Back to School 2016
BACK TO SCHOOL | SCHOOL DAYS
A Homework Routine
O
ne of the most important factors in determining your student’s performance in
school is his homework routine. What happens in the hours after school can be just
as important as what happens inside the classroom, and parents are responsible for
making sure this time is as productive, encouraging and distraction-free as possible.
If you fail to set routines and
expectations from an early age,
it can be difficult for students
to complete their homework in
an efficient manner. This can
lead to late assignments and
poor grades.
Fortunately, putting together
a clear homework schedule
isn’t as difficult as it may
sound. It all starts with carving
out some time in the after-
school schedule. Work with
your student early in the
school year to make sure you
have a clear understanding of
her extracurricular schedule,
as well as what the homework
requirements for the various
classes will be. This can help
you devise a schedule and
strategy that leads to on-time
homework completion.
KNOW YOUR BOUNDARIES
A study by the Bett
Educational Technology
Tradeshow found that in one
in six families, parents do all of
their child’s homework. This is
unacceptable behavior for
many reasons, most notably
the fact that the student is
short-changed from actually
learning the subject matter.
As parents, we must help our
children develop the ability to
complete homework inde-
pendently. If your child is in
the younger grades, help may
be needed in checking home-
© FOTOLIA
work and making sure it is
completed, but try to separate
yourself from the processes
that require critical thinking
and self-study unless your
child is having difficulty over-
coming a particular part of the
assignment. Even then, offer
your guidance in a strategic
way that encourages your child
to come up with the answers
independently.
TAKING BREAKS
Doing homework isn’t
always the most enjoyable
experience, especially after
your little brainiac has spent
the entire day at school. If frus-
tration ensues, make sure to
encourage short breaks.
Taking a breather for a short
walk or snack may help your
child re-focus and get back to
work.
Keep the snacks healthy and
light, and try to make the
breaks relatively short. You
don’t want your child to lose
momentum on an assignment
or forget where he was in the
process.
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