HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD WITH HOMEWORK WITHOUT ACTUALLY DOING IT FOR THEM
Homework, doing school work at home, is often seen in a negative light by children today. Fair enough they have had their day at school and now instead of being able to come home and relax they are lumped with homework.
‘It’s not fair,’ you may hear echoing through the house. The temptation may be to help put your child out of their misery and get on and do the homework.
How many times are parents tempted to do just that. Peace of mind at the time may score far higher than homework! However, doing your child’s homework is not going to solve the problem in the long run.
How then can parents help their children with getting the best value out of homework?
Here are ten tips to get you as a parent to score 10/10 for helping with homework, but not actually doing the work itself:
Tip no. 1
Take some time to help your child understand why there is a need to do homework. Discuss the work sent home by the teacher and create a positive connection between the home and school via the tasks needed to be done. When your child sees the purpose of doing homework there is more ownership on their behalf to get the homework finished.
Tip no. 2
Set up a place to do the homework. A study area with all the right tools. A place that is quiet, away from distractions and is ready and waiting for homework time.
Tip no. 3
Set up a routine that embraces homework time. Each child at different stages of their schooling, will have different schedules and expectations from their class teachers. Sit down with your child and get them to agree on a schedule. Put in some breaks and some study time into the schedule. Make some time to unwind when school is over before starting homework. Have regular breaks in between work. Remember ‘all work and no play make Jack a dull boy!’
Tip no. 4
Keep in contact with the teacher. If you have any problems with the homework or the quantity of work, take time to contact the teacher and express your concerns. If your child has a problem understanding a particular area of work the teacher needs to know. If you, the parent do the work, the teacher has no idea of how or why your child is struggling in class because the homework is done successfully.
Tip no. 5
Take an active interest in the work without physically doing the tasks. Let your child discuss the problems or work to be done. Help your child find the right solutions. They will learn and remember far more through discussion with you and working out the problem. Help with finding resources or looking for practical ideas for a project. Be a great sounding board or quiz master, but avoid actually doing the work for your child.
Tip no. 6
Invest in a timer that sets the study time and rings an alarm signalling end of that session. Make the times in small realistic chunks with a short break in-between. This makes the time manageable and productive. Working with a timer helps your child to focus on the tasks.
Tip no. 7
Share study habits and methods with your child. Schools help students to study by teaching them how to use mind maps or study guides. Learn key words or play memory games to learn facts.
Tip no. 8
Be a great example yourself. You may not have homework in the manner that schools send, but you may still have work to do at home. Keep busy and show your child you believe in the need to work at home on different projects.
Tip no. 9
Praise and encouragement go a long way to being involved, but not actually doing the work. Praise your child for settling down and getting on with homework. Give added praise for finishing on time and congratulations for packing up neatly and not complaining.
Tip no. 10
Be a guide or facilitator. Most importantly be involved from an interested parent perspective. Go back to tip no. 1 and reaffirm the meaning behind homework for your child. If this is understood then tip no 1 motivates all the other tips. Homework becomes a part of learning for the future. A discipline that stands your child in good stead as a learner.
Try these tips to helping your child with their homework. You could earn a 10/10 report card for your diligence! The end result will make a far more worthwhile contribution to your child’s progress at school.
Thomas Edison said:
“A genius is a talented person who does his homework.”
Knowing the value of doing homework will make all the difference. These ten simple tips will enhance the time you spend helping your child with homework, without actually doing the work.
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