Homework Tips: Tips on Getting Your Child to Do Their Homework
One important part of school that a lot kids struggle with, is homework. While doing homework may be difficult for school age children, particularly for those who have just started getting homework, you as a mom can help your child adjust to homework and maximize your child’s school performance. Need homework help? Read on for our homework tips that will make homework time fun for everyone.
Tips to Help with Homework
Establish a homework area: Setting aside a special space in your home for your child’s homework time is a good way to get your child onto the path of school success. Make sure the area is quiet, well lit and has ample space for your child to lay out all his books and be comfortable. The area should also include a drawer or bin full of supplies and paper, so as to minimize distractions and improve productivity, as well as teach the importance of organizational skills.
Routine: Establishing a homework routine is an excellent way to help your child with homework, as it provides security and assurance, which improves concentration. Set up a routine at the start of the year, as this will help your child stick to the routine. Also be sure to set up consequences for not following this routine; for example, if homework time in your household starts at 5 pm and your child still isn’t working on his assignments by 5:10, remove TV privileges for the evening. This will help build good work habits and will avoid you constantly having to ask your child whether she’s done her homework yet. This is a particularly helpful way to teach children the lesson that all actions have consequences.
Don’t let your child become overwhelmed: Taking on too many extracurricular activities is an easy way in which your child can become burnt out and unable to keep up with the demands of doing homework. Limit your child to one extracurricular activity and see how she can handle this responsibility before allowing her to sign up for other activities. This is especially important when your child reaches high school, where the choices for after school activities is often overwhelming.
Meet with the teachers: Attending teachers’ night and meeting with your child’s instructors helps you be more aware of your child’s performance, and chances are it will also increase the teacher’s awareness of your child’s academic progress. By meeting regularly with teachers, whether or not your child has a learning disability, shows your child and her teacher that you care. It also gives you a great opportunity to learn about the teaching style of the instructor.
Encourage your child: Provide praise for the successful completion of homework, as well as provide positive feedback for the completion of small steps as well. For example, if your child isn’t sure how to answer a question but takes the time to review the chapter on the subject, praise this step. By encouraging your child, you will help to build his self-esteem.
Incorporate learning into everyday activities. Don’t limit learning to homework time. Help your child see that the knowledge she’s gaining at school is relevant to everyday life…and that it’s fun! Fractions and measurements, for example, can be reviewed when your child is helping you cook, such as preparing a meal or when making a favorite snack.
Be prepared to let go: While it may be hard, it is important to recognize that as a mom, it is your responsibility to help set up your child for homework success and the tips above provide you with an excellent foundation for this. However, you have to recognize that ultimately it is your child who is responsible for doing his homework and that the grades he earns are his own. Realize that there are worse things in life than if your child gets low grades, such as not teaching your child to take responsibility for his.
