Health & Fitness
5 Strategies to Make Homework Easier
Homework is a part of any student's academic life - try these ideas to lessen the struggle!
1. Find a designated space for homework.
Some students will do their homework well regardless of their location, but for any students who struggle with homework and distractions (especially those with attention or executive functioning challenges), having a primary "Homework Only" location is great. It can be tough to do your homework in a place that reminds you of food (kitchen table) or sleeping (bedroom) or watching TV and playing video games (living room). You can use a desk or table in a part of the house that the student doesn't currently use for something more exciting and give it the "Homework Only" label.
2. Eliminate distractions.
Texting or watching TV shows while doing homework is not the best choice. Studies show that although you may be able to do more than one things at a time, the quality of both of those things will suffer. There are many students who function better with music in the background, and the type of music that works varies per person. Some students prefer classical music while others like white noise or current music. The choice is theirs to make, so long as it is helpful. However, a buzzing phone just calls for them to see who texted or emailed. It's best to keep it on silent or in another room while your child is trying to get their work done.
3. Be ready to work.
If you are hungry or exhausted, it's harder to focus on your work, right? It is the same for our kids. Whenever possible, try to get your son or daughter to think about anything that he or she needs to be ready for work: snack? 15 minute break? Does he/she need to text that friend so that he/she can get to work without thinking "I need to text X" the whole time?
4. Plan it out.
What is on his/her homework list? What NEEDS to be done today? What can he/she plan to do tomorrow if today's time is short? Prioritize and consider the use of lists where your child can visually see the work ahead and has the ability to cross off and see what he or she has accomplished.
5. Time management.
Timers are great for time management. A timer can be used to see how your child does in guessing the length of time it takes to complete an assignment or to give a solid block of time that feels reasonable to see what he/she can get done. Have your child guess how long that English assignment is going to take and set the timer to see how close he/she is. Alternately, set the timer for an agreed-upon amount of time (try 25 minutes, see www.pomodorotechnique.com) and work for a set period of time.
Good luck on getting those assignments done!