Helping your child with their homework can be a delicate balance to strike. You want to be there and be helpful, but you also need to make sure that you are not doing it for them. Getting homework done is more complicated than it used to be. In addition to the challenges that come with balancing school with sports and other after school programs, expectations are higher. There is also a large variety of distractions that come with our children’s constant access to smartphones, laptops, TVs, and tablets.
However, things are not hopeless! There are many different ways that parents can help their children with their homework. Heritage Learning Center is a McKinney, Texas preschool, and it is our job to prepare your child for elementary school. In that same vein, we feel we should do everything we can to get the parents ready as well! So, here are a few tips on how to help your child with their homework.
Set Up a Homework Area
Having a designated area in the house where homework gets done is a great way to boost concentration. This area needs to have plenty of school supplies and be as distraction-free as possible. A designated area will help even more if you allow your child to help you pick and design this area. Asking for their input gives them a semblance of ownership, and might also get them excited to use it!
Create a Routine
Routines are essential for all of us, but especially for children. Having a method helps them know when it is time to get into “homework mode.” One way to make this even more effective is to let your child set this routine. Allowing them to set their routine makes them feel empowered and enables you to hold them accountable for keeping their routine. Routines are most effective if you establish them early. Set this routine right at the start of the school year, so that expectations are created and adopted first.
Be There to Monitor
Monitoring homework, but not correcting it, is probably the most challenging thing for most parents to do. Homework is an essential way for teachers to determine how well a child is absorbing information. So, if a parent is correcting that child’s mistakes, the teacher will not be able to gauge how much they are learning. Remember, mistakes are essential learning tools! One effective way to do this is to set a limit on how many questions you are going to help your child with each night. Not only does this manage how much you are correcting, but it also instills independence in your child!
Praise Their Work
Praise is the best way to motivate your child. If they ace a test or homework assignment, put it on the fridge! Getting their work placed on the refrigerator will inspire them to work hard on that boring spelling list. Also, be sure to mention it to relatives. Just knowing how proud you are of them is the best motivator possible.
Know Their Teachers
Getting to know your child’s teachers is always important. By meeting with them whenever possible, you will learn their expectations. Your child also needs to see your relationship with the teacher as a partnership. Make sure you do not undermine what your child’s teacher is telling them at school.
Knowing that your child is about to start receiving homework might seem scary to some parents, but hopefully, these tips and tricks have helped quell some of those fears! Remember, Heritage Learning Center is always here to help. Not only do we offer an award-winning preschool program, but we also offer an incredible after school program for K-5th! In addition to receiving homework help, we offer tons of fun activities to keep them entertained. We have been preparing children for success in Mckinney, TX, since 1987, and we would love to help your child too! Please contact us TODAY for more information!
