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Back to school often means that families will endure huge homework struggles; with a bit of planning, organization, and ingenuity, families can ease the transition from summer into school days and make homework time more manageable.
Create a Workspace--You don't need to have a library in your home in order to designate a work space. Create an area that is relatively quiet and free of distractions such as the television or video game consoles. Eliminate as much distracting clutter as possible; children find it easier to concentrate on a homework task if the table on which they are working is clean and their environment is not overloaded with sensory input, such as a ringing telephone or a basket of overflowing bills. By taking the time to clear out a work space, you are setting the tone that homework and your child's success is a priority.
Keep School Supplies at Hand--Stock up on school supplies when they are on sale or at a local dollar store; then, keep them nearby or in your workspace. Items such as Post-its, index cards, highlighters, and pencils often "disappear" out of a child's backpack throughout the day, and when your child needs those supplies, it will reduce his/ her stress to have them available.
Set the Tone--Parents often have "homework" to do as well: bills, recipe lists, budgeting. When your child is doing his homework, you can sit at the same table or in the same room to complete your own tasks in a quiet environment. This proximity allows your child to ask you for help when it is needed, as well as takes the "solitary confinement" tone out his homework time.
Stay Organized--kids in school have so much to organize on a daily basis. Adults in the workplace may have assistants in order to help with organization tasks--yet many times, kids struggle alone to organize their homework and are often frustrated to learn that they have forgotten to complete something or left a textbook at home. How to help? Implement some organization strategies--teach your children to color code notebooks, folders, and textbooks. This strategy can help your child put completed homework in the proper place--not stuffed deeply into the backpack! Keeping the table or surface clean on which your child works will allow her to easily spot a book she needs to return to her backpack, or a stray worksheet that she finished and nearly forgot. On a weekly basis, de-clutter backpacks and computer cases--you will be surprised what is unearthed and how much easier it is to stay organized when things are clean. After each semester, your child can create a file into which graded work can be stored in case of mid-terms of final exams. Store the file away for later reference and discard it once you and your child determine that it will no longer be useful.
Have Patience--It takes some time to implement new habits; stay patient and positive with your children and tackle these tips with a light-hearted tone. The goal--to have a stress-free homework zone--is within reach!
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