Get Ready for a Great School Year!
A new school year is here! After a summer spent swimming, playing, and soaking up the sun, it can take some adjustment to get back into the school routine. Like it or not, one of the major components of any school routine is homework. For many students, homework starts the first week of school, so the sooner that your child develops successful homework habits, the better.
Top-Ten Tips for Establishing A Homework Routine
- Set Up a Study Area—This is a specific area where your child can do homework without interruption or distraction. It’s a place where he can leave his bookbag, and get his work done.
- Make Materials Available—Everything your child needs for homework should be within easy reach. It may be a dictionary or pencil crayons, but the less time that your child spends searching for needed supplies, the better focused she will be.
- Remove the Distractions—Turn off the TV, log off the net, turn the radio down.
- Offer Guidance—Children will sometimes need your help, but avoid doing the work yourself.
- Use An Agenda—so that instructions, assignments, and due dates are not forgotten.
- Stay Informed—Ask the teacher about upcoming projects and assignments so that you know what is coming down the pipeline.
- Be a Role Model—Bring some work home from the office. Children model their behavior on yours. When you do work at home, you are setting a good example.
- Offer Praise—Keep it specific, such as “it’s great to see you buckle down like that!”
- Watch Frustration Levels—Everybody needs a break from time to time so that frustration doesn’t go unchecked. Take a short breather every 20 minutes. When not monitored, frustration can destroy a student’s motivation.
- Set a Time Frame—There is a 10 minute rule of thumb for how long homework should take: 10 minutes for grade 1, then add ten minutes for every grade that follows. Following the formula, a child in grade six should have 1 hour of homework (60 minutes); a student in grade 12 should have two hours (120 minutes).
