wait for the last moment, you can't always do your best work," says Alexandria, who lives in North Avondale. She also advises finding a quiet environment where interruptions are few. She usually works at a desk or on the floor of her bedroom.

We also combed a number of education Web sites in search of tips. Here are some of the best:

• Set a schedule. In a perfect world, a child would consistently do homework at the same time each day. But that's often not possible because of extracurricular activities. In that case, an assignment notebook, noting the time to be set aside for homework each day of the week, might help. Be aware that most kids need time to unwind right after school, but waiting too close to bedtime may bring cries of "I'm too tired."

• Create a study center. It should be comfortable and well-lighted. Consider what works best for your child. Some children might thrive doing homework at the kitchen table. Many experts, however, recommend a desk in the child's room; it's more likely to foster independence and will allow the child to focus. Pop in once in a while to see how things are progressing. Wherever the study center is located, it should also be where your child places the backpack and books when arriving home from school. That way, it's easier to repack for the next day.

• Create a homework toolbox. Include supplies such as a dictionary, paper, markers, pens and pencils, erasers, a glue stick, protractor, ruler and anything else your child needs to complete assignments.

• Avoid overseeing each step of your child's homework. Encourage your child to divide homework into "what I can do myself" and "what I need help with." Offer to help only with that homework your child can't do independently, such as using flashcards, practicing spelling tests and clarifying assignments.

• Limit distractions. Alexandria avoids TV while doing homework. "I'll get too far into it, especially if it's a show I like," she says. Some children, however, concentrate better with white noise, such as music. Alexandria sometimes plays a radio on low volume.

• Praise a child for doing homework.

• Look over homework when it's completed. But don't correct it unless you've checked with the teacher. It can be helpful for the teacher to see a pattern of errors.

• Consider study groups. Some children benefit from studying with a classmate or two, but be sure they're using the time to study.

• Stay in touch with the teacher to know the quantity and quality of homework turned in.

Sources: Schwab Foundation for Learning, Parents-talk.com, Discoveryschool.com.

Homework help online

Children need to think for themselves when doing homework, of course. But there are times when it's appropriate to seek online help. In the September issue of Parenting, the editors offer their picks for top homework sites, including:

• HomeworkSpot.com: Includes links to an extensive list of sites arranged by grade level and subject.

• The Kids on the Web: Homework Tools. A no-frills homework zone with a reference shelf stocked with links to free online resources, including a thesaurus, encyclopedia and more.

• Ask Dr. Math. Volunteers at Drexel University personally answer math questions, but only after kids have exhausted the FAQs and archives of previous queries, organized by grade level.

E-mail jjohnston@enquirer.com