This weekend marks the 25th anniversary of Oxford Learning.

Oxford Learning was founded in London, ON, in 1984 as an after-school educational program designed to not only help children get better grades, but to help children learn to really understand and to get “it” once and for all.

The original Oxford Learning centre was so successful, that within a few years, other Oxford Learning centres were opening across Ontario. From there, it wasn’t long before centres were opening in other provinces across Canada.

Today, Oxford Learning has over 80 centres from coast to coast in Canada, as well as multiple locations across the US and the world.

Practical Tips for Everyday

One of the simplest ways for students to develop in-class confidence is by being able to confidently turn in homework, completed and on time. But in order to accomplish this, students need a reliable homework strategy.

When it comes to homework, a little organization and strategic planning helps students of all ages to complete their homework on time. When solid homework habits are established, good grades are sure to follow…not just for the next test but for the entire school year.

Top 10 Tips to Handle Homework:

• Set Up a Study Area—From the first day of class, even if there is no homework, designate one area of the house as the “homework zone.” This is an area with no distractions that is dedicated to working on projects and assignments.
• Make Materials Available to the Homework Zone—What tools does your child need to get the homework done? Use a container or box to keep all supplies handy. Anything that your child may need access to during homework should be easily accessible so that he won’t waste time rummaging around for it.
• Remove the Distractions—If the homework zone is the dining room table, and a TV is nearby, make sure that the TV is off. But don’t be too stringent; some people work best with a little background noise, such as a radio playing quietly in the background.
• Set a Time Frame—Choose a time that is best suited to your family’s needs to work on homework. Whether it is right after school, or after dinner, sticking to a set schedule helps the work to get done.
• Offer Guidance—Don’t do the homework for your child; be available, read the newspaper, or read a book so that if your child needs to ask a question she won’t have to go looking for you.
• Use An Agenda—Agendas are the key organizational tool for homework. An agenda reminds students of tasks to be completed, and is also a great place to write down questions to ask the teacher.
• Stay Informed—Regularly talking to your child’s teacher is a great routine to establish. Ask about upcoming projects that may require extra help or any regularly occurring assignments such as vocab quizzes. These things can all go onto a Master Schedule that the family shares.
• Be a Role Model—“Do your homework!” is a refrain heard in many households. Set a good example by practicing what you preach; read a book, do some research, or scratch some chore off your to-do list.
• Offer Praise—Be specific in your praise, and be sure to recognize children’s efforts, and hard work, not their intelligence. Kids will appreciate that their efforts are not going unrecognized, and you’ll help bolster their confidence.
• Watch Frustration Levels—If your child is feeling stressed by homework, or just can’t master the concepts, then it’s time to seek help. Getting homework done is a routine part of school, just like eating lunch, but with a well-established homework routine, it can even be confidence boosting.

The Early Years

For the younger grades, the back-to-school season can be very intimidating. New teachers and new surroundings can be upsetting to young students’ routines. There can even be separation anxiety. Whether young students have back-to-school jitters or not, parents can help young students feel relaxed and confident about back-to-school with these tips:

• Take a tour of the school and arrange to meet the teacher and view the classroom before school begins.
• Discuss previous school experiences with children, whether it’s pre-school, kindergarten, or the previous grade, and remind them about what they enjoyed about school.
• Talk about what they might be learning in the upcoming year and how exciting it is to learn to read chapter books, or learn how to divide—whatever the case may be.
• Taking a stroll around the building and playing on the play equipment helps first-graders develop a sense of familiarity with their school environment and lessens some of the anxiety.

The Middle Years

Back-to-school can be an exciting time—seeing friends again, meeting new teachers, and entering new classrooms. But it can also be a time of anxiety: new subjects, unfamiliar classmates, more challenging assignments, and more work.

Students in the middle years—from fourth to eighth grades—can help alleviate any tension with these tips:

• A little retail therapy can help to ease nerves. Picking out new book bags, binders and pencil cases can help elementary students feel in control and even excited to return to class.
• As with the early grades, it’s helpful to talk about what the year ahead might bring. Discuss academic strengths and weaknesses and help children identify any academic goals that they may have. What would they like to accomplish this year?
• Social pressures begin to develop during these years—often it’s helpful to encourage children to take part in extracurricular activities with their classmates. From sports to scouting, activities outside the classroom can build friendships and confidence in the classroom.

The High School Years

When school starts, it may seem like there is an endless expanse of time ahead, and that there is plenty of time to get on track. But, the truth is that the habits and routines that students develop during the first weeks of school are critical and can set the pace for the entire school year.

• High school students especially need to hit the ground running from day one, or they can easily fall behind, and the chances of pulling ahead drop.
• From the very first day of class, students should be using strategies to develop a strong momentum that will carry them throughout the whole year. These include:
  • Being organized
  • Using a planner
  • Eating right
  • Getting enough sleep
• Time management skills are especially critical in high school. The workload increases every year, as do personal and social responsibilities. Balancing an active social and personal life with homework can get tricky—that’s why it’s critical for high school students to master time management, and master it early on.
• The sooner that high school students get on track, the better.