Read notes and directions. It’s important to understand the task at home before you help high school students with homework. Find out the scope of the assignment, too. Ask students to give you any notes related to the assignment and read and discuss the directions.
Demonstrate the assignment. It is sometimes helpful to demonstrate one or two problems if you are working on math. For high school literature, social studies, science and assignments from other subjects, go through the steps of completing an example in front of high school students.
Relate the assignment to real world examples or something familiar. One of the best techniques to help high school students understand an assignment is to relate the work to something familiar or to a real world example. Themes in literature, for example can often be related to everyday experiences. Characters and plots from movies and television shows can also help students understand characterization and plots in literature. Use everyday problems to help students understand math problems.
Ask high school students to demonstrate the work. Monitor children while they complete assignments. Be sure to be available to help children brainstorm and develop ideas for creative projects.
Check work. Offer suggestions for improvement and positive reinforcement. Avoid using negative terms and phrases. For incorrect answers or projects that are not up to par, use a phrase like: “Let’s see how we can improve this.”
Contact teachers if needed. Many schools provide email addresses for teachers. You can also help high school students to the best of your ability and write a note to the teacher or call to further discuss their assignments.