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.
by Kadence Buchanan
*If
your child is having difficulty focusing on homework due to ADD/ADHD, there is
an incredibly helpful program out there called
The Total Focus (www.trytotalfocus.com)
The program isdeveloped byDr Robert Myers, a child psychologist with over 25 years of
experience working with children and adolescents with Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder and learning disabilities.
Kadence Buchanan writes articles for
http://1stcosmeticsurgery.com/ - In addition, Kadence
also writes articles for http://learntobecloser.com/ and
http://computerinformationsource.com/
