Home learning · 6 min read
Supporting learning at home: what actually helps
You don't need to be a teacher to make a real difference to your child's learning. The research on parents and learning points to a few simple habits, and most of them have nothing to do with worksheets.
Your interest matters more than your expertise
One of the most consistent findings in education research is that children do better when their parents value learning and show interest in it. A large review for the Education Endowment Foundation found that supporting a child's learning at home (talking about school, reading together and holding high but realistic expectations) is linked with better results, while simply helping with more homework is not reliably helpful on its own [1].
In practice that looks like asking specific questions ("What was the trickiest part of maths today?"), noticing effort and being curious about what they are reading or building.
Help with homework, but let them drive
How you help matters. Studies of parent involvement in homework find that support which encourages independence, like helping a child plan, answering questions when asked and checking in, works better than taking over or correcting every mistake [2][3]. When parents become controlling, children can lose motivation and see the work as the parent's job.
- Agree on a regular time and a quiet spot, ideally the same each day.
- Ask "What do you need to do first?" rather than telling them.
- Let small mistakes stand. Their teacher needs to see what they can do on their own.
- Keep it short. For primary children, 10 to 20 focused minutes beats an hour of battles.
Routines and sleep are learning tools
Australia's 24-Hour Movement Guidelines recommend 9 to 11 hours of uninterrupted sleep a night for children aged 5 to 13, at least an hour of physical activity each day, and no more than two hours of recreational screen time [4]. Tired children find it much harder to concentrate, remember and manage frustration, so a steady bedtime is one of the best things you can do for their schoolwork.
Being present
Psychoanalyst Erica Komisar, author of Being There and Chicken Little, writes about the importance of parents being emotionally present: putting the phone away, noticing how a child is feeling and making time to simply be together [5]. Her views on early childhood are debated, but her practical advice to protect regular, distraction-free time with your child sits comfortably alongside the research on warm, responsive parenting.
Even ten minutes of undivided attention after school, before any questions about homework, can make the rest of the evening go more smoothly.
Partner with the school
Your child's teacher sees them in a very different setting. Share what you notice at home (worries, wins, what they enjoy) and ask what you can practise together. If your child has a tutor, the tutor's lesson summaries are a good way to keep home, school and tutoring pointing in the same direction.
References
- Education Endowment Foundation (2021). Working with Parents to Support Children's Learning: Guidance Report. Source
- Patall, E. A., Cooper, H., & Robinson, J. C. (2008). Parent involvement in homework: A research synthesis. Review of Educational Research, 78(4), 1039–1101. Source
- Pomerantz, E. M., Moorman, E. A., & Litwack, S. D. (2007). The how, whom, and why of parents' involvement in children's academic lives: More is not always better. Review of Educational Research, 77(3), 373–410. Source
- Australian Government Department of Health (2021). 24-Hour Movement Guidelines: Children and young people (5 to 17 years). Source
- Komisar, E. (2017). Being There: Why Prioritizing Motherhood in the First Three Years Matters. TarcherPerigee. Source
This guide is general information for families, not medical or psychological advice. If you're worried about your child, talk to their teacher or your GP.