Taking the Stress Out of Homework: Organizational, Content-Specific, and Test-Prep Strategies to Help Your Children Help Themselves

In their sought-after tutoring business, veteran teachers Abby Freireich and Brian Platzer hear the frustrations of parents daily as they struggle to find the right balance in helping their child with homework. For parents and kids alike, homework can become a source of dread, and in some families, it can give rise to conflict. But, as Abby and Brian explain, navigating the minefield of homework is important to kids' success in life: the homework not only supports what kids are learning each day, but it can also help build their confidence and lifelong skills like self-responsibility.

Abby and Brian's approach puts executive functioning-or the ability to plan and organize-at the center of their philosophy to encourage students to break free of the "let's get to the answer already so that we can be done with the assignment" mindset and build complex thinking. As they illustrate, the job of parents is to help kids form strong and healthy homework habits, so that they become self-sufficient both at school and beyond. Taking the Stress Out of Homework demystifies the learning process by breaking down for parents exactly when-and how-to help children help themselves.

Whether your child's issue is time management, or their sticking point is organization or a specific topic, Abby and Brian know that different kids need different tools, and they cover solutions across all disciplines and address a range of stressful scenarios. Using real-life stories from their many years as educators, they walk parents through how to address anxiety around homework and support their child with reading, writing, and math, and they offer strategies for standardized test taking. Their goal is to help parents create an effective system so that homework doesn't just get done, but it does its job and helps kids become successful learners for life.

Drawing on extensive experience as classroom teachers and the directors of their highly regarded tutoring business, Abby and Brian address a range of common frustrations caused by homework. They answer the most pressing questions on every parent's mind: How much should I get involved, what does constructive help look like, and how can I help my child work independently?

Taking the Stress out of Homework breaks down for parents exactly when and how to offer homework support. Whether your child's stress point is executive functioning--the ability to plan or organize--or a subject-specific struggle in math, reading, writing, or standardized test-preparation, Abby and Brian use real-life stories to provide individualized, actionable advice.

At the center of Abby and Brian's philosophy is encouraging students to break free of the let's get to the answer already so that we can be done with the assignment mindset; they focus instead on a process-oriented approach that fosters engagement and self-sufficiency both in and out of school.

Filled with expert tips about how to build executive functioning and content skills, Abby and Brian share stress-reducing best practices so homework not only supports what kids are learning, but also helps build confidence and skills that last a lifetime.