Tips For Parents: The Homework Contract

Many parents consider the summer between grades as an opportunity to begin the following school year with a "clean slate". In some ways, this is true, providing that the student has truly mastered all of the skills necessary to be successful in the next grade. One of the best things that you can do as a parent to ensure academic success for your child, is to implement a mandatory homework time each and every weekday and follow it consistently. Plan to follow the following steps as a family before the next school year begins.

1. Determine a beginning and ending time for homework for each day of the week. The student should get in the habit of memorizing these preestablished times and should begin without being reminded or prodded. This ensures that the student will take responsibility for completing his or her own work and will have "ownership" in their studies. Keep in mind that a set end time does not mean that homework should remain incompleted if not done during the alloted time. Some nights it will be necessary to go beyond the set time. Alternatively, finishing "early" does not mean the student should leave his or her homework area early. Any extra time should be spent reading or doing something else educational. This is important because kids might "rush" to get done early.

2. The student should be allowed to play a role in selecting these times. Ideally, it should be the same time everyday. (Consistency, consistency, consistency!) However, most students are also involved in extracurricular activities which makes this difficult or even impossible. Make sure to utilize the family calendar to anticipate conflicts.

3. Together, fill out and sign the following parent/student contract and make sure that it is visible at all times!




Homework Contract



_______________________________(Student's name) and
_______________________________(Parent's name) have
mutually agreed to the following homework terms as of the _____ day of _____________, 20__.

Time schedule for doing homework:
Student will study at least _______ minutes on the following days:

Monday ______ to ______ ______ to ______
Tuesday ______ to ______ ______ to ______
Wednesday ______ to ______ ______ to ______
Thursday ______ to ______ ______ to ______
Friday ______ to ______ ______ to ______
Saturday ______ to ______ ______ to ______
Sunday ______ to ______ ______ to ______


Homework area:
Student will study in _____________________________________________.


Homework rules:

Assignment notebook will be checked before beginning homework.
All homework and school materials are to be placed in a backpack at the end of the homework session in readiness for the next day of school.
Homework will not be done in front of the TV or with loud music playing.
No phone calls or breaks will be taken during allotted homework time.
Homework time will be used for studying even if the student has no current assignments.

Special terms:

Failure by the student to follow all terms of the contract will result in a penalty of ___________________________________________________.
Following all the terms of the contract for a week will result in an award of _______________________________________________________.
Parent will not offer homework help or advice unless requested by the student.
After two weeks, parent and student will review the contract to decide if any changes need to be made before extending the contract for ____ weeks.
By_____________________________ (Parent)

By_____________________________ (Student)

Special notes:
Use this contract as a guideline for creating one that fits your family's needs. Be sure to review your contract from time to time in case it needs to be revised to meet new conditions. Begin using this contract when your children enter school. Then studying at home becomes a lifestyle -- not a life adjustment -- for older children.

Expect first-graders to study 15 minutes each day, minimum. Then add 10 minutes to the homework time for each additional year of schooling as a rough guide for the amount of time that should be allotted for studying at home. High-school students should be expected to do at least 30 minutes of homework per day for each subject. Some of this work may be done at school. Students may elect to do their homework in one or more daily sessions. Instead of specifying definite times for homework each day, parent and student may agree that all homework is to be completed by a specified time, unless there are certain exceptions.

Have more homework questions? Feel free to email us!

tucsontutors@yahoo.com

Summer Programs 2010

Study Skills for School Success
(Grades 5-12)

This 4-week course is based on Study Strategies Made Easy: A Practical Plan for School Success, a highly effective but fun study skills program created by Leslie Davis M. Ed., Sandi Sirotowitz M. Ed, and Harvey Parker, Ph.D. Many bright and capable students are not receiving grades that are a true reflection of their intellectual and academic abilities. This is largely due to the fact that most students never learn how to study. This course will give each student the tools they need to achieve academic success. We will learn organization, communication, reading comprehension, note-taking, test-taking, homework and stress management strategies that will enable students to take responsibility for their own learning.

