Homework Survival Guide

•Your 12-year-old insists she does her work faster and better while sitting in front of the television. If she's getting it done, should you interfere? She may be getting it done, but is it done well? If you can't evaluate the quality of the work, check with her teacher. It's a rare child who can overcome such distractions, but if your child is one of those few, it may be a battle you choose not to engage in. Even so, advises Roberta Golinkoff, co-author of Einstein Never Used Flash Cards (Rodale Books; 320 pages), "a parent can emphasize the importance of school by saying 'We don't do homework with the TV on.'"

•How much should a parent get involved? Stand back. "Homework teaches kids how to study independently," says Harris Cooper, director of Duke University's program in education. "If parents remain constantly and overly involved, kids learn that Mom and Dad are always there to help." No matter how much you want your child to get good grades, if the grade is for your work, you're only impeding your child's academic success in the long run.