Homework is an important tool to help children practice and review the lessons taught in school. It improves their learning skills and enhances their personal growth by teaching them responsibility, independent work habits, organization and time management. Moreover, by developing good homework skills, children can understand their lessons better, retain them well and score better in examinations.
Children might find doing homework uninteresting & stressful as they have to dedicate some time each day to complete the tasks given by the teacher. Hence, they try to complete their homework as soon as possible without focusing on the concepts. However, it is very important for your child to complete her homework with full concentration and understanding, so that she can reinforce the topics which she has already learned, extend her imagination by applying it to new situations and thus prepare herself for complex lessons.
You can help your child to develop her interest in completing her homework & assignments by making it a stress-free exercise. Here are some useful tips to make homework hassle free for your child:
- Allocate a specific place for homework – Designate a separate place for your child where she can spend productive time doing her homework and revising the already learnt concepts. For this, earmark an area of your home, where you can create learning space for your child. Ensure that the area/study room is well-ventilated and sufficiently illuminated, with ample natural light. Provide a comfortable table and chair, provide everything she might need (pencils, eraser, glue, scale etc.)
- Get stationery of her choice – Allow your child to select the stationery items, including pencils, erasers, ruler, writing paper, dictionary etc. of her choice. This is because if your child makes use of the supplies that she has chosen, she will take keen interest in doing the homework without getting deviated from the things around her. Also, offer her easy-to-reach shelves & drawers wherein she can arrange her books, notebooks and other stationery items neatly.
- Establish a homework routine – Help your child develop a daily and weekly schedule of homework and other activities. Your child should get in the habit of doing her homework at the same time every day. So, establish a routine for her to complete her homework daily.Ask your child to suggest a regular time when she would like to do her homework like right after school or after play or before dinner etc.
- Be involved in your child’s homework – Check your child’s school diary every day. Examine the homework assignment, review schoolwork that has been sent home and talk with your child about it. Review the assignment with your child before she begins to make sure that she understands what she is supposed to do. Also, serve as a mentor for your child whom she can approach whenever she needs assistance. Always be available for your child and provide her with a helping hand whenever she wants. This way, you can inculcate daily learning in your child effectively while establishing a strong bond with her.
- Make a plan of action – Determine the order in which the homework of all subjects will be done. Ask your child whether she wants to start with the simplest or shortest task to build confidence and facilitate a greater sense of progress or complete the difficult subject first. Also, postpone unnecessary activities & tasks until the homework is finished.
- Leave your child to work alone – Let your child complete her homework independently from beginning to end. Give her guidance and ask her to complete her homework alone. If necessary, walk into a different room to reinforce the point that you expect your child to proceed through the homework independently. However, if you find that your child is asking for help very frequently, then listen to her queries & assist your child with her homework, but never do an assignment for her.
- Encourage your child to do her best – Homework is a time for your child to show you what she is learning in school.Encourage your child to do her best and not the fastest and let her complete her homework at her own pace. Remember, quality of time spent on homework is more important than the duration.
- Control and limit meaningful distractions – Your child may choose to do her homeworkwhile listening to a radio or watching TV, claiming that it helps her focus on her homework well. However, remember that audio and visual distractions will interfere with the homework assignments. So, control and limit meaningful distractions, such as telephone, TV, music and interruptions from others during homework time, particularly during difficult assignments. Also, make sure that the child is able to focus better and longer by making the room free from other kind of distractions like toys, computer, PSP etc.
- Allow your child to take breaks – Make sure that you allow your child to take a short break from her work, whenever she feels tired. For instance, if she is working on something, say drawing a picture for a prolonged period, instruct her to take a short break for 5-10 minutes, so that she refreshes herself and gets back to the task with full energy.
- Start a Study Group: An old adage states that “Two heads are better than one”. A study group can help your child to do better homework. So, call your child’s friend at home and let them complete their homework together. Look for a child who stays alert in the class, who takes notes, asks questions, and respond to the teacher’s questions. Further, observe them & make sure that they are studying.
· Monitor your child’s homework daily – After your child has finished her homework, review everything to check for accuracy and neatness. Implement “COPS” strategy to do proof reading of your child’s work: C = Capitals O = Overall Appearance P = Punctuation S = Spelling. Further, insist your child to re-do certain part of homework that does not meet these standards stating the reason.
· Praise her work and efforts – Praise your child’s efforts that she putsin doing her homework and her attempts to work independently. Be specific about what she has done well. Appreciate her with positive verbal comments like, ‘I really like how you worked hard on your homework and you did it all by yourself. I am very proud of you’, ‘you followed the directions exactly and finished in 15 minutes’, ‘all your letters are right between the lines. I am sure your teacher won’t have any trouble reading this’ etc. You may also reward your child with an ice-cream treat or plan a movie night if she completes her homework timely & accurately. This will motivate your child to complete her homework independently on time.
In the end, tell your child that revising the already learnt things & learning new things daily will help her to gain knowledge, which in turn will serve as the foundation for life. Also, explain your child that completing her homework in time will enhance her learning and help her grow up as an enthusiastic and a self-reliant learner.
