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Homework Strategies: Making Homework a Priority

It is important that your children know that you value them doing their homework. Getting it all done is the minimal expectation. Let you child know that getting it done well, is what you really expect. I?ve listed 10 ideas below that might be helpful:

1. Establish a study routine: children should be in the habit of studying at the same time and in the same place each day. Children and parents should decide, together, upon the study routine by taking into account scheduled activities, family commitments, and favorite TV shows.
2. Consider the child's ability to concentrate at different times of the day. Many elementary school children are too tired after dinner, and evidence this by having trouble concentrating, being easily frustrated, and being slow to complete tasks.
3. Ideally, the family agrees upon a study hour, the television and stereo are off, phone calls are not taken, and the entire family studies, reads, or completes paperwork.
4. Establish a place to study with good lighting and a table or desk. Some children prefer to study in their own room. Others do better if they are studying at the kitchen table or other location near parental help.
5. Some children are able to study with a little background noise such as music. Few can study effectively in front of the TV and most need uninterrupted quiet. Other children may prefer to work at the library, and will need transportation.
6. Have supplies on hand including binders, notebooks, paper, pencils, pens, assignment books, erasers, dictionaries, a calculator, ruler, hole punch, tape, glue, reference books and/or programs.
7. Demonstrate that you feel that homework completion is a higher priority than other activities. A child should not watch TV and talk with friends before completing homework, unless time later in the day has been set aside for homework completion.
8. Reduce activities if a child has so many commitments that there is insufficient time for homework.
9. Have help available if a child has so many commitments that there is insufficient time for homework.
10. Have help available for every subject. This might be a parent, neighbor, friend, teacher hot line, and on-line homework service, or a tutor. The helper needs to be someone who is knowledgeable about the subject and who can help the child without becoming frustrated or angry.

09/04