Parental involvement in homework

The article reviews research on parental involvement in student homework. I t is focused on understanding: why parents become involved in their childre n's homework; which activities and strategies they employ in the course of involvement; how their homework involvement influences student outcomes; an d which student outcomes are influenced by parents' involvement. Findings s uggest that parents involve themselves in student homework because they bel ieve that they should be involved, believe that their involvement will make a positive difference, and perceive that their children or children's teac hers want their involvement. Parents' involvement activities take many form s, from establishing structures for homework performance to teaching for un derstanding and developing student learning strategies. Operating largely t hrough modeling, reinforcement, and instruction, parents' homework involvem ent appears to influence student success insofar as it supports student att ributes related to achievement (e.g., attitudes about homework, perceptions of personal competence, self-regulatory skills). Recommendations for resea rch focused on the processes and outcomes of parents' homework involvement are offered, as are suggestions for school practices to enhance the effecti veness of parental involvement in homework.