Homework Strategies

It can be tricky to get kids to complete their homework, but it is so important. Having homework and studying at home reinforces what students are learning during the school day. However, students are obviously tired from being in class all day and are resistant to completing work once they are at home. These are some of my most recommended strategies to students, that have seemed to actually work!

• Take a snack break when getting home. Don't start homework right away. Take 15-20 minutes to rest and refresh from the day.

• After that break, set a timer with a specific goal of what to work on or study.  Break up that study/work time! Set a timer and work for 20-30 minutes. Then take a 5–10-minute break. After your break, restart this same cycle.

•  Have a lengthy reading assignment? struggling to get through it? put a small treat at the end of each paragraph, page, whatever section break works best for you.  Once you read that section, you get to have that treat. 

  • This is also a great one for practicing having patience and restraint in reaching goals.

• Create a checklist of all the work you need to do! Find a system for prioritizing what work should be at the top of the list. Some students choose to put assignments with higher point value first, the assignments that are easier for them first, the more challenging assignments first, or listing in the order they are due in.