subject: How To Tackle Kids Homework Headaches [print this page] I have noticed that as my son gets older, his school homework has started to become more regular, and more challenging. I have now resigned myself to the fact that this is just a taste of things to come, and know that the far horizon will be littered with homework assignments.
Like most boys his age, my son would rather watch The Simpsons on television, or play a computer game in the evening rather than to knuckle down for some long division, or practice his spellings!
Homework can be seen as an opportunity for parents to be involved in their children's education. A parent showing interest in their childs school work can encourage a child to enjoy their homework, and it can become a regular part of family life.
However, some parents, myself included, find encouraging their child to do their homework quite difficult. It pleases me to know I am not alone with this problem as homework woes are a regular part of the playground talk with other parents.
As the old saying goes a problem shared is a problem halved, and while discussing homework tactics with other parents, I have managed to pick up some good homework tips to try with my son. Maybe these could help you too?
Don't do the homework yourself. Doing homework for your child won't help them understand and use information, or become confident in their own abilities.
Does your child work better alone or with a friend? See how they get on with a piece of homework alone, then invite one of their friends around to share a homework assignment. Does their friend help of distract your child?
Is it easier for your child to learn things visually by studying pictures and diagrams? If so, drawing pictures and writing in
labels may help them to understand a topic better.
Do they learn better by listening? Can your child follow instructions better if they are spoken to them, and do they find too many written instructions confusing to follow? If this is the case, then you could sit with your child and read aloud the assignment to help them complete their work.
It is easier for your child to count or do simple maths by using counters that they can physically pick up and move around? Helping your child by using plastic counters, scrabble letters, and dice may be the best route in this case.
Create the perfect study environment. Having too many distractions around can affect your childs concentration, so choose a quiet area to study. If you do not have the room to set up a separate study area, then at least make sure the television and radio are switched off, and any pets or siblings are kept as quiet as possible during study time.
Have a homework calendar on clear display where you can note down all the homework assignment dates. Clear a shelf to use especially for homework. This way your childs study area will not be cluttered with all his or her homework assignments and paperwork, and set up a folder for each subject to sit on the shelf so they can be easily located.
If you think the homework is too confusing for your child, and they are really struggling to understand what is being asked of them, try speaking with their teacher. Also speak up if you think your child is generally being given too much homework to do, or too much to do all at once with two or three teachers setting homework on the same day, with the same hand in date.
