Why Homework?

For the Student

There is a strong connection between regularly completing homework and higher accomplishments in subjects such as English, Maths and Science. When students understand this it can increase motivation and productivity.

For the Tutor

It is a brilliant tool to check understanding from previous lessons or to help students prepare for future lessons. Homework helps with future lesson planning.

What are the benefits?

There are so many benefits to doing homework. To name a few, improved grades, communication and IT skills,  discipline and time management. All of these skills are transferrable to school, college, university, work and adult life. Setting up and sticking to a regular homework schedule should be viewed as an investment in your child’s future.

Practice – Repeating tasks builds skill and understanding.

Time Management – Sticking to a homework timetable and being responsible for homework deadlines helps to develop this important skill.

Independent Research – Your child need to know how to access libraries and the internet in a safe and methodical way to ensure they can access appropriate learning resources.

Independent study – You can help your child to make sure they understand what is being asked of them but you should never do the work for them.

Additional Learning – All children learn at different paces dependent on their precious knowledge and preferred subjects. Homework provides more time for a child to grasp and practice a concept that they may have struggled with in class.

Setting a homework schedule

Do this with your child. Explain the benefits of homework. Ask them when they prefer to learn. Avoid times that will be interrupted for example stopping in a session to eat dinner. The homework session doesn’t have to be the same time everyday. It can work around clubs, down time with friends, favourite TV time or favourite social media/games time. Discuss all this with your child and work together to make a schedule that works. Listening to your child’s opinions and taking them into account makes them feel valued and part of the process. It also makes them more invested in the schedule.

How can you help?

To help your child stay motivated and engaged in their homework schedule you can try the following things.

Defined area – a quiet space where they can learn and make sure they have all the equipment they need and it is well lit.

Set study time – Having a clearly defined time for homework sets a routine they can get used to. This could be morning or afternoon or evening. Discuss with your child to see when they think they are at their best.

Independent learning – Don’t do the work for them as they will not learn from that. You can help them to understand what task they are being asked to do but the work should be their own.

Recognition – give your child appropriate praise for their efforts to maintain motivation. When they do well on a piece of work take a photo of the marks/comments that the teacher has put and pin it on the wall. If you have the room buy a little notice board to put them on. If the child can see the results of their hard work it will give them a greater sense of achievement and maintain momentum.

Planning – Some days can have more homework than others. Help your child to plan what they are going to be doing in each study period. This could help them if they are feeling under pressure or overwhelmed.

Consistency – Be consistent. Make your expectations clear from the start. Keep to the homework schedule and after just a few weeks you should see your child settle into a routine. This will hopefully avoid or lessen the conflict that some parents encounter when asking their children to complete homework. Remind them that they helped to design the schedule and agreed to it. Stick firm and eventually it will become part of their normal routine.

Struggling to complete homework

It’s worth contacting the school to see how long a teacher expects a child to take to complete homework. If a teacher says 20 minutes and it is taking your child 40 minutes then that could be an area for concern. In this case talk to the teacher. If you feel your child would benefit from extra support then you could consider private tuition to boost their confidence and grades.

Here at NEGU Tuition Services we have a host of experienced/qualified tutors and teachers that can offer bespoke sessions planned entirely around your child’s needs. I don’t need to say more, have a look at the reviews we receive. Reviews – NEGU Tuition

For more information just call me (Tanya) on 07555 798972.