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Tips to get your child to do their homework
Different strategies for different ages.
‘Get your homework done!’ ‘No, not later! Now!’
Homework is often a source of frustration and arguments for families. It’s no wonder some parents take issue with their child receiving homework or hate its very mention.
Is it even necessary? The research is a little divided about the academic benefits of homework, but I believe that if you send your child to a school that gives homework, then you sign up for your child to do it.
Possibly the greatest benefit in students doing regular homework is in the development of self-regulation — their ability to ignore their immediate desires (lying around playing computer games) and prioritise their long term goals (doing well in the assignment, or not getting in trouble at school). It even has some benefits in your child learning that if they don’t do what is required of them, they will get some sort of consequence.
But how do you get your child to do it, without you all going crazy?
Early years of school — Try to stick to a schedule.
In these years, you are typically highly involved because you have to listen to them read, or hear their spelling words. Because of this, homework needs to be organised around your…
