Stress-Free Homework Tips to Transition Back to School

With summer winding down and the new school year around the corner, the reality of homework-filled afternoons and evenings is starting to sink in. Students move from outdoor fun and unstructured play to the regimen of school, studying, and staying organized - a transition that can be anxiety-provoking for both children and parents. You can ease these nerves and help your child feel confident and prepared for school with the homework tips detailed below.

1. Create a designated homework space. Set up an organized, well-lit study space for your child where he will consistently complete his assignments. Make sure it is fully stocked with all the supplies he may need, including paper, sharpened pencils, pens, highlighters, scissors, and so on. Some children like the idea of a clearly labeled "homework box" containing all relevant school supplies, rather than organizing tools on a desk or table. Just make sure to restock the supplies when they run low, since missing paper, writing utencils, or scissors can become an easy source of distraction for your child.

2. Check for required materials right away. As soon as your child comes home from school, encourage her to look at her assignments and determine which materials she needs to complete them, even if she doesn't actually begin her homework right away. She might need specific textbooks or handouts, or certain supplies such as a protractor or ruler. With this immediate post-school check, your child can call a friend to borrow a missing book or take a quick trip back to school to pick it up if need be. You can also avoid those dreaded late-night drug store runs for missing supplies by checking early.

3. Set a regular time with regular breaks. Help your child identify a set time of day to complete her assignments. You may need to factor in after school classes or evening activities when doing so. Some students prefer to complete their homework right after school to "get it over with." Others need down time before starting their work, while some older students thrive on the post-dinner hours to complete their assignments most effectively.‎ As your child completes her work, help her build stamina by integrating 5-10 minute "fun breaks." During these breaks, she can eat a snack, take a walk, check her email, and so on. Just make sure she keeps these breaks short and goes right back to work afterwards.
 

4. Maintain an assignment book. We all know students who think they can remember their assignments "in their minds" and resist writing them down. ‎Yet as students move through school, this task becomes increasingly harder to do. To avoid missing assignments and materials, encourage your child to maintain an assignment book‎ and consistently use it. You can try this 5-column assignment book strategy - or a modification of it - to help your child build effective homework and time management skills:

Purchase an assignment book that includes a large space for each day. At the start of the week, have your child divide the daily space into 5 columns. The first column (which should be given by far the most space) should be labeled "Assignment." The subsequent columns, placed at the far right, should be labeled: ET (estimated time), AT (actual time), O (Order), and D (done).  During the school day, your child should only write down his assingments in the "Assignments" column. When he comes home from school, he should predict how much time he thinks each assignment will take to complete (and write it in the ET column), then decide on the order in which to complete them (1, 2, 3, etc., which he writes in the O column). Note that it's generally better to do the longer, more arduous tasks first.

Once he finishes each assignment, your child should write down the actual time each one took to complete in the AT column. After he puts away the assignment in the right place to be turned in, he should place a check mark in the D column.

4. Be a resource but don't give your child the answers! If your child becomes frustrated or overwhelmed with an assignment, it's easy to simply give her the answer. Yet doing so validates your child's frustration and only leads to  recurring challenges. Instead, try the "model-together-alone" strategy:  if your child is stuck on a math problem, for instance, model one or two problems for her so she sees how it's done. Then do one or two problems with her, and finally have her complete a few on her own, which you should check once she completes them. This approach will help ensure that she learns the material and ultimately feels self-confidence and independent.
 

5. Develop a reading strategy‎. Many students become easily overwhelmed by the idea of reading (and understanding) lengthy chapter books . To help ease this fear, you can complete some of the reading with your child. You might read the first sentence or paragraph of a page, for instance, and have your child read the rest. You can also alternate reading - you read one page and she reads the next, or determine your own co-reading strategy that works best for your child. Once your child is fully reading independently, have her pause at the end of each chapter and write a 1-2 line summary describing what she read.  Before moving onto a new chapter, have her review her previous summaries to recap her memory and ensure proper understanding of the plot.‎ 

Many students feel jittery emotions as summer winds down and school begins. Yet with these homework tips and strategies, you can help your child feel prepared, confident, and well-organized for the new year. 


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Disclosure: EBL Coaching is a sponsor of Macaroni Kid Northeast Bergen.