LeapFrog, makers of the LeapPad and other educational toys, sponsored a homework study by the NEA (National Educators Association). Some of their results are a foregone conclusion (something about the internet and the wonderfulness of educational toys). But several of the study’s results looked like they came from my own home.

Parents’ and students’ responses indicate that they are both struggling to adjust to the demands of the middle school workload, which is both heavier and more varied than typical grade school assignments:

• Two-thirds of parents (66 percent) say that their middle school student seeks the parent’s help with homework.
• More than one-half of middle school students (57 percent) and their parents (59 percent) report that parents spend at least one hour a night helping them with homework.
• Parents also report helping their middle school students with homework almost two and one-half nights a week on average.

Look familiar to you too? There are a number of things the NEA says you can do to help – what they call “bridging the great homework divide.” These include:

• Be prepared . Assume your children will have studying to do every night and work with them to create a comfortable, distraction-free homework zone.
• Understand teachers’ policies and expectations . Encourage your children to ask their teachers questions, reminding them that an in-person visit before or after school is often most effective.
• Be available and teach by example . Check in with your children while they work, offering to be a sounding board or source of advice. Help them cope with feelings of failure or frustration.
• Identify other resources . Encourage your children to find homework buddies, and do not hesitate to line up extra support if needed.
• Stay in touch with your children’s teachers . If teachers have access to e-mail, it can be an effective way to maintain regular contact in addition to telephone calls and in-person visits.
• Inspire learning outside school . Nurture your children’s personal interests, perhaps finding activities that parallel what they’re studying in school, thus fostering their enthusiasm for learning as a life-long endeavor.