For parents and teachers alike, we like to nurture healthy habits in our children to ensure a more positive lifestyle for them. So today, I’m going to offer some tips that will help create good study habits in your children.
Create a homework station:
Set aside a place in your home for your child to do his nightly homework, preferably with a tray on a desk. Any location will do, as long as it’s distraction-free. Setting a fixed place of study like this could not only help your child pick up the habit of settling down for homework every night, but could also help keep his homework organised.
Use checklists:
The act of crossing a task off a list upon its completion can create a gratifying feeling in your child. Help him to learn how good it feels by teaching him to keep track of the daily homework this way. It’s a good idea to keep this list online so that it is accessible anywhere at any time without worries of losing information upon the loss of his notepad. As they complete each homework, they can cross it off the list and get that feeling of accomplishment that comes with finishing a task.
Create homework schedules:
A homework schedule can help your set organise specific times for both studying and taking a break in-between. It can also help him keep track of long-term assignments and upcoming tests. Help your child arrange a homework session during a time of day when he would be least distracted. The period should also be a time when you are available to help as well, and neither you nor your child should be in a hurry to get somewhere else. This calendar could be in a physical or online format, whichever is most convenient for your child. Check the schedule every week to get him into the habit of planning and prioritising his homework on his own.
Use a homework timer:
Set aside a stopwatch during homework sessions to ensure your child isn’t spending too long or too short on any homework. Children, just like the rest of us, have a saturation point where they cannot absorb any more information. So make sure that your child has time for short breaks to stretch out and move about between homework assignments to help keep them focused and energised.
Check in and celebrate small successes:
The goal of these tips is to help your child take the initiative to do homework on his own. But the presence of a parent now and then makes him aware that help is nearby and may ease any homework stress. When you look over their work at the end of the day, don’t forget to reward his small successes like figuring out a difficult question. Such rewards can help improve the bond and communication between you while boosting the child’s confidence in working independently.