As the parent, you should let your child know that you consider homework as a top priority. You can accomplish this by creating a quiet, well-lit work space for your child to do his or her homework with no T.V. or other distractions. Make sure he or she has all of the necessary supplies available, such as paper, pencil, dictionary, calculator, etc.
A suitable time needs to be set up as to when your child starts and ends his or her homework. (Hint: It is best to begin homework as early as possible after school.) An effective period of time for homework is about ten minutes for each grade level. For example, second graders should get about twenty minutes of homework each school night, whereas a fifth grader would have about fifty minutes of homework each night.
If your child tells you he or she has no homework, then have him or her work on Study Island. This site will help your child either catch up or get ahead in math, ELA, or science skills, and at the same time reinforce what he or she has been learning in class.