So for the weekend, I’m sharing a few thoughts about children’s homework.
Screaming! Tantrums! Arguments! Is this what happens to you when you try to get your children to do their homework? It certainly happens to some of my students when they go home.
Their homework is designed to be:
- a. quick to do,
- b. managable but challenging enough, and
- c. aimed for review.
However, children sometimes express reluctance to do homework. So there are a few things you can do to help you kids do THEIR homework.
1. Don’t fight
Don’t fight with them. Don’t turn the whole affair into a power struggle, because you will have to do this every time. Instead, try to encourage them to do homework. Sit yourself down with the books open and promise to help them as much as you can. Setting an example is more effective than words. Why not do some of your work at the same time?
2. Encourage
Encourage them with gentle words and lots of questions that are easy to answer. Help them with the answers too, if they have problems. If they can’t answer, maybe they don’t understand the question or they have forgotten. And, if you’re getting nowhere, …
3. Take Breaks
Remember their concentration on one task is not the same as yours, they have a very short attention span (except for video-games!). So take lots of breaks to help them. But don’t let them take too long a break, a 5-minute break is fine.
So, if you have tried other ways and failed, try some of these suggestions. If they work, or you have another idea, why not email your suggestion to me?
Kenneth is a teacher with many years of experience in ESL at Dickson’s English School in Tamsui, Taiwan. You can visit the school blog at https://www.nozkidz.com to find out more about what students are doing, how important fluency is, and how much fun we’re having.
