Homework help / When the adjustments stay at school

When the adjustments stay at school

By Alana Edwards, learning support teacher · Years 6–9

In class, your child might have chunked instructions, a checklist, extra processing time, and a teacher who knows when to step in. At 7pm at the kitchen table, they have a worksheet and a tired parent.

In my experience, homework is often where the adjustment plan gets left behind.

Try this tonight: a worked example ↓

Why homework can look so different

In my years leading learning support, incomplete homework was often read as low effort. More often, the task had simply left the adjustments behind at school.

Many families I work with have heard what helps their child in class. Far fewer have seen what "chunk the task" actually looks like on a Tuesday night with a Year 7 science sheet.

So families guess. Some help a lot, some step back completely, and most aren't sure how much help is the right amount.

What bringing the adjustments home looks like

It starts from the plan your child already has. Home may need a different version of it: a shorter checklist, different cues, or an agreed stopping point. In practice, that might look like:

Instructions you can follow, not just the ones written for the classroom.
A version of the class checklist, shortened if it needs to be, so the steps still look familiar.
A clear stop point, so you both know when enough is enough.
Clarity on what help is fine and what isn't, so you're not guessing.

An example: chunking a science worksheet

Say your child brings home a Year 7 science worksheet with eight questions on states of matter. Here's what "chunk the task" can look like at home.

First step (two minutes). Read the heading and question 1 together. Circle the key word in the question. That's the start done.
A small section. Questions 1 to 3 only. For each one: read it, find the right page in the book or notes, then write the answer. That might be one sentence, or whatever the question asks for.
Check-in point. After question 3, stop and ask: "How did that go? Keep going, or stop here for tonight?" Stopping here is fine.
Agreed finish line. Before you start, agree the most you'll do, like question 6 or 20 minutes, whichever comes first. It's a maximum, not a target: stop sooner if your child needs to, and stop there even if it isn't all done.

If your child uses a checklist in class and it helps them, use those steps as your starting point.

Questions to ask the school

You don't need to know the jargon. These four questions are enough to start:

"What adjustments does my child have in class, and which ones could be adapted for homework?"
"Can I see the checklist or steps they use in class?"
"Roughly how long should this task take, and where should we stop?"
"What kind of help from me is fine, and what isn't?"

Start by asking for one thing, such as the checklist your child already uses in class.

This article is general information, not advice about your child. Every child is different. If you're worried, talk to your child's school or health professional.