How to Help Your Child With Their Homework
Parents play a huge role in their child’s success at school. If your child knows they have your full support, they are likely to perform better. With that said, it’s important that you make yourself available to your child when they’re doing homework so that they can ask you for help as and when they need it. I’ve teamed up with St Christopher School, a prep school in Hertfordshire, to offer parents the following advice on how to help their kids with their homework.
Helping with homework doesn’t necessarily mean working through mathematical sums. It can be as simple as providing a quiet, well-lit study space for your child, with all the relevant stationery and books. Preparation is often half the battle when it comes to homework and it’s important not to waste time looking for a pencil sharpener or a calculator. You should also make sure the homework space has no distractions, such as a TV or social media. It’s important that your child is focussing on the task at hand, so be sure to keep an eye on them so that they don’t do something they shouldn’t during homework time.
Structure and organisation is vital for children. With that said, be sure to dedicate the same amount of time each evening to homework. Ensuring there is a regular routine in your home, particularly where work and play are concerned, will increase productivity. With so many subjects and various different pieces of homework, it’s also worth helping your child prioritise each piece before they begin; don’t let them choose the piece of homework they find more enjoyable if another piece is due in sooner.
Another way to help your child is by promoting a strong work ethic within your home. Education should be a number one priority and always come before social activities and sports. Encourage your child by approaching homework with a positive attitude; praise them for their efforts once they’ve finished so that they understand the importance of trying.
This is like a glimpse into my future, as my daughter starts school this September and we'll be introduced into the world of homework!
ReplyDeleteI have to be honest, I'm glad my kids are older now and don't look to me so much for homework help, it's not something I ever really enjoyed. Mich x
ReplyDeleteFantastic tips for helping children with homework. Couldn't agree more about structure and organisation being vital.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree, education is the most important thing in life, so making dedicated time for it is a must. The time will also make the child more used to study.
ReplyDeleteGreat advice, Both my children are at school and so we get lots of homework and I find the thing that helps the most is setting them up a space to work from, somewhere comfy, quiet and with everything they need to hand. I have to admit though whilst education is obviously very important I am a big believer in kids having something other than school to love and focus on such as a club or hobby. Kids can learn so much from these hobbies or sports that they can use in life that hey simply don't get from school.
ReplyDeleteWe're already started to introduce homework, trying to make it fun at this stage, he's only in reception class after all. But it takes him a little longer to change routines than for others, so we had to start before the others.
ReplyDeleteWe struggle with homework and know we need to be a bit more dedicated about the time we allocate to it. Great tips, thank you.
ReplyDeleteSome great advice here! Prioritising is so important, I always found myself leaving maths until last because I hated it - not the best idea!
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