Organizing Homework Time

Routine, Routine, Routine!!

I am fielding many calls from parents who ask- "How can I get my _____(5 year-old, 9 year-old, 13-year old etc) to do work? 

By now we've realized that teachers truly are miracle-workers! One of the tools that they use expertly is routine. No teacher has the time or energy to individually discuss, convince, cajole each of their 28+ students, each day to take out their Math workbook,  for instance. Most of the students will do so because that is what is done at 9:00 am each day and it is posted in the classroom. 

Pro-Tips:

1) Routines work best when written down. For younger children, make a picture schedule to represent when you will tackle each subject. By writing things down, it removes the parent from the equation a bit.  You are not the task-master, the schedule is.

2) Include your children in making the plan.  Younger students may be able to tell you the order they want to do their subjects. Older students may be able to dictate their whole routine for the week.  Check in at the end of the week to see if the plan is working. If there are things that aren't getting done or done well, you may need to rework parts of the schedule.

3) Use a "First-Then" approach.  Have students think about a preferred activity they would like to do after finishing a work task.  The apps your teacher has recommended can be used as reward/break activities, but still count as time spent working on the subject. 

4) Establish a work-space that is as free from distraction as possible.  Part of having a routine means working in the same space each time.  Have materials organized and available. Try to put away extra devices, that are not in use for the lesson.

5) Focus on the most important subjects, tasks, concepts- the learning that will be most important for next year.  If you are unsure what to prioritize, ask the teacher. They will know what is most important for the next grade.

6) Don't give up! Your kid may fight you on establishing a routine at first, but keep at it.  All children thrive on routine.  Everyone likes to know what is coming up next. 

7) Be realistic- Remote learning isn't school- goodness knows!  Frequent breaks are OK, increased screen time is OK.  Be understanding with yourself and your student.  Keep in mind the recommended daily learning time AND the expected attention span of children at each age.