Child Education: How to Get Your Child to Do His Homework
Dr. Noel Swanson.
Don't expect your child to be enthusiastic about his homework; you weren't either, when it was your turn. No child likes the idea of sitting down and doing class assignments at home, when he has had enough of them in school. It's not surprising then that many children put up some kind of a fuss - ranging from gentle grumbling, to outright refusal.
The problem is that you, and the teachers, can see some long-term benefit to studying. To the child it just seems to be a pointless hassle that is keeping him away from doing something fun. Not only that, if the child finds the work hard, and/or is used to getting poor grades for his work, the whole exercise becomes even more demoralizing and discouraging. Given all that, what child in his right mind WOULD want to do their homework?
So, if homework is to be done, you are going to need to set things up in a way that, to the child's way of thinking, outbalances all the negatives. You may never get to the point where she says, "Oh, goody! More homework to do! I can't wait!", but you may, at least, get to, "Well, I guess I had better get this homework done and out of the way."
Here are some suggestions to make homework slightly more interesting:
1. Homework is not something your child loves doing. You need to inspire him to do it. So, shouting and screaming and losing your temper is not going to help. Try and create an atmosphere where your child is encouraged to study. Make it sound interesting by innovative ways. Turn it into a sort of game or at least create the perception that it is fun, so that your child gets involved in it.
2. Check with the school about how much homework is expected and how long it should take. If it takes your child considerably longer than that, or if the grades are consistently very poor, it is time to speak with the school. It may be that there are some learning or attention difficulties that need to be addressed. The more failures you child experiences with respect to homework, the less likely he will want to do it - this includes both the length of time it takes to get it finished, and the difficulty of the work. If, for example, a problem with dyslexia means that it takes three times as long to complete the work, then perhaps you should agree with the school that your child will do as much as he can in the allotted 40 minutes (or whatever), and if it is not completed, then so be it.
3. It is important to allocate a place for homework; it helps to make it routine. Make sure the place is conducive to working. You cannot expect your child to do homework on his lap while everyone else is watching TV. Indeed, there should be no TV until everyone's homework is done. If you don't have a writing desk, you could use the kitchen table, and clear it of all distractions and interruptions. Of course, it is best to set up an exclusive area for homework.
4. Your child may need your help and support. As long as you don't start doing it for them, you must help him to get started. Sometimes, the child gets stuck because he hasn't understood what he is required to do. Explain that to him, but encourage him to find the answers himself in books or on the internet. You can help with spelling questions or work through the problem in math. However you help, stay calm! Don't expect unreasonable standards. It will only lead to frustration.
5. Be generous in appreciating every single achievement no matter how small it is. First focus on getting the homework done, then start to focus on quality. Let that be the teacher's responsibility; you remain confined to the homework only. Your efforts should be directed towards inculcating diligence and persistence. However, you can ask your child to read his work out loud so as to catch obvious mistakes and correct them.
6. It is a good idea to set up a reward chart and give extra privileges, such as TV, or family treats for completion of homework on time. Later, you may add incentives for higher grades as well.
7. There may be a specific subject that is causing problems. For that you need to see the teacher and take her help and guidance to work on the deficient areas.
8. Often, the long-term projects become too unwieldy and burdensome. You can help your child break it down into smaller chunks for which you can set realistic goals and deadlines. This will help in getting the work done as well teach your child how to organize and plan.
9. Investigate whether the school has a homework club. Many schools provide a facility for children to stay on after the end of the day to complete their homework in a supervised setting. Often children find it easier to do that, than to try to fit in their homework at home around other family members, TV, meals and all the other distractions.
10. Finally, help your child experience success rather than failure. Spend more effort in teaching the concept than be in a hurry to finish the work. If he hasn't got the basics right, he is going to stumble and fall. The rule of the thumb is: teach him to walk; he will learn to run on his own. Don't insist that he starts running before he has learnt to stand on his two feet. And reward him at every step.
Worried about your child struggling in school? Concerned about http://www.good-child-guide.com/special-educ-needs) special educational needs? Get more of Dr. Noel Swanson's parenting tips and articles, at his http://www.good-child-guide.com/ parenting advice website, and check out his parenting manual and free newsletter.
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