Tips for Homework Time
Are you looking for a few useful tips for homework time or is it time to hire a tutor?
Homework Tips
Set a regular schedule and routine for homework time. (Read Homework Help for more homework tips, too.) Be available but do not hover. Set a work timer if needed. Some students work best on homework right after school, some after dinner, and some at breakfast. Ask your student’s opinion of this and maybe try something new.
Be consistent and kind. Encourage the student to help come up with solutions rather than just doing it yourself (most students CAN ask their teachers a question in person or via messaging and take responsibility to follow through). Listen more than you talk.
Use an agenda system to record work and break projects into chunks. Use a paper or project management system even if school is online. Write reminders to talk to teachers or turn in work. Have your student write down tasks like “read slide show” or “do attendance” if your student struggles to remember daily tasks other than rushing to complete the “due” work. Mark off completed work with a highlighter or check box. Using an agenda will help both student and parent see what still needs to be done for homework and projects.
Tutoring Solutions
If you have tried all you can do, consider hiring a private tutor. Sometimes the best solution is someone other than you. I have tutored teachers’ children many times. It’s not a lack of education, it’s just a less stressful solution. It doesn’t have to be forever, sometimes it’s just a semester or year that I can come alongside a student and teach study skills along with helping with the day to day work. Sometimes a student is defeated and needs encouragement along with coaching. That’s what I do. Sometimes it’s remediation and sometimes it’s extension. Sometimes it’s organizational coaching. Email me to get information regarding my tutoring availability. I am accepting new virtual clients for spring 2021 but spaces are limited! Or reach out to tutors in your area. Don’t wait another semester!
Coaching for Parents
Want more? I’m writing an online course to help people become better tutors for their own children or grandchildren or to see if being a private tutor is something you want to pursue. Email me to join my waitlist to be the first to find out when the course becomes available later this spring or summer.
Table Talk: What’s your best tip for helping with homework? What’s your child’s biggest need during homework time? Does your child have any suggestion for ways you can help better? Have you asked them?
