Homework Time: How to Support
This post on Homework is written by Kyla Cassidy
A new school year brings new academic material. What better way to practice and engrain material in our children then homework assignments.
The intention behind homework may vary depending on your child’s teacher. At its core, homework provides students with the opportunity to practice and refine academic skillsets. This practice empowers children to be responsible, instilling a sense of ownership in their education. A 2011 study found homework to aid in strengthening children’s self-regulation skills, specifically in time management and goal setting.
For many parents, engaging in homework without children can increase stress and anxiety. Extensive research validates this, further noting that homework can create parent/child conflicts and contributes to a reduction of quality family time during the week.
Here are a few tips for managing homework time, supporting our children throughout.
CREATE THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT
It is important that the environment your child does their work in is an area prone to minimum distraction. Further, be consistent with the area in which your child does their homework. By doing this, you are instilling a sense of routine and outlining a general expectation of what study-time time looks like.
CREATE A CONSISTENT SCHEDULE
This may be difficult, given scheduling with other children or work schedules, however, try to have your child complete their homework within a designated time frame. A potential opportune time to complete study time may be shortly after your child arrives home from school. Allow your child some down time after immediately returning from school, then transition your child to beginning their homework.
MAINTAIN TV AND PHONE BOUNDARIES
For some children, electronics and TV time can increase distraction levels. Many parents find it helpful to set guidelines around electronics and TV time, encouraging children to complete their homework prior to engaging in these activities.
KNOW THEIR STRENGTHS
If your child is struggling with a particular subject or concept, establish communication with their teacher to further inquire about opportunities to receive additional help. YouTube is an excellent resource in which many parents find helpful, kid-friendly videos that further explain certain concepts for a variety of subjects.
PROVIDE BREAKS
If you find your child is easily distracted or having a difficult time sitting still throughout homework time, start to integrate a few breaks throughout. A timer is a useful tool, allowing children to gauge how much time they need to sit and engage, with a break near in the future.
GO EASY ON YOURSELF
Parents often find homework time frustrating. This is a normal experience amongst parents. Prioritize remaining patient with yourselves as parents, while also remaining patient with your child.
In Summary ...
As the new school year begins, homework plays a vital role in reinforcing academic skills, fostering responsibility, and building self-regulation in children, particularly in time management and goal setting. However, completing school assignments can also lead to stress and conflicts between parents and children, while reducing family time.
To help manage homework effectively, parents can:
- Create a distraction-free, consistent environment.
- Set a designated study time, ideally after some post-school downtime.
- Limit electronics and TV until your child’s work is completed.
- Reach out to teachers for extra help if needed, and consider using educational YouTube videos for additional explanations.
- Incorporate breaks if children struggle to focus, using timers to structure work time.
Above all, patience is key, both for parents and children, as managing homework can be challenging but rewarding.
Check out our other popular blog posts:
Leave a Comment