What’s the best way to ease the kids back into a homework routine after the long summer break?
Children like established routines so the best thing to do is to set your expectations for homework early on. Try to be as consistent as possible so that you can encourage them to become independent in the process.
How can we be more organized about homework, without making it a regime? Are things like homework timetables useful for primary school age children – for example?
The role of homework should be to build up independent learning and self-management skills in conjunction with the actual academic skills. Parents should help their child develop success in this area so that might include a homework timetable or visual schedule to remind them what their responsibilities are. It is important for parents to establish this early on in the new school year so that children become used to the routine.
What kinds of good habits (for both parents and kids) make the whole homework process easier?
As already mentioned, it is essential to have an established routine for homework so that children know the expectations without daily negotiations and unnecessary struggle.
Next, there should be a specific place where children do homework so that distractions are limited. This could include the kitchen table or a desk, for example. Supplies and materials can be kept in this area so that time is not wasted trying to get organised. It is also helpful if children use a homework agenda to record their assignments from school. This also makes it easier for parents to keep track of what is due and when.
How much time can we reasonably expect primary school-age children to devote to homework each evening?
It is reasonable for children to spend between 15 and 30 minutes on assigned homework each evening. Keeping in mind that the purpose of homework is to solidify the skills they learned in class and build independence, there really does not need to be any more allotted time than this.
Children spend a great deal of their day at school, so if the academic skill is not understood at that time, then there is no guarantee that spending additional time will help them to comprehend it any better. Instead, they may need to learn the concept in a different way.
How can we make homework more fun – and not a battleground?
The best way that parents can make homework less of a chore is to use the ‘Premack Principle’– a positive psychology tool which states that you can use a preferred behaviour or activity to reinforce a least-preferred activity. Essentially, this means that you can ‘sandwich’ the homework task between other, more positively-perceived activities. For example, give your child 30 minutes of free time before their homework then follow their study time with a highly enjoyable activity (such as a computer game for older kids). You will find that homework is much less likely to be a struggle simply because the child knows that this task has to be completed before moving on to the more exciting activity.
Are there optimal times for getting homework done? Are any times proven to work best?
Earlier is better, simply because the child’s coping skills and attentional focus will be that much greater. They will be able to handle frustration or challenge much better earlier in the day or evening.
Why is it so important to keep up with homework? Some parents argue if they’re paying for schooling, why should kids have to study out of hours, too…
Parents have the right idea here. When it becomes a daily marathon, parents are right to feel like there is an imbalance. Many schools and teachers feel pressure to give additional homework because it gives an impression that the school is more ‘challenging’ or ‘high standard’. Teachers also need to understand that the child needs balance in their day (such as family time, or extra-curricular activities), and too much homework or ‘homework for homework’s sake’ can upset that balance.
If parents are finding that their children are not gaining value from the homework or they are consistently facing problems, they need to communicate this to the teacher. A discussion with the teacher about the purpose of the homework will help to solve the problem. For older children, homework should be more focused on developing independent study and research skills. ‘Drill and kill’ memorization should be less-important, with more focus dedicated to projects and group assignments. Often, children might benefit greatly from having a study-buddy or working with a team or group.
Is it advisable to get a private tutor in to help with homework sessions?
While parents can get lucky with finding a quality tutor, the majority of the time tutors do not set clear goals or targets for the child to reach. Many simply ‘re teach’ the concepts using the same resources and methods that were not understood in class.
The sign of a good tutor is if they can tell you why the child might be struggling with the concept and how they might be able to help the child ‘get around it’ in a different way. They should also be able to give you an idea about how long it would take the child to solidify the skill. There is no point to a child having a tutor who simply spoon-feeds them without addressing their underlying difficulties.
If you’re a working parent and rely on a nanny for some of your child care, how can they help out too?
If parents are working, it is doubly-important that they initially take the time to establish routines for homework with their children.
Having discussions with the child and the nanny about what should happen (and how) and then monitoring the success of this will make her more able to follow your standards. Providing clear guidelines and a written schedule will support this process. Make sure that you give plenty of positive praise when things go well. Help your nanny know the value of letting your child do the homework on their own and explain clearly what you want her to do when they encounter any challenges.
