BACK TO BASICS – GETTING HOMEWORK DONE AT HOME

 

 


In today's busy, multitasked households, getting the new online school work and homework done can be a challenge; however this time can be used to develop a child’s sense of responsibility, organization and feelings of independence.  

It is never too early to teach children good study habits, and having a daily routine is the cornerstone of quality work practices.  Once a routine is created, your child can be supervised at a distance (depending on the age and ability) through the completion of their work. 

 

WHAT PARENTS CAN DO

Parents can, and should set the stage for children’s homework completion; however, they should not do it for them, no matter how much they want the child to succeed.  Children need to make mistakes, and have those mistakes corrected by their teacher.  Teachers need to be able to see what their students are capable of, and where more work needs to be done.  This is part of the process.  Parent should encourage their child to correct their own work, and resist doing corrections for them.

 

BE ONTOP OF WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE

Parents need to ensure there is an ongoing and open dialogue with their child's teacher.  It is important to know the classroom teacher’s expectations so your child can be guided on meeting them. Encourage your child to make use of an agenda to keep track of school work, assignments, tasks, reading, and homework.  Help your child to respect timelines and due dates by maintaining a check list of smaller tasks that make up a full assignment by the end date. 

 


SET THE STAGE

Sit with your child at the start of homework time to get them started, and then give them space to complete their work.  Come in again once their done.  Help your child review their work to teach them how to follow through on tasks as well as complete revisions.  Making corrections completes the learning process. 

 

TEACH YOUR CHILD HOW TO PLAN FOR BIG ASSIGNMENTS

Break down big assignments into weekly or daily chunks and keep track of progress in a calendar.  Keep the calendar in the place where your child completes their homework so they can easily refer to it.  This will allow the child to track their progress, and stay on top of the whole assignment. 

 

TEACH YOUR CHILD A PROCESS

Use homework time to teach your child how to get and stay focused.  Whenever possible, have your child do their homework at the same time every night:  after supper, after their bath, before they watch TV, etc.  Anything of these things can signal to your child that homework time is near.

Make sure your child de-clutters and organizes their materials before they settle down to work, then limit distractions.  No cell phones, social media or gaming electronics.

Have your child make a complete list of all the homework that has to be done.  Arrange the items from easy to hard, or hard to easy depending on the child.  Some children need to start with the easy things to get them rolling, others need to start with harder subjects while their mind is still fresh.

 


FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THE HOMEWORK ROUTINE

Always expect your child to do their homework and maintain the attitude that homework is important and must be done. 

Try The 1, 2, 3 Set Up Method. 

1:   Clear the workspace of all distractions.

2:   Collect all homework materials.  Have everything that will needed on hand.

3:  Review the work and make a short list of what to do.

Highlight instructional words like: read, list, write down, colour in, etc.  These are written clues on how to complete the assignment.  Make sure your child stores their work so they can access it later to hand in.

 

DON’T NEGOTIATE

Children can be masters at negotiation, and once you open the portal of bargaining, there is no closing it, and homework completion will become a trial of haggling, cajoling, bribing…pleading.  Make homework completion one responsibility that is non-negotiable.   Flexibility is fine, but make sure the end result is the same.  Homework is a task that needs to be done, and on time.



FOCUS ON LONG TERM DISCIPLINE

Homework completion should encourage positive study habits and organizational skills that last a lifetime.  Once you set up your child's homework routine, discuss the most important thing as being the follow through with the process, not just getting the answers right or the work done in record time.  Homework skills should teach your child more than academic learning.  It should set them on the path of good organizational and life skills.  

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Want more information on how to be a mindful ECE?  Download the Mindful ECE Resource Collection.



 

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