As your children get older, homework becomes a hugely important aspect of school life. However, we also know many kids can be reluctant to complete their work and find it hard to get motivated. Not only does homework often count towards final grades and assessments but is also crucial when it comes to encouraging independent learning, time management and responsibility. That’s why it’s so important to establish a productive homework routine, so your kids can achieve academic success and beyond.
1.Designate A Homework Space
Having a specific homework space is a great place to start when it comes to establishing a productive homework routine. We recommend a place that’s well-lit, away from distractions and has enough room for them to have everything out they need. Not only will this help get your child into the right mindset when sitting down to do their homework, it will help them stay focused and be an enjoyable place to work.
2.Set A Regular Homework Time
Next, it’s important to set a regular homework time – usually it’s best to schedule this for when your child is most receptive to learning. For many kids, this is straight after school when they’re still in the learning mindset. Once you’ve chosen a time, stick to it! This way it becomes a normal activity that is completed every day and not a task they dread.
3.Set Priorities Each Week
Once a homework space and regular time has been set, it’s time to focus on the assignments themselves. If your kids have a big list of work that needs completing it can certainly feel overwhelming and they might not know where to start. This can especially be the case when children are in secondary school and have a lot of different subjects to stay up-to-date with. To make it easier, it’s a great idea to take the time each week to sit down together and establish a list of homework that needs completing and by which date based on the assignments they’ve been given. This way when your kids sit down for their study time, they know exactly what they need to be working on. Having a clear priority list can also be helpful for staying on track, sticking to deadlines and gives your child a sense of satisfaction to cross things off the list once they’ve been completed.
4. Start With The Most Difficult Work First
If your child has two or three pieces of homework to complete each day, we always recommend starting with the most difficult assignments first. This not only helps make the most of your child’s energy level at the beginning of a session but they’ll also have better concentration levels and focus, meaning they’ll be much more productive!
5. Break Down Big Assignments
It’s common for students to not know how to start a big homework project, which can make them feel demotivated and defeated before they’ve even started. Instead, when they get a big task that’s spread out across a few weeks, help them break it down into smaller steps, treating each one as a mini assignment that can be completed within one homework session. This way your child can feel a greater sense of accomplishment by gradually completing each small step towards completing the larger task.
6. Variety Is Key
Finally, when establishing weekly homework priorities, try (if you can) to make sure each session has a little bit of variety. This way your child is more likely to stay engaged and motivated, rather than getting fed up after the first task. For example, if they have an essay that needs writing across a week, a few maths tasks and need to complete some research for a project at school, try and spread this out so they’re doing a little bit of each per day. As long as homework is completed for the deadline, you’ll find your child has a more productive homework session if they have variety!
