Oh, yeah. You’ve been there nagging-yelling-pleading-escalating threats. Homework. Very few children just love the stuff. As a parent who cares about your child’s education, not to mention future job prospects, you can support your child’s schooling by ensuring that homework is completed. However, most families endure at least occasional bouts of resistance from their eager learner regarding this nightly ritual. How can we learn to quit singing the blues and ‘waltz’ through our routine? The keys are in acknowledgement, environment and organization.
The first, and most crucial, step is to acknowledge that homework is an important part of the child’s education. Academically, homework is critical for reinforcement of new concepts. It allows teachers to check for understanding after introducing new skills and provides opportunities for correction and re-instruction when necessary. Homework also helps develop important personal characteristics, such as responsibility, independence, time management and self-discipline. It develops qualities that are fundamental to becoming productive adults.
Parents can make homework a priority through organization and planning. Usually, something has to go in order to meet the goal. Church, sports and artistic endeavors are also important in developing a well-rounded and responsible individual. Television, computer games and instant messaging, on the other hand, offer little that cannot be obtained through more wholesome activities. By reducing TV viewing, the family can more easily organize environmental factors, which is the second component of positive homework management.
Families should try to schedule a regular time and space for homework. Select a space that is uncluttered, comfortable and has plenty of writing surface. Provide a workbox that contains necessary materials such as paper, pens, erasers, scissors, markers and crayons. These belong to the individual child and are only used for doing homework. Consequently, your student will always have the necessary tools available. It is also a way to teach basic planning skills. Limit noise and stimulating visual distractions in the homework area. Younger students often concentrate better when the television, radio and other background diversions are eliminated. Each child’s tolerance level is different.
Next, organize the ‘event’ so that resistance is minimized and your child experiences success. Begin by helping your child plan their time. Establish a reasonable time to complete all assignments. Your child’s teacher will be able to tell you how long a student at a particular grade level needs to spend doing homework. It is helpful to schedule a block of time for each task. Include time for work on long-term projects. If your child has a heavy homework night, you will probably want to schedule breaks between tasks.
Younger children may need to talk through the process before starting in order to get their thought processes stimulated, ensure understanding of directions and to produce higher quality responses on writing assignments. Allow five to ten minutes to be certain that your child knows what to do. Acknowledge and praise them for getting started, then continue to provide intermittent encouragement for ongoing efforts. After homework is completed and parents review it, your child places it into a backpack so that assignments are turned in on time.
Finally, praise your child’s efforts. Your child is learning some wonderful pro-social behaviors that you will want to see more of in the future. Let them know how much you appreciate their endeavors. Then relax and enjoy the harmony.
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