5 Ways to Help Your Child with Their Homework

I’m Virginia-based school assembly presenter Joe Romano. For the last 30+ years, I’ve thousands of schools get their kids excited about curriculum-based tics like math, reading, science, and more. Each month I write articles just like this one to help busy parents and school administrators navigate the challenges they face when raising or educating children.

Homework Tip for Kids #1: Start Homework Early

Many children put off doing homework until the last minute. Then what happens? The child rushes through their work, makes mistakes, and feels frustrated. And starting homework late allows panic to set in. Once a person is in that ‘panic mode,’ it’s far more difficult to use cognitive functions and focus on their work.

When working on your child’s schedule, be sure to create a schedule that allows for homework time well before deadlines. Your child may not like it, but they’ll feel better not having to rush at the last minute.

Homework Tip for Kids #2: Set Up a Dedicated Study Area

Many children try to do their homework ‘wherever.’ It might be on the couch, their bed, or the dining room table. But the challenge with this approach is distractions. If other people come into the room, the child may find it difficult to concentrate on their studies. Or they may find it easy to wander over to a video game or other distraction.

To minimize distractions, set up a specific study area for your child. This area should be free of access to social media, video games, or messages from their friends. And of course, this area should be free of interruptions from other members of the house, pets, etc.

In this dedicated space, include a table and chair comfortable for sitting. Include pens, pencils, paper, a printer, and whatever supplies or equipment your child may need. Preventing interruptions (like searching for a random crayon or another object) will save time.

Homework Tip for Kids #3: Get to Know Your Child’s Teacher

Schedule an appointment with your child’s teacher at the beginning of the school year. Sit down with them and have a chat. Get to them. Learn what their expectations are. Knowing what your child’s teacher expects can minimize misunderstandings later.

Knowing your child’s teacher gives you another massive benefit. If your child comes home from school and claims they don’t understand something, you may be able to help if you understand what their teacher’s goals are. And if you built a bit of rapport with the teacher, you could contact them directly to get clarification.

Homework Tip for Kids #4: Create a Project Schedule

Help your child create a homework schedule. But this will be a little deeper than just “Homework at 6:00pom. Dinner at 7:00 pm.” That was covered earlier. In this case, I am referring to scheduling based on priority.

Your child will likely have short-term and long-term projects. Many kids lack an understanding of how to schedule work for a long-term project. They may lump all of the assignments together and feel panic over the amount of work they have. Or they look at a deadline for a long-term project and keep putting it off.

Sit down with your child and look at all of their upcoming assignments. Schedule short-term homework first. Then look at the long-term projects. Working with your child, break up the long-term bigger projects into certain milestones. Schedule the milestones throughout the calendar leading up to the due date. Doing this helps your child learn to manage bigger commitments….and helps them avoid feeling overwhelmed.

Homework Tip for Kids #5: Manage Meltdowns

Have you ever seen your child have a ‘homework meltdown?’ It’s when a child becomes completely unhinged! Maybe their frustration from a lack of comprehension boils over. Or maybe they just don’t wasn’t to do their homework and think that freaking out will get them off the hook. And of course, some kids become so upset that they cry over a difficult assignment.

Stay firm! Offer compassion. Help them better understand what they are working on if you can. Give them a brief break to walk it out and let their emotions subside. But don’t allow their meltdown to get them out of doing their work.

Help Your Child’s Entire School

Want a program that can get your child’s whole school fired up and ready to try their best? My “The Magic in You” character education assembly program helps children build confidence and perseverance for when things get tough. This amazing school assembly is filled with jaw-dropping magic, interactive fun, music, and much more. To find out more, check out “The Magic in You” webpage.