Strategies for Tackling Homework
“Homework teaches children to be independent, to take initiative and responsibility for completing a task, and it helps children to develop a sense of self-discipline.”
Research shows that homework plays a very important role in the process of learning and developing independence. Students are exposed to a variety of new concepts daily. Practicing new skills at home reinforces what information was learned in school and can help children to master these with greater confidence.
Working on different activities in a home setting provides students with an opportunity to review topics at their own pace, which develops self-esteem, self-discipline, resourcefulness, and a sense of responsibility.
However, after a full day of school, homework may be the last thing your child wants to do. Elementary schoolers and middle school children can both feel mentally and physically exhausted after the school day. To set children up for success it is important to eat a healthy snack and have a homework strategy in place.
The National Association of School Psychologists shares two strategies that contribute to homework success:
- Establish a sense of clarity around homework by creating an at home routine.
This involves organizing a designated homework space where children feel safe and comfortable to learn. In their homework space, having a daily schedule with an allocated time for homework can help them to develop a sense of routine, time management and understand expectations.
- Develop a motivating homework rewards system.
As students may feel tired after the school day, they may not want to participate in all homework tasks. Developing a rewards system can help them to look forward to homework time and feel accomplished once it is finished.
If children have a lot of different activities and homework tasks to complete daily, it is important to incorporate break times in their schedule. Splitting tasks up into parts is proven to help tackle homework more efficiently.
Having a homework strategy in place will help children become more successful in tackling homework. At Beth Emet School the goal is to inspire children and help them to become independent thinkers.
The school’s philosophy recognizes the significance of instilling in its students a healthy awareness of the world around them, and the accountability for taking action to make it a better place. Through providing engaging lessons and meaningful homework tasks, Beth Emet School supports students in becoming confident, successful, independent thinkers.
