10 SIMPLE STEPS TO MAKE CHILDREN ENJOY DOING HOMEWORK
UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT OF HOMEWORK
Homework is a task that must be fulfilled to be successful. The task can be given by someone else or it could be the result of taking self-responsibility and charging oneself. Homework (school homework) refers to the tasks that a student needs to do at home after school hours to support learning.
WHY IS HOMEWORK IMPORTANT?
In the above definition, we wanted to emphasize by highlighting some words. Now let's remind the importance of homework through some concepts.
- Responsibility: Homework for school teaches children to take responsibility and accomplish those responsibilities. To improve knowledge and self-discipline, homework is very important.
- Duties to be fulfilled: By doing homework, students explore the ways of completing a semester successfully, learn and take lessons. Example: What is the outcome when I study my courses and do my homework and what happens when I don’t?
- Supporting the learning process: Students ensure what they have learned is permanent by doing their homework. They also will be ready for the next topics.
POINTS TO BE CAREFUL TO MAKE CHILDREN ENJOY DOING THEIR HOMEWORK!
Before making them enjoy assignments, we must pay attention not to make them frightened of homework. To ensure this, let's talk about the behaviours of parents and teachers. What they should avoid and what needs to be done?
1- Do not give time-consuming or difficult homework
Teachers should not give tough assignments that will almost take the whole time of children after school. Nevertheless, it should also not be extremely difficult, even though it may be accomplished in a short time. Because of these assignments, children can get exhausted psychologically and feel nervous. So, after clarifying the negative effects of too much/hard assignments, we can move on to the next step.
2- Do not be a perfectionist
The homework your child has completed may not look good, but after all, that homework is done and it's over. When you say "No, this is not good, do it again", your child will be unhappy, thinking that all of his/her efforts were a waste. If this happens, again and again, this time the child would think "They will not like my homework anyway and I do not want to deal with it" and accept the failure in advance. So, if you recognise mistakes in the homework, help your child to correct them but never want him/her to do the whole homework again.
3- Do not force children to do homework immediately they arrive home from school
The child, who comes home from school, needs some rest like a grown-up adult. You should not say "Do your homework now!" immediately your child comes from school. You need to give them some time to rest and play.
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Do not consider playing games as a waste of time. Even the simplest games have important influences on developing their imagination and preparing them for various responsibilities. On the other hand, self-designed intelligence games, intelligence-boosting toys, and similar materials allow children to have fun and improve their mental skills. With the development of technology, new alternatives were produced.
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4- Assigning specific times for homework!
It is always beneficial for your child to plan and follow their daily activities. Teach them how to be organized and have a planned life instead of making plans ready for him/her. Allow them to create their own plan or offer several options. For example, ask them what time they want to do their homework. If you come to an agreement, you will not have to remind assignments over and over again.
Remember: Forcing children to study or do their homework constantly (reminding over and over again) can cause a negative effect on them. Children who are abused such kind of pressure often try to make excuses and run away from their homework.
If your child sets an appropriate time, confirm it and follow. Doing homework and studying every day at the same time is an important detail. So, this plan should not be changed constantly. In this way, your child learns to complete the duties and responsibilities without taking postponing as a habit. Otherwise, your child may begin to postpone the homework until the sleeping time. Everyone, including adults, loses motivation as they postpone their duties. Therefore, it is very useful to determine the homework time.
5- Check all the homework.
Everyone wants to receive a reward after completing something. On the other hand, without supervision, some malfunctionings can occur. It is necessary to adjust this balance. Your child should know that you will congratulate him/her when he/she finishes the homework. If the homework is not done, he/she should know that it is necessary to explain why. Especially, teachers should check whether the assignments, they have given, have been completed or not. Otherwise, the student may lose his/her sense of responsibility and find himself/herself thinking; "It does not affect anything whether I do my homework or not".
6- Appreciate success and increase motivation.
Many of the parents, who usually think that their child is not working hard enough, are underestimating the importance of appreciation. They observe that the results can be really different when they appreciate the child's homework instead of always expressing negativities. At the same time, teachers should also pay special attention to this.
Example: Presenting a nicely done homework makes the student feel more successful and this motivates him/her. Not only at school but also at home! So parents can do the same at home. Hanging a well-done homework of your child on a wall will be a good motivation for him/her. A student who is appreciated will then try to do the homework more carefully and successfully.
7- Homework materials should be prepared.
Especially when a child with low motivation gets disrupted, it’s more likely for him/her to lose all the motivation and concentration. That’s why before starting to do the homework the child should have all the supplies that might be needed during the process. When the child’s pencil is out of ink and the child needs to look around to find another pencil, he/she loses his/her concentration and time. So you can prepare a small box with an eraser, pencil sharpener, ruler, pen and etc. to supply the basic needs of your child.
8- Help, if only necessary!
It’s, of course, a nice thing for a parent to help his/her child’s homework. You try to clarify the solution so that he/she learns and also doesn’t lose concentration or time. But it’s really important for you to realize if the child turns asking you the solution into a routine.
Sometimes it becomes like a habit of getting help from their parents and they stop trying. Because the mother or father will always be there to help him/her to complete the assignment. As this situation repeats, the child will become lazy and move away from the sense of responsibility. The best you can do is to encourage them to do research and show him/her which sources can be useful.
9- Use the power of love
A child always responses if he/she finds love. It is very important for a child to love his/her teacher because only then he/she evaluates the teacher’s advice. Researches showed that students are more sensitive about the demands coming from their favourite teachers. In the same way, parents should show enough love and attention to their children. Children who feel valued and loved are more careful about not to lose it and fulfil their responsibilities.
10- Ideal homework timing according to the age
According to experts' suggestions, the time that children need to spend on homework is as follows.
| 1st and 2nd Grades | 3rd and 4th Grades | 5th and 6th Grades | 7th and 9th Grades | 10th and 11th + Grades |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 minutes | 30-40 minutes | 45-60 minutes | 60-90 minutes | 90-120 minutes |
NOTE: The duration of the daily course review is not included in the table. Time periods in the table represent the average (ideal) time that must be reserved for mandatory assignments.
This article is prepared as a solution for parents who think that their child is not studying enough. We will be here sharing new articles in order to make your children love school, lessons and homework. We wish you and your child a great success in academic life.
