As parents, we always try our very best to keep our little ones on track when they leave school at the end of each day.
Often, a large part of this involves following up at home with extra activities and homework – something which many of us find challenging. Well, after an exciting yet tiring day at school, sometimes kids just want playtime with their toys, followed by a generous serving of ice cream, or an extended ponder out the window instead of completing their math worksheet. Admittedly, it can be incredibly hard to convince them otherwise. We get it! Here are a few tips from the classroom that can ease homework and behaviour woes just as effectively as in your living room.
Homework rules
The first and most important thing would be to establish some homework rules in the house with your kids. This does not in any way need to be a stern lecture session – you can even make it fun by laying out a big piece of drawing paper and breaking out the markers and crayons with a simple: “Who says this can’t be fun? Let’s try it out!”
This is a chance to give your little one some decision-making power, such as scheduling his own free time, and for you to clearly establish the rules of work before play. Setting clear expectations for them and, more importantly, consistently following through with those expectations will be the first step towards helping your child show less resistance towards homework.
Ready, set… GOAL!
Goal-setting is practiced widely across a vast range of educational approaches, and research shows that even basic goal setting can increase the productivity rates of adults and children alike. Help your children set goals for themselves– this can be a mixture of academic and/or social goals, such as being able to recite the seven times table, or remembering to pack their own bag for school before they go to bed.
The key to setting these goals is for them to be realistically attainable. Look at setting achievable goals as opportunities for your kids to succeed and feel good about themselves - something every growing child needs.
Goal-setting works very well with a reward chart. However, be careful with how you choose to reward – try to award kids privileges instead of physical items such as toys or candy, which they may be conditioned to expect when they do things that should come naturally to them. Instead, try granting them extra time on playdates, or reading an extra bedtime story before you tuck them into bed that night.
Break-time is just as important as homework-time
If your child is fidgety when it’s time to doing table-top work, it’s always important to remember to build in movement breaks in their study schedule that help break large tasks into more manageable sections. Adults have many coping mechanisms such as twirling pens or tapping our feet, which come naturally to us, but younger ones who are just learning to hone their concentration might find long study periods challenging. To help, try giving slightly older children a number of colored cards that they can use during their study session in exchange for a five-minute break. This is also a chance for them to develop planning skills in spacing out their break times evenly throughout their session so that they feel less of the dreaded homework burn-out.
Show you’re proud!
Keep in mind that praise and constructive feedback should come together in equal measure. All children love to feel successful, and once they experience the satisfaction and empowerment that comes with completing their homework, they will actively seek it out.
Giving credit to both big and small successes builds the self-esteem that begins to bud in these early years. At this age, kids also start becoming aware of their peers and how they measure up against them. Praise will mean much more as a confidence booster when it comes from someone close to the heart whom they love and trust.
Brought to you by Integrated International School
