Like many long-term assignments, your child may be asked to complete most of a research project at home — putting you in the uncomfortable position of being teacher, researcher, editor, and typist. Worst of all, you become CEO of time management, better known to your child as a "nag." Here are some tips I routinely give parents to reduce the stress of research reports.

• Keep reading aloud.
  With long-term research reports, it's safe to make two assumptions. First, children have no time-management skills. (With most kids, an assignment that isn't due for another month doesn't require any attention now.) Second, children often turn "research and retell" into "research and plagiarize." By anticipating these common problems, you'll be ready to help your child steer clear of them.