Homework season is back upon us and in a lot of homes it is a big issue. Almost every school requires homework on a daily (or at least 4x a week) basis. Homework is a way of students to practice what they learned during the day and it does count for a part of the grade. This becomes an issue when children forget to bring it home and as a result, have a bad grade because of the missing assignments. Here are some ideas to help your child manage their work load and remember to bring home their work:
- Have a Specific Planner or Folder Just for Homework. This worked well for my daughter in kindergarten last year – she had a specific folder to look in for her homework and she completed it when she got home. As kids get older, getting them a planner will help them track assignments and keep tabs on long-term projects and tests. Some schools do provide these to students, but if yours doesn’t, you can purchase a planner for $1 at places like the Dollar Tree and Dollar General.
- Implement a Reward System or an Incentive for them. If you know your child struggles with remembering to bring home work, create an “I Brought My Homework Home” card or chart, and then, each time your child remembers to bring home his homework (and completes it), you could hole-punch the card, stamp it, sign it or add a sticker. Once your child has collected 10 stickers or stamps (or however many you decided he/she needs) they can choose a reward, such as a small toy, a trip to the ice cream store, or staying up a little later to watch TV or play a video game.
- Keep in Contact with Teachers. If your child struggled last year with homework, let the teacher know ahead of time at the beginning of this school year and work out strategies together on how to ensure this problem doesn’t continue this year. My daughter’s school has a website that I can go on and check if she has homework and what it is which is really helpful for keeping track. If this is unavailable at your school, have a communication log between you and the teacher where the teacher writes in the book any behavioral issues (if that is a problem) as well as what is for homework and any upcoming tests.
- Get in a Routine. Routines and expectations about school should be set now in the beginning of the school year so that they continue on for the rest of the year. Develop a routine together as a family that works with everyone’s schedules. Routines and scheduling things makes it a lot more likely that your child will remember their homework and complete it when they get home.
- Help Them. Sometimes children struggle with homework and staying on task (especially when they are younger) – by sitting with them and guiding them through what they need to do, it engages them and makes them look forward to doing their homework – because its one on one time with you.
Hopefully some of these tips can end the nightly debate on whether or not your child had homework and if it was completed. What are some of your tips for keeping tabs on your child’s school work?
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