Teacher:  Parent takes charge, gives schedules and direction.  This role will be present in the background most of the time.  It must fade from prominence as the child approaches the teenager status.  You can fade it early or you can wait for your teenager to do it for you.  You will prefer fading it yourself.

Parenting

Learning, studying

Peer: Parent acts like another child.  The parent may model effective or ineffective behaviors, expecting the child to imitate or criticize, as appropriate.  If the child uses ineffective behaviors (Canters, Tooth Fairies) too frequently, the parent might dramatize the consequences by overplaying the ineffective behavior.

You know the Canters

Assistant: Parent performs selected elements of the homework task.  Usually the child selects the task elements to be done by the parent.  The child also specifies detailed goals of the performance and evaluates the adequacy of the parent’s performance.  Note that .inadequate performance may be quite appropriate.   In the long run, the parent’s goal is for the child to say “I can do it better than you can.”  

The assistant role is used to let the child focus and practice on particular aspects of the task while the parent models other parts.  Note that the parent should display and talk about actions that the child will need to imitate. 

Variation: Robot assistant.  Parent imitates robot, attempting to describe all actions.  Parent requires clear instructions, responds to ambiguous instructions with the wrong choice.   This role is used to help the child improve clarity of thinking (and speaking).

Example: 
I'll Find It For You

Student: Parent takes the role of student (probably a slow learner) while child takes the role of teacher.  This role would only be appropriate when the child has apparently learned the assignment.    This role is used as a rehearsal method and is suitable when child will need to use the material in ways that require adaptability.  For example, material that will be used in a subsequent course.