Home Work, Home Work, Home Work !

Homework has become an inevitable part of a child’s curriculum. Though there may be arguments for and against homework, it is there to stay. Sometimes, homework becomes a very big hassle. There are days when the child comes home with at least 2 hours of homework.

Here are a few tips for parents as well as children to not only complete the work but also make it into a meaningful learning experience

Environment : Choose a clutter free and well-lit place for the child. It may either be a study place or even the dining table. Soft music may be played in the background. A plate of light and nutritious snacks may be placed on the table. Let it not be oily and greasy food. Ensure your presence in the vicinity, pencils and colours may be placed on the right hand side preferably in a colourful holder.

Sorting the homework : All work may be categorized into 2 lots - mindless, repetitive work like copying the pages of a book or writing the answers 3 times fall into this category. The second is productive, purposeful work directed towards a goal. Activities directed towards spelling words, math facts, counting money, telling time, vocabulary, and others can be valuable to the academic success of your child.

A parent should identify the most productive learning time of their children. Homework which has learning value attached to it may be completed at that time. Mindless, repetitive work may be delegated to a time, when the child is mentally tired and is not able to do productive work.

Time management : Choose a time, which is convenient for both you and the child. Schedule the work for the child and fix a time limit for every part of the homework. A toy timer would make the whole exercise interesting. Encourage the child to finish his work within the stipulated time and the bonus time he has earned may be used to do any activity to his liking.

Scheduling and Prioritizing : The child should be encouraged to schedule the order of the work, which needs to be completed. All homework that needs to be completed may be placed in the order of priority on the table before the child starts the work. In case the child needs to use the computer, the parent may switch on he computer before he starts to work and also help him out by short listing a few sites which he may need to browse through to complete his work.

Motivating : Motivate the child to do his work by sitting with him. The parent may also do some reading or writing at the same time. Let your child understand that even parents need to do some homework for the smooth functioning of the household. Praise him for his neat and fast work.

WATCH OUT FOR HOMEWORK CHECKLIST IN NEXT POST...

By Ms Hamsapriya S