Homework has been a perennial headache for kids and teens as well as for
their parents. Following are some tips to make homework time more
effective and enjoyable for all concerned.
1. No TV. As a general rule, kids should not watch TV while doing their
homework. It might be a good policy to have the television turned off
any time it's time to do homework, depending, of course, where the
television is located.
2. The radio is OK. Contrary to what many so-called experts recommend,
actual studies have shown that having the radio on a child's or
teenager's favorite music station can actually help him learn better.
3. Set fixed hours. There should be a set schedule for homework. This
way, the youngsters can arrange their schedules and make sure they get
their homework done every day. It's also a great way for answering those
comments. "I'll do it later, after I've finished whatever," which is a
standard line among kids when asked if they've finished their homework.
You may want to set a standard time for supper and family discussions,
followed by study time. If the student doesn't have other commitments
and gets home reasonably early from school, some homework can be done
before supper.
4. Set telephone rules. As a general rule, kids should not be allowed to
use the telephone during those hours when they are supposed to be doing
their homework. However, sometimes it becomes necessary to use the
phone, say, for confirming homework and the like. In these cases, the
parents should set a fixed number of minutes for discussing
school-related matters so the kids can get back to their homework right
away.
5. Create a good study area. First, designate an area where it would be
ideal for your children to do their homework, usually in their rooms.
Set up this area to make it conducive for studying by putting proper
lighting, an area for studying supplies such as pencils, pens, paper,
books, and other essentials and make the area free from distractions. It
might be a good idea to set up a bulletin board there as well.
