Homework Helpers Program Overview FAQ & Best Practices for Families

What age is Homework Helpers for?

The program is designed for children 10-18 years old, so roughly the end of elementary school, all of middle school and through high school.


How does the program work?

1. 60-minute initial session, where the provider gets to know your child, subjects they’re taking, and assignments.

2. Subsequent follow-ups are usually 30 minutes, but can be 60.

3. Provider and child decide what follow-up schedule makes sense based on grade-level, what kind of help the child needs, and what the child is working on.

4. A 60-minute session can be scheduled at any time in the process. 



To get the most out of the program, please ensure that your child...

1. Can log into the virtual tools (e.g. Google Classroom) used in school on their own;

2. Can find their assignments inside these tools;

3. Knows how to tell the status of their assignments (e.g. completed; not completed; timeline extended, etc.);

4. Knows how to mark their assignments as complete/turned in; 

5. Knows how to share their screen over a virtual call (e.g. Zoom);

6. Has access to an email account where they can receive external messages on their computer used for schooling (i.e. many school districts assign students school email accounts that cannot receive messages outside the closed school network or district).


How do I know if Homework Helpers is a good fit for my family?

Homework Helpers is quite different from other programs you may be aware of. We aim to empower children to stay on top of their school work. 

1. It’s not academic tutoring, in that, we will not be teaching a child to solve an algebra equation or what the iambic pentameter is. 

2. There are many wonderful individual tutors and tutoring services already available on the market. Please ask us if you’d like a referral.

Instead, we’ll be helping children build foundational organization skills they can take with them through their academic careers and into the workforce.

3. At the same time, the program aims to free up a parent’s time while unburdening them from being the sole enforcer and disciplinarian for children’s homework. 

4. Parents will continue to stay in the loop via a full progress report after every Homework Helpers session. 


How do I maintain visibility into what my child is working on?

1. After every Homework Helpers session, the parent will get a “progress report” link from the provider. 

2. The report awards an at-a-glance overview of past and present work in grid form, all in one place. The grid starts capturing assignments from the very first date your child meets with the provider, and keeps a running list of all assignments covered in all the held sessions with your child. E.g. If your child has been in the program for 3 months, you will be able to see all their assignments and assignment status over that time period. This is a great way to get insights into how your child works and the progress they make. 

3. The report also captures how often your child completes their assignments on time and incentivizes them to do so by awarding them a gold star for every on-time assignment. Parents tell us their kids are motivated to get all gold stars across the board for all their assignments!  


Can I just do a single or a few sessions? 

The goal of the Homework Helpers program is to help the child stay on top of their schoolwork, which is an ongoing endeavor while school is in session. The program is meant to have side benefits on top of helping the child succeed in school--to unburden parents from having to project manage their children’s work and in the process to teach children valuable life skills rarely taught as part of the formal academic curriculum. We therefore highly encourage you to treat this program as exactly that: a program. 


If you feel that your child would only need one or a few sessions to get the foundational work down and then can take it from there, that’s OK too. We are here to help in any capacity that serves you best and will provide you with an editable spreadsheet (A.K.A. “progress report”) that you or your child can keep updated on your own.  


Can I sit in on the sessions with my child?

Of course you can. One of the benefits Homework Helpers offers is freeing up parent time. You will still be kept in the loop via a report sent to you after every session with your child, so that you can not only get a summary of what your child is working on but also progress or issues they have session-to-session. However, if you feel it will help you and/or your child to be present for one or multiple sessions, it’s absolutely a choice families can make. You will still get the progress report following the session. 


What if my child needs special accommodation?

Please see the PARTICIPATION CRITERIA above. Many of our Homework Helpers providers have specialized degrees or training. We aim for this to be an inclusive program and will make every effort to work with your child. 


We ultimately leave it up to you to decide whether your child can benefit from the program and if so, whether they will need any assistance from you in order to participate. 


If you do feel your child might need a bit of extra help, please contact us at support@screenstars.com and we can recommend a provider that would be a good fit. You are absolutely welcome to try a session and see how it works. And we would love your feedback. 


What if my child usually needs a little extra time? 

We typically allocate 60 minutes for your child’s first session with the program and 30 minutes for follow-up sessions. You can book a 60-minute session at any time, including as all of your follow-up sessions. 


If your child usually needs a bit more time to get through tasks, we recommend that for your child’s first Homework Helpers session, you book a 60-minute session and a 30-minute session with the same provider back-to-back. And that you plan on 60-minute sessions as follow-ups. 


For best results, please mention that your child may need extra time to complete tasks when booking their Homework Helpers sessions; there’s a place to indicate this during booking checkout. 


What’s the pricing? 

Homework Helpers sessions are $60 for 60 minutes and $38 for 30 minutes. This program is available through Employee Benefits Plans and to individual families.