Letting the Child Know About the Importance of Homework
If a child is watching TV beyond the regular, stipulated hours – tell him so and discourage the child to do such an act again. Make sure that the child is not making casual telephone calls during the homework time. But a call to a classmate about an assignment should be acceptable. Children need to realise that the family members too agree with the importance of completing assignments. If the family has to occasionally let go of an outing or a visit to the mall to accommodate homework time, they should do so. This reminds the child of the small sacrifices the family is making for his education.
Setting up a Schedule
The child should be used to a regular time to complete his homework. This helps a child to finish assignments in time and still have enough time to play. A good study schedule should work for the child and the family. A schedule that works well in one family unit may not work in another. Making the child complete the homework just before bedtime is always a bad idea.
This decreases the probability of the child recognizing its importance. Other activities including playing a sport or getting music lessons too should be flexible with respect to the homework schedule. If sometimes there isn’t enough time to finish assignments, the child shouldn’t mind cancelling out one of the outside activities.
Creating the Right Environment
One of the most important requirements for studying at home is the right place to study. Make sure that the study area isn’t too fanciful. Placing a simple desk and chair in a quiet place is usually good enough. The place should be well lit, preferably with a good amount of natural light and ventilation and should be away from distractions like television or music.
Removing Distractions
Some children tend to study better with quiet surroundings. This should not be associated with a weak concentration level. Similarly, some children react better to learning with the music being played. Again, this shouldn’t be treated as being stubborn or being distracted. These tendencies are in-built and shouldn’t be argued with or squashed just because they may seem unreasonable to a parent.
Getting the Child Involved
Simple resources like a pencil, pen, paper and supplies of glue and scissors should be kept handy. Try and shop for such goods with the child. The child begins to associate the importance of homework and the ‘fun’ quotient of doing schoolwork is increased when he shops for his favourite geometry set or the latest brand of coloured pencils.