Library’s Homework Club mixes learning and fun to encourage
students
Homework
– the very word often brings moans and groans from many a
student. Gabby Silva isn’t one of them.
Silva, a sixth-grader at Rancho San Justo Middle School, doesn’t
mind homework at all, thanks in part to the Homework Club offered
by the San Benito County Free Library.
Library’s Homework Club mixes learning and fun to encourage students
Homework – the very word often brings moans and groans from many a student. Gabby Silva isn’t one of them.
Silva, a sixth-grader at Rancho San Justo Middle School, doesn’t mind homework at all, thanks in part to the Homework Club offered by the San Benito County Free Library.
“It’s fascinating,” said Silva, 11. “You get to do your homework, and it’s quiet.”
Still in its first year, the library’s Homework Club is open to any local student in grades first through sixth. Unlike traditional homework clubs, however, the library’s Homework Club combines academics with fun activities such as arts and crafts, story time, monthly programs and lessons on how to use various library resources for a more enjoyable, and hopefully enriching, experience.
“I like coming here,” Maxx Hernandez, 7, a first-grader at R.O. Hardin School said. “My favorite part is playing all the games.”
The Homework Club began last April; initial response was so great library staff decided to start the program earlier this year.
“We had about six to 10 kids at each session for those three months,” said Nora Conte, the head librarian. “With that amount of response, we thought if we started earlier, we would get an even better response, and we have.”
Approximately 10-15 students attend the Homework Club each session; the club is open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 3:30-5 p.m. For the first hour, students work on homework assignments, while adult staff members offer assistance as needed; bilingual staff members are also available. The last 30 minutes is devoted to more creative pursuits, such as free reading or arts and crafts. The theme for the crafts session differs each week – this week, students are working on nature-related projects while next week, the theme will be Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in honor of Halloween.
“It’s been fun this year,” said Wendy Kay, the youth services librarian. “We know that a lot of schools have homework clubs, so we really wanted to make ours attractive to students while creating an opportunity to expose them more to books and reading. It’s been exciting.”
Kay said library staff is working with some of the local school districts, such as Hollister, so the services they offer complement what students are already learning.
“We have contacted the schools to find out what materials they are using so we can have the same things on hand,” she said. “We are always looking to get supplemental materials.”
During the homework hour, older students also receive instruction on how to use the various resources offered at the library, such as online book catalogs, Kay said.
“The club promotes books and reading, but we are hoping to get new people to come in and use our services,” Kay said. “Many kids today don’t know how to use catalogs. If we can teach them, they can pass that information along to their parents or others.”
A new resource being offered to students is an online program called Live Homework Help, which connects students with a live tutor. Students can enroll in Live Homework Help through the library; once enrolled, they can use a password to log on and receive assistance in math, science and English. Live Homework Help is available to any local student in grades 4-12, and can be used from home daily from 3-10 p.m.
“Often children have parents or family members who just can’t help them with their homework,” Kay said. “With this program, we can give them the extra help they need to be successful in school. It gives them many alternatives to help them complete all of their assignments.”
Live Homework Help is available in Spanish as well, Kay said. The library’s participation is funded in part with a grant from the California State Library, as well as county funds and contributions from local donors and the Friends of the San Benito County Free Library, which also helps fund the Homework Club. Other funds for the club are received through a grant from the United Way as well as from the Hollister School District.
Participation in the Homework Club is free; parents can register their student during regular library hours. After they are enrolled, students are dropped off and picked up by a family member or responsible adult, who must sign the students in and out of each session, Kay said.
The club is designed to accommodate as many as 20 students per session, and Conte said she is hoping to spread the word about the club and its many offerings.
“Homework clubs are really important, whether they are held in a library or in a school setting,” Conte said. “Sometimes, all a child needs is a little help to boost their confidence level and make it possible for them to do well in school. Also, by being a part of their lives as children, we can help them remember, as adults, that the library is a focal point in the community where learning can always take place.”
