We all know that a child hates to hear the word 'HOMEWORK', It's almost like a curse word for them, a word that is used to punish or sacrifice their freedom. I.e. You MUST finish your homework before you go out with your friends.
But we have to show our children the advantages of homework and they must see the benefits to why they should complete their homework.
The Tops Benefits To Homework:
1) Help them to practice key skills.
This gives them the chance to practice in their own time and not just during lessons, students sometimes forget that with every skill, no matter which subject area, they need to practice in their own time to see significant progress.
2) Help to memorise key terminology for a certain subject.
As I have highlighted in point 1, we need to practice, but before we do that, we need to understand the information so we can apply it to our writing. If we don't understand the core terminology, then the practice would become useless.
3) Help to appreciate the time of leisure, even more, when they reach their deadlines
we have all heard of the saying, 'work hard, play hard'. And in this case, this is no exception. Your child needs to understand, to enjoy the things that they love, they need to finish
the work that they need to complete before they can relax and have downtime with their friends, or partake in their favorite hobbies.
If your child is used to getting their way, then I would suggest to nip it in the bud now before they lose the essence of what hard work is all about.
4) Help them to be more organised.
This can help them to be able to prioritise their time better, many children struggle to manage their homework time, so what can solve this problem is a well-structured homework schedule.
How To Plan A Homework Schedule
1) Set a realistic time frame for completing homework
It is always a good idea to set a measurable timetable during the week for your child's homework, which is easy to digest.
It is never a good idea to add more than two homework assignments to complete a day, this doesn't sound like a lot, but every homework usually takes 45mins - 1.30 minutes to complete.
Also, they need time to relax their brain as well, so less is always more.
2) Using your time wisely, especially mornings
This is similar to my 1st point, I think it is always good for them to get into the habit of timing themselves on their phone if they need help with time-management.
I still do this and I am a grown adult!
Mornings is usually a great time when our brains are more alert and we can get more done.
If your child is not homeschooled, this might be tricky, especially during the morning school run, but it might work on the weekends depending on their schedule.
It is always a satisfying feeling when you get all of your productive work completed in the morning, then the rest of the day is yours!
3) Use free periods productively (homeschool or mature students)
In between lessons is a good way to tackle small bites of an assignment or flashcard revision.
Usually, I would suggest not to do anything too heavy that would require too much brainpower. But something small that they need to complete E.g Learn words for a spelling test next week.
4) Use your Friday afternoons
I know this might be an alien concept to even think about your child doing homework on a Friday. But it is a really good time to get that last-minute work out of the way, ready for the weekend!
5) Write down all your homework/activities daily or weekly
Your student may have a planner from their school, and if they don't get one. It is a great way for your child to record and monitor their work daily or weekly. depending on what works for them.
This can reduce anxiety and help them to stay focus on what they need to do.
6) Write assignments straight away and carefully
When homework assignments are set. Remind your child to write them straight away in their planners. This can help them to stay on top of everything. Also, to write it with some accuracy.
7) Estimate how much time is needed to complete assignments
Depending on the type of assignment they need to complete, it is always good to set a timer for each assignment. E.g. Writing a 200-word creative writing story, they probably would need 10 mins to plan and 20 mins to complete.
8) Prioritize completing assignments depending on the deadline
It is always a better way to use up time productively by setting your assignments from the earliest to the latest deadline.
This will help your child to be more organised and again will reduce anxiety.
9) Have breaks in between homework time
It is always good to have breaks during homework time, whether it is a 5 or 10 min break to get a snack or a glass of water.
I wouldn't suggest watching the TV on their breaks, because that might deter them from completing their work.
However, restful intervals are also very important as the brain needs time to recharge.
10) Stick to the plan
If your child has a plan that works, encourage them to stick with the plan and allow it to become a habit.
11) Try not to waste any time
Try to get your child to avoid procrastination, if you need to switch off their phone so they can steer away from social media and complete their work, then do so. This can be used as an incentive and when they do complete their work, they can get their phone back.
So to conclude:
How To Plan A Homework Schedule
1) Set a realistic time frame for completing homework
2) Using your time wisely, especially mornings
3) Use free periods productively (homeschool or mature students)
4) Use your Friday afternoons
5) Write down all your homework/activities daily or weekly
6) Write your assignments straight away and carefully
7) Estimate how much time you would need to complete assignments
8) Prioritize completing assignments depending on the deadline
9) Have breaks in between homework time
10) Stick to the plan
11) Try not to waste any time
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