Does getting your kids to do their homework feel like pulling teeth? Are your children struggling with maths, regardless of how much effort you put into helping them?
No matter the homework struggle, rest assured there’s a strategy for getting a handle on it. We gone to the the homework experts – aka tutors – to gather their top tips for winning the homework war and help your child thrive in the classroom.
1. Develop Problem Solving Skills
Don’t just focus on the homework; understand the challenges behind it. When children balk at doing their homework, it is often because they are avoiding the pain of struggling through the material. Give them the skills and homework becomes a fun challenge.
2. Create the Right Space
Create a study zone for your child. Make sure you have comfortable seating and all the materials your child needs to complete their homework. Remove distractions and set up an environment that makes it easy for kids to succeed.
3. Make Learning Fun
Create games out of homework. Hide the homework around the house – science in the bathtub, maths under the kitchen table. Wherever they find it, they need to do it. It creates energy around the mundane. Research shows the more you move around, the better you focus and retain information.
4. Monitor Progress
This gives kids a chance to see their progress and take pride in their accomplishments. What brings homework success is success at something meaningful. If homework isn’t aimed at improving a child’s abilities and it isn’t aimed at giving that child measurable success, then homework becomes a useless chore. If each child has a graph of improvement, then each child becomes aware of their needs and the way to improve their skills.
5. Break Homework Down into Bite Sized Chunks
Kids do their homework when they know exactly what they have to do and when they have to do it. If teachers are unclear about how to accomplish things piece-by-piece, tutors or parents should help kids break down assignments.
6. Create Realistic Timings
Your child’s homework schedule should include plenty of breaks. Allow them some time to play and decompress after school and before starting homework. Let them take a snack break or short walk between assignments. This can help tremendously.
7. Use Free Time Wisely
If homework time is a struggle, teach your kids to make the most of study periods and commuting. Encourage your children to use every bit of free time wisely.
8. Ask for Help
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Hire a tutor or get some part-time assistance to help kids focus during homework time. Talk to teachers and see what resources the school has available.