Homework Tips for Parents
Homework is an important part of your child’s daily routine. Good habits, established early in school, help children consolidate what they have learned at school.
Here are a few tips for parents to help with homework:
Develop a homework routine and schedule
- Together with your child, establish a specific time and place for homework. Set a specific time allocation each day for homework and stick to the routine.
- Ensure that all extracurricular activities, medical appointments, chores and responsibilities, meal times and bedtimes are accounted for in the schedule.
- Be aware that some children prefer to start their homework immediately after school, however other children need to play and relax before settling into their homework. Experiment with different times to see what works best.
- Keep an eye on things to ensure that homework is actually being done during the agreed time.
Create a better work environment:
- Make sure your child’s study is free from distractions and is easy for you to monitor.
- Limit distractions in the home during homework hours, such as noise or interruptions from other siblings.
- Turn off TV and radio.
- Remove phone and if working on the computer, close email and the various chat and social networking sites.
- Be sure all books, pens and homework resources are within easy reach.
- Consider placing a couple of motivational posters on the walls in the study area.
Help with preparation and structure:
- Expect your child to have all assignments and homework recorded.
- Review each task with your child.
- Encourage your child to review tasks each night and make a plan before beginning.
- Write a to-do list with estimated time to spend on each task.
- Encourage your child to check off tasks once they have been accomplished.
Increase motivation:
- Use a timer to challenge your child to stay on task.
- A “beat the clock” system is often effective – motivating children to complete the task before the buzzer goes off!
- Remind your child to complete homework and offer incentives: “When you finish, you can play computer games.”
- Praise work well done.
- Withhold privileges until a certain amount of homework has been completed.
I hope these tips help to make homework time run more smoothly at your house!





