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What are homework clubs?
- Homework clubs are places where adult volunteers work with children
or youth that need extra help with basic literacy and numeracy
skills.
- The primary focus is on homework assigned by the teacher, but
help is also given for specific projects, including science fair
and speech work.
- The secondary focus is on areas where the child may be having
particular difficulty: reading, spelling, or arithmetic.
"She won't do her homework for me, but
she'll do it for someone else".
One mother's reason for bringing her 8 year-old to homework club.
Where are homework clubs held?
- Any safe, easily accessible, kid-friendly space is suitable
for a homework club. Church basements, community centres, or libraries
are all good options.
- Some libraries and community centres coordinate their own homework
clubs.
Who volunteers to help with homework clubs?
- Any adult with patience, enthusiasm, creativity, and a desire
to help children can volunteer at homework clubs.
- Some clubs recruit university or senior high school students
to work with the children; some also use peer tutors.
- Volunteers may be asked to undergo a screening process.
- All volunteers receive training.
- Volunteers and children are often designated as "partners"
to signify equality in the learning relationship.
What is the usual format?
- Children arriving at homework clubs usually are given a snack
and a chance to interact socially with the other children.
- Each child is paired up with an adult volunteer for the session.
He or she is encouraged to work on specific homework assignments
as they arise.
- If a child doesn't have homework, he or she will be encouraged
to work on a subject area that is causing particular trouble.
- Towards the end of the session the adult volunteer and child
may join with other learning partners to play board games or have
fun with other literacy building activities.
- Evaluation of the session is critical. Children should be encouraged
to say what they liked best and least about the session, and what
they would like to work on at the next session.
- The evaluation can be kept in the child's personal file for
reference purposes.
Who pays for homework clubs?
- In larger cities and towns, libraries and community centres
often support the clubs.
- In smaller communities, local churches, businesses, service
clubs and individual donors have supported homework clubs.
- Suitable age-appropriate resources, including workbooks, storybooks,
games and puzzles can be purchased through garage and rummage
sales, borrowed from the public library, or donated by members
of the community..
Who benefits from homework clubs?
- Children benefit from the one-on-one attention, increased self-confidence
and the discovery that learning can be fun.
- Volunteers gain the satisfaction of knowing they have helped
a child along the path to learning.
- Communities gain a population with higher literacy skills which,
in the long run, leads to higher employment and healthier communities.
For more information:
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Date published: September 1, 2003 |
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