Helping kids be responsible for the completion of their homework makes the parent's role in the process much easier.
Educational professionals agree, developing good study habits early in life can carry through to adulthood. A major challenge for parents helping their children with schoolwork is how to get homework completed each night without declaring war. Parents need to establish homework guidelines early in their children's education; by first grade at the latest. Sitting down with your child at the beginning of each school year to determine homework goals will help them feel like they are part of the decision making process. Committing your child to the homework process does not necessarily guarantee homework success, but it does ensure that they know the process, and when they are failing to follow it.
GETTING ORGANIZED
1. Establish a consistent homework setting - is there a room or place in your household where your child will have good opportunity to study and do homework? Things to consider:
a. good lighting
b. minimal distractions - no television, video games, or heavy family traffic-flow
c. comfortable seating and writing surface
d. easy access to reference resources and supplies
2. Help your child determine their studying style:
a. Does your child prefer quiet or some outside "white" noise (i.e. soft music) while studying? Do not allow television, video games or computer games to be on in the vicinity of the studying child.
b. Does your child prefer to be isolated while studying, or do they need to study in space close or adjacent to family interaction? Do limit the distractions made by siblings or household pets. Some families find success by having all children in the household study/do homework at the same time.
c. How much help with homework does your child need? Having a knowledgeable person available to quickly answer simpler questions (i.e. how to spell a word) can help alleviate a lot of frustration for your child. If a lot of parental involvement will be needed for a homework assignment, let your child know when you will be available to help. Stick to your time commitment to your child, it shows that you take your child's homework needs seriously.
DEVELOPING GOOD STUDY HABITS
1. Have your child experiment with the best time to complete homework. Some households set-up time immediately after the child gets home from school. Others have the children complete homework when the parent(s) of the household are home from work. Having your child determine which time works best for him/her will help ensure productive studying.
2. When is your child most distracted and least on task? Have them determine what their biggest deterrents to studying are. It is necessary to keep distractions during the assigned study-time to a minimum. Turn off the TV, the phone, computer and video games during this time.
3. Does your child perform best under pressure or with adequate time to prepare and complete assignments? Some people really do require a drop-dead deadline in order to do their best work. Some people like to break deadlines down into a series of smaller deadlines to keep stress to a minimum. Training your child to plan out assignments and break down major projects into smaller mini-projects will help them develop good time management skills.
SETTING HOMEWORK GOALS
1. Consistent study area - always attempt to have your child use this same area for studying. This will help prepare your child's mindset for serious studying. Ensure that your child's study area is reasonably clear of clutter and is well lit. The temperature of the area should be moderate. Remove outside distractions. All family members need to know that study-time means keeping the household reasonably quiet and stress-free.
2. Consistent study time - have your child sit down to complete homework at the same time each day. Developing patterned behavior for homework completion will aid your child in developing continued good study habits.
3. Have all study supplies available in the study area. Having homework supplies and resources readily available helps decrease distractions and the amount of time it takes to complete homework.
4. Know what your child's homework is!!! If your child is the forgetful sort, have them keep a daily/weekly planner just for homework. Have them write down all of their homework assignments in this planner and keep the planner in their backpack. Have them check the planner each day before leaving school to ensure they have all materials needed that evening to complete their homework assignments. If your child is the extremely forgetful sort, it might be necessary for you to communicate with your child's teacher to ensure that you understand the homework process and expectations.
5. Have your child keep a special portfolio or folder for all completed homework. Having a specific place to put all assignments (or even important papers that need to go back to school) will help prevent misplaced or lost paperwork.
Once you have set homework goals with your child, ensure consistent adherence to these goals. If your child knows that you will be checking their progress on their homework, they will be more likely to meet the goals that you established together. Check your child's completed homework whenever you can to ensure their understanding of the assignments. Involvement is the best service you can provide in your child's education. Homework is the easiest place, for you as a parent, to be involved.
