Academic support is fundamental for any after school program, yet often it receives the least amount of planning and attention.  One way staff can maximize their homework centers is to empower their students using the following strategies:

1.  Read the directions.  Often times students rely on the staff to do the work for them by coming up and asking for the answer.  One simple, but effective strategy is to say, "did you read the directions?" This alone can help a student figure out the answer, plus it dissuades them from always coming to you for help.

2.  Ask 3 Before Me.  This is the next step if the directions alone don't help. Students ask three of their classmates for help before coming to the staff. Note that this has to be more then copying down the right answer; staff should ask the students how they arrived at the answer.  If they don't know then they have to go back and do it again.

3.  Put it in the Bank.  Students save questions they don't understand for the end of the center, and then have a party where they mingle and help each other find the answers.