Healthy Homework Habits

STUDY AREA

Choose a study location for your children which is free from noise and other distractions.

Provide a table or desk in the room with enough space for writing.

Select chairs that are comfortable and lights that are bright enough for studying. A 100 watt bulb is recommended.

Check the temperature of the room. If the room is too hot or too cold, concentration could be affected. As a rule of thumb, having the room on the cooler side is better than on the warmer side. 

Study Tools

Family Schedule

The family should spend time together during the week. Here are some ideas that can be beneficial.

Plan a night with the television off and do something together. Work a puzzle, play a game, go shopping, go to a movie, go out to eat, do a craft, etc.

Eat together and make mealtimes meaningful. Share events of the day such as what was learned in school or an unusual happening. Also discuss any new words that were heard or found while reading. Use these words in sentences and record them in a family word book, or display them on the refrigerator for future discussions.

Homework Schedule

Record dinnertime and bedtime. (this should be the same time every night if possible.)

Check the family schedule and mark the times when the family events will take place.

Record after school activities such as Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, sports events, instrument lessons, dance lessons, etc.

Schedule a time for television viewing.

Look for an hour block of time that is available at the same time each day and mark it for studying. Study time should be scheduled for at least four days during the week. It is recommended that Monday through Thursday are the best days to study.

Assignments

These are recommendations for helping your child complete homework assignments:

Check with your child's teacher on what kind of homework to expect and maintain regular contact.

Schedule study time at the same time each day so that your child will get into the habit of studying.

Sit down before study time and go over all assignments with your child. Ask if help is needed in understanding directions or gathering materials.

Stay near your child, but not in the same room. Study time should be a time when the whole family reads or works quietly.

If your child calls for help, DON'T DO IT FOR HIM/HER. Ask your child to reread the question or paragraph and explain to you what is to be done in his/her own words. Often this will be all that is needed for the child to answer the question.

If rereading does not help, explain how the question can be answered. However, if you cannot help your child, have him/her call a friend from class or suggest the teacher explain it the next day.

Watch for signs of frustration. If your child becomes frustrated, put the assignment away for a while and return later.

Check your child's work for neatness, spelling, sentence fragments, and organization. It is not necessary to check all the answers. Just a spot check will do.

Provide a wide variety of reading materials at home. Children learn by example. Seeing you read can motivate your child to feel that reading is important.

Studying for a TEST

The following steps can help your child do his/her best on tests:

Find out when the test will be given.

Encourage your child to study some each day. Waiting till the night before the test will only "cram" the information into your child's head. Right after the test, the information will be forgotten.

Tell your child to reread the information the test covers. If the teacher gave questions to study or if there are any questions available, your child should try to answer them.

Make sure your child studies all charts, maps, and graphs too if available.

Have your child review the meanings of the important words. They are usually in boldface print or in italics.

Encourage your child to write down the important ideas or draw pictures of them.

Ask your child if he/she would like you to ask questions about the chapter or give words to define. Often, this type of review will help your child remember better.

Be sure your child gets a good night's sleep before the test and a good breakfast in the morning.