It is important that we set children in a positive routine around learning from early on so that homework time is viewed by the child as another engaging activity instead of a cumbersome chore.
When homework is thoughtfully assigned it helps the child recap all the information learned at school and also gives the child an opportunity to deeply engage with the subject and study material.
For an overall smooth experience for the parent and child, discuss with the school at the time of selecting the school their homework policies, and learning philosophy.
This is an important aspect when choosing the right school for your child and helps you start on the right foot from the beginning.
Also read: How to set up a peaceful morning routine before school.
HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD WITH HOMEWORK WITHOUT DOING IT FOR THEM
- Get acquainted with the school homework policies. – As I mentioned above discuss homework policies with the school, understand the school’s expectations, and what exactly the teachers are looking for with regards to learning goals for the children.
- Set up a quiet study space at home.
- Decide on a regular time for study. – Depending on the school’s homework schedule decide on an appropriate homework routine. At present, we sit down twice a week for about 15-30 minutes at a time to quickly revise and go through concepts covered in school. For younger children don’t expect more than 15-20 minutes of focused attention at a time. As the child gets older and study increases you can increase homework time to 1 hour daily.
- Keep stationary ready and easy to access.
- Encourage the child to work independently. – Some of the first skills to teach young children are, how to organize their books, set up the study table, and read time. Give the child a choice on what homework they would like to tackle first, and allow them space to complete their tasks independently without much interference from your side.
- Be available to help with doubts. – Always choose a time for homework when you know you can also be available to help with doubts. If you are busy it will lead to a stressed-out homework-related interaction which will create a negative experience for the child.
- Praise the child’s efforts. Praise should be focused on the effort put in and on the learning process rather than the results. In the long run, children who learn to focus on the process rather than getting the right answers will end up being more interested in learning and engaging with challenging subjects. These internal motivation skills need to be encouraged from an early age and require a lot of support at the family level for the child to develop. Use homework as an opportunity to guide children to develop these crucial learning skills rather than pressuring them about set goals.
When parents set up a positive learning environment at home, homework becomes interesting and a useful aid to learning instead of it being another cumbersome activity.
Learn here about child-led learning, and how it works.
Hope these tips help your child with homework and give you the confidence you need to guide your child.
How do you help your child with homework every day? Got any interesting tips for us? Leave us a comment below.
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