Is Your Home a Homework Haven?

10 Tips to creating a productive homework zone

According the NEA, children perform best when their parents create a home environment where learning productivity is encouraged. All parents want their children to succeed in school and ultimately, in life. By following these10 simple tips, your child will become more organized and perform at a higher level. To make sure your child has a “homework zone”, keep these tips in mind:

1. Insure your homework zone fits your child’s personality and work style. If they are easily distracted, they may need a quite place. Why not create a cubicle out of a cardboard box. Allow your child to personalize their cube with drawings and pictures on the outside however make sure the inside is plain and free of distractions.
   
2. Make sure the homework zone is clutter-free, particularly if your child does their homework in a high traffic area (i.e kitchen table). Messy disorganized surroundings are a distraction.
   
3. Does your space offer sufficient room for you to sit next your child to offer your assistance? Most children need your assistance to complete their assignments. Sometimes just sitting with your child and reading or doing your own work as they do theirs is enough to offer them moral support and help them stay on track.
   
4. Many children can’t cope with complete silence in their homework zone. Some limited background noise is OK. Music softly playing or the “hum” of a kitchen appliance can provide the right amount of background noise most children want. Remove all media distractions. Elimination of devices that permit children to text and instant message along with video games, television and cell phones are essential.
   
5. Create a shoebox or plastic container filled with essential homework supplies. Having paper, pencil, eraser, pencil sharpener, highlight markers, etc.- readily available in your child’s workspace is important. They will need these supplies to be close at hand. Be sure to take inventory often and restock when necessary.
   
6. Provide a dry erase board in your child’s homework zone to mimic the school blackboard. This will be helpful to solving math problems. Other aids, including the use of sticky notes to serve as a visual cue or reminder of reading assignments to be completed are helpful.
   
7. Establish a consistent time for homework and stick to it. Allow your child to unwind after he arrives home from school and avoid them completing homework too close to bedtime. Why not recommend they do their homework from 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Be mindful of other commitments like practices and family dinner time when scheduling your child’s homework time. If a parent(s) work outside the home, adjustments to this schedule to allow a parent to be present is important.
   
8. Brainpower requires healthy food choices for your child to fully engage in their homework. Make snacks with protein, and high-fiber carbohydrates part of your child’s snack diet after they have come home from school. Include yogurt with fresh fruit, granola or offer peanut butter and whole-grain crackers in limited portions particularly if your child performs their homework prior to dinner. Stay away from snacks filled with sugar that cause an initial rush of energy followed by a sudden crash.
   
9. Multiple children need their own individual space. Siblings seldom complete their homework assignments successfully if they are competing for the same homework zone. Each child learns at their on pace and their skills and abilities are unique. Don’t force your children to study together thinking one will help the other complete their assignments.
   
10. Make a plan and stick with it. Children long for a consistent lifestyle. From time to time your child may become overwhelmed by the size of an assignment or project. If they become frustrated, help them break it into smaller more manageable task, then prioritize them.

With a little preparation, organization and cooperation, your children will be able to successfully complete their homework assignments. Providing these basic elements will enhance your child’s education now and in the future.Ready to read about local public and private schools in our area?

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