Tired of the nightly homework horror? Have you reached the point where you would rather walk under a ladder carrying a black cat instead of dealing with your child's homework?
Learn how to turn this nightly battle into something much more manageable. We can help you with the following:
- Dealing with Getting Started on Homework
- Have a routine in place. Start homework at the same time each night and have your child sit in the same location.
- Help get your child started. Read the directions to them or help model the first few problems to make sure they are off to a nice start.
- Set an end time. No matter what, when that time arrives, they are either finished or they get a break and then refocus.
- The Effective Use of Breaks
- Before you begin your homework, decide on a specific break time. For example, work hard for 15 minutes, then take a 5 minute break to grab a snack or run around outside.
- Be sure to have a clock or a timer nearby.
- Research shows that breaking up longer assignments allows for students to stay motivated and fresh to apply the knowledge they have learned.
- Organizational Skills
- If you have ever heard that organization is the key to success, you are on the right track. If a student is unorganized and doesn’t have a plan in place, then how can we expect them to focus on the content of academics?
- Make sure students come home prepared with the correct materials and homework. You might use an agenda book or a take home folder where the student writes down their assignments before they leave school.
- Once the homework is done, make sure they get it back into their backpack so they are ready for school in the morning. There is nothing worse than completing your homework but having nothing to show for it because it is at home.
- Deciding How Much Homework is Appropriate
- On average, they say to have 10 minutes of homework is equivalent to the grade they are in. Example, 1st grade: 10 minutes, 2nd grade: 20 minutes, 3rd grade: 30 minutes, etc. this should include some reading time too.
- For students with special needs that have Individual Education Plans, you may choose to add modification of homework to the plan to make homework time easier for the student at home. If you are spending hours and hours of homework time and not getting far, be sure to contact the teacher to come up with an appropriate plan for homework.
- Appropriate Accommodations
- For students with special needs, it is important to figure out what works best for your child. That is the key. Not the class, but the individual child. It is ok for their homework to look a little different.
- Again, if you are spending hours on homework, it might be time to revisit the IEP and create some new strategies.