Tuesday and Thursdays 10am-Noon
$369 (Includes all supplies)
Offered Session 1 and Session 2
June 1st-June 24th or July 6th-July 29th


Early Reader Program
(Ages 2-5)

Studies show that the best time to learn a language is during the first four years of life and that the earlier a child learns to read, the better she performs in school. Unfortunately, many children don’t even learn the ABC’s until Kindergarten! However, early readers have more self-esteem, are more likely to stay in school and have a tremendous advantage over their peers that will carry them through the rest of their academic career. A national panel of reading specialists and educators determined that most of the nation's reading problems could be eliminated if children began reading at an earlier age. This summer, give your little learner the best gift they could ever receive—a head start on literacy. With our Early Reader Program, students as young as two will acquire an entire school year’s worth of knowledge in just a few months. You will be amazed to see your 2 to 5-year old reading before they even reach Kindergarten! It is simply the best thing you can do to lay a solid foundation for your child’s education.

Private and group instruction available
Flexible rates and schedules
(Please inquire for more information.)



A Girls’ Guide to Life
(Ages 10 and up)

This fun, engaging, educational and life-changing class curriculum was designed with today’s girl in mind. Inspired by the book A Girl’s Guide to Life by Katie Meier, this is an invaluable class for any adolescent girl. Mirroring the structure of the book, the class will be divided into three sections: mind, body and soul. We will explore age-appropriate issues including self-esteem, emotions, positive body image, boys and much more! A panel of female role models from our community will participate throughout the program. This is a writing-intensive course and each girl will have completed a scrapbook of their journey by the end of the program.

Tuesday and Thursdays 12pm-2pm
$389 (includes all supplies)
Offered Session 1 and Session 2
June 1st-June 29th and July 1st-July 29th


Writing Workshop

(Grades 4-12)

Does your child write essays that read like the text messages he sends to his friends? Does he or she find difficulty in composing a well-structured, grammatically correct sentence? Unfortunately, many students lack the writing skills that are necessary to succeed in high school and college because they do not obtain sufficient composition practice at school. This workshop will dramatically improve the writing skills of any student. Your child will write a variety of different compositions, work on capitalization, punctuation and grammar rules, practice proofreading and learn how to organize thoughts and ideas in a logical and interesting way. Students will be encouraged to express their creativity and write about topics that interest them.

Tuesday and Thursdays 2pm-4pm
$369 (Includes all supplies)
Offered Session 1 and Session 2
June 1st-June 24th or July 6th-July 29th


SAT Preparation Course

Attention all incoming Juniors and Seniors! Don’t procrastinate any longer! This 5-week SAT course will help you build the critical thinking skills you need to succeed on test day! The class will be taught by teachers who have scored in the high 90th percentile. We will cover everything students need to know including strategies for each section, personal strengths and weakness, etc. Homework will be assigned.

$879 (includes Official College Board SAT Study Guide Book and two free practice tests!)
Mondays and Wednesdays 4:00pm-6:00pm Friday 3pm-5pm
Session 1 (May 24th-June 25th)
Session 2 (June 28th-July 31st)



Building a Strong Foundation

This course is an invaluable program for students who will be entering 1st grade in the fall. The jump from Kindergarten to 1st grade is a significant one and tragically, most students leave Kindergarten without the solid foundation necessary to be successful in academically. In a group of no more than five students, the instructor will reinforce phonetic concepts, continue instruction in early math skills and have the students participate in exercises and activities designed to improve fine motor skills and handwriting. Space is limited so call today! Students may enroll for one session but are strongly encouraged to continue instruction for the entire summer. This class may also be modified for students up to 3rd grade, who are behind in reading.

Mondays and Wednesdays 2pm-4pm Fridays 1pm-3pm
$659 (includes all supplies)
Offered Session 1 and Session 2
June 1st-June 30th or July 5th-August 2nd


Higher Ground Tutoring will continue to offer private, individualized instruction in study skills, remedial education, Kindergarten readiness and more throughout the summer.

*Ask us how you can receive up to 30% off class tuition and free tutoring sessions!
*Sibling Discounts are also available for summer classes.

Enrollment Deadlines

Session 1 May 17th
Session 2 June 21st