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Child Education: Your Child and Homework

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Written by Dr. Noel Swanson.

Friday, 21 March 2008

Few children relish the idea of sitting down and doing their class assignment. Many will put up some kind of a fuss - ranging from gentle grumbling, to procrastination and outright refusal.

by Dr.NoelSwanson.

Few children relish the idea of sitting down and doing their class assignment. Many will put up some kind of a fuss - ranging from gentle grumbling, to procrastination and outright refusal.

The problem is that you, and the teachers, can see some long-term benefit to studying. To the child it just seems to be a pointless hassle that is keeping him away from doing something fun. Not only that, if the child finds the work hard, and/or is used to getting poor grades for his work, the whole exercise becomes even more demoralizing and discouraging. Given all that, what child in his right mind WOULD want to do their homework?

So, if homework is to be done, you are going to need to set things up in a way that, to the child's way of thinking, outbalances all the negatives. You may never get to the point where she says, "Oh, goody! More homework to do! I can't wait!", but you may, at least, get to, "Well, I guess I had better get this homework done and out of the way."

How do you achieve that? Here are some suggestions:

1. Homework is not something your child loves doing. You need to inspire him to do it. So, shouting and screaming and losing your temper is not going to help. Try and create an atmosphere where your child is encouraged to study. Make it sound interesting by innovative ways. Turn it into a sort of game or at least create the perception that it is fun, so that your child gets involved in it.

2. Check with the school about how much homework is expected and how long it should take. If it takes your child considerably longer than that, or if the grades are consistently very poor, it is time to speak with the school. It may be that there are some learning or attention difficulties that need to be addressed. The more failures you child experiences with respect to homework, the less likely he will want to do it - this includes both the length of time it takes to get it finished, and the difficulty of the work. If, for example, a problem with dyslexia means that it takes three times as long to complete the work, then perhaps you should agree with the school that your child will do as much as he can in the allotted 40 minutes (or whatever), and if it is not completed, then so be it.

3. Create a place that is conducive to working. It is hard to get homework done if you have to do it on your lap while everyone else is watching TV. Maybe have a rule about no TV until everyone's homework is done. Make a cleared space on the kitchen table, or a table or desk in her bedroom, that is clear from distractions and interruptions. Ideally set up an area that is exclusive to your child.

4. Your child will need some help and support. But, don't start doing the homework. Help by way of getting him started, or to find the books or websites that will help. Teach them to find the relevant material. You can help him with spellings or work through a math problem with him. Most importantly, stay calm! You may find the problem simple but it may not be so simple for your child. Give him time to learn things.

5. Be generous in appreciating every single achievement no matter how small it is. First focus on getting the homework done, then start to focus on quality. Let that be the teacher's responsibility; you remain confined to the homework only. Your efforts should be directed towards inculcating diligence and persistence. However, you can ask your child to read his work out loud so as to catch obvious mistakes and correct them.

6. If necessary, set up a reward chart that explicitly rewards homework completion by means of extra privileges, such as TV, or family treats or activities. Again, focus first on rewarding the regular completion of work. Later on you can reward higher grades. Setting up a regular schedule is often helpful.

7. If there is a specific subject that is causing problems, do something about it. See the teacher and try to find a way to turn this into a successful experience for your child.

8. Often, the long-term projects become too unwieldy and burdensome. You can help your child break it down into smaller chunks for which you can set realistic goals and deadlines. This will help in getting the work done as well teach your child how to organize and plan.

9. If you have a busy routine and you cannot spare that much time for your child's homework, look for some sort of a homework club. Many schools offer a facility for supervised homework. Most children prefer doing their homework in the company of their friends and under the guidance of the teacher. After all, they are the only ones put through this at home while the others seem to be enjoying other activities.

10. Above all, focus on helping your child to experience success. Failure breeds discouragement which leads to giving up. Success, on the other hand, is motivating and encourages more attempts. Do whatever you can to make the homework experience a success - either in itself, or by means of the rewards that it earns.

About the Author:

Worried about your child's performance in school? Thinking about special educational needs? Get more of Dr. Noel Swanson's helpful articles, at his parenting advice website, and check out his acclaimed GOOD CHILD Guide and free newsletter.

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