Written by Melissa Shaw and John McEnhill (Primary Coordinators)
Dedicate a regular time for homework: Establishing a routine for children will make homework less of a chore, and more of a habit. When you do it depends on your child’s schedule and preference, but aim for a regular time for homework each night.
Make the homework space special: If you can, use a dedicated desk, which belongs to the child. It should be quiet, well lit, and have all the necessary supplies such as pencils, colour pencils, scissors and glue.
Allow your children a break between tasks: Described by child psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi as “flow time”, allowing children a break to do something they really enjoy will reenergize them and means homework takes less time overall.
Communicate with the teacher: If homework is taking too long, or seems too difficult, use the diary or email to talk to the teacher so they can help your child and make the necessary adjustments.
Be positive: Not always easy! Try to use positive language when you talk about homework, as opposed to making it seem a chore. Make sure you praise their efforts both as they complete their work, and after.
Use a timer: Particularly with older students, this can give them a sense of scale to the task. You can use the timer on your smartphone, or there are many more visual timer apps to download.
Don’t do the work for them-but do model it: If your child is stuck on a tricky Mathematics problem, don’t solve it for them, but model for them how you can do a similar problem. You can ask their teacher for help with the methods they are using in class!
Thanks to all parents who attended our recent Homework Workshop. If you were unable to attend, please head to your child’s Year Level Blog. Under the ‘Resources’ tab, you will find our recent homework presentation with further information.