Author Topic: WAYS TO GET KIDS TO DO THEIR HOMEWORKS  (Read 1659 times)

Fiel Angeli AraoaraoGabin

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WAYS TO GET KIDS TO DO THEIR HOMEWORKS
« on: June 20, 2007, 02:45:17 PM »
WAYS TO GET KIDS TO DO THEIR HOMEWORKS
By Fiel Angeli E. Araoarao - Gabin

Saturday, 20 January 2007. 3:30 in the afternoon… Let’s set a few things straight: First, I am definitely NOT the perfect mother. Second, I am not a graduate of psychology. Third, I have no intention of offering advices or interpretations to feelings as a “shrink” does. In my previous articles, I have written mostly about activities or personalities not only because I am “starstruck” and feel that I am forever a fan, but for the reason that I am easily inspired by people who have achieved so much (in terms of self-actualization) in their lives. This time, however, I am delving on something which is not really new to me, but though I am not an expert on this “department,” I feel that I have to share this with fellow mothers out there.

On December 20, 2005, my husband Jerome, Cielo and I were at National Book Store. Then I saw this book entitled “99 Ways to Get Your Kids to do Their Homework (And Not Hate It) by Mary Leonhardt. We bought it. I thought it was interesting for mothers (and fathers, too!) especially that parents are always wrestling with concerns on how to get their children to love homework assignments, and school works.

From the book which touched on tips for preschoolers, elementary school, junior high, high school and about gifted children, I just picked out some guidelines which to me are applicable at this time and age:

You may have to help your children get organized when they first have homework assignments. Some parents have set the rule to let their children do it immediately as soon as they get home from school; others would allow them to do homework after dinner, or it would depend on the degree of difficulty of the assignment or the perfect timing that children feel they want or should do it, as long as they are bent on getting it all done before bedtime.

As long as they are happily working, leave them alone. Giving children “freedom” or “space” to a certain extent is very important. We need to let them feel that they are responsible to do things. In doing homeworks, there are times we have to give our children the opportunity to focus on a problem and discover a solution for it. When they tend to dwell too long on one item, it could be difficult -then it’s the time for parents to come to the rescue.

If your children ask for help, try to make it seem as though they’re teaching you, rather than the other way around. Ask what the teacher had discussed about it. Let them feel that you are listening to what they are saying. Instead of pointing out directly how to solve the problem, it is advised to gently lead your children to proceed or do the next steps. A little help is fine, but it turns out to be a daily or nightly routine, then it’s either the children has stopped trying of the homework is too difficult to do.

Do provide children with any books or materials they need for homework. All books and other reference materials must be within reach. It is easier to study and understand what we are reading if all the reference materials are gathered in one place.

Keep casual track of how your children are doing. Parents don’t need to oversee everything that children do. Being “casual” means having a general view of what the children are doing or studying, but it doesn’t mean calling the school all the time to check on things. We must trust our children enough to believe that they are capable of doing things with little or no supervision at all. 

Avoid giving your children the idea that there is only one right way to do things. Letting the children explore. Doing things themselves would cultivate in them a sense of self-reliance and self-confidence, in cases when nobody else is there to assist them to prepare them for more serious academic work, when parents are no longer there to go over the assignments.

Never let any of their assignments interfere with their independent reading. There should be enough time for doing assignments and developing the love and habit of reading. Elementary school is the best time to establish a solid foundation for grammar, mathematics and other disciplines. 

Encourage independent writing as well. It was learned that one big reason why students do poorly in English and in other subjects is the inability to write well. Psychomotor skills are developed through writing as well as thinking skills. Children should be trained to express their feelings through writing.

See if you can keep your children going to the library. A trip to the library once in a while is helpful. They should be taught that the library is the storehouse of knowledge, the place where they do research assignments and learn the value of persistence. Locating books via the card catalogue system will be a good learning exercise.

Discourage reliance on television, videos or computers for entertainment. Recent studies show that children who have too much n television perform rather poorly in academics. Television is addictive and restricts or hampers creativity, loses their love for reading and make them feel isolated and different. Computers can do wonders, but I support the author’s notion that children should be outside playing with neighbors and friends to develop interpersonal skills, reading or listening to stories  than being glued to the computer.

Keep firmly in mind that grades don’t count in elementary school; skill level counts. As parents, we would want our children to achieve more than we did, but it is more important that they learn doing things their own way. Spoonfeeding them or helping them in every homework will not prepare them to accept responsibility. We can tell them that homeworks are not really our main concern, we are concerned more on their being responsible to do things assigned to them.

The bottomline is, as parents, we must find the balance between supporting their children and instilling a sense of responsibility and accomplishment that will guide them through their studies and life in the real world. (FAEAG)   


 



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lumine

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Re: WAYS TO GET KIDS TO DO THEIR HOMEWORKS
« Reply #1 on: June 20, 2007, 04:42:36 PM »
thanks! i will soon need these tips. :)

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..yadz..

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Re: WAYS TO GET KIDS TO DO THEIR HOMEWORKS
« Reply #2 on: June 21, 2007, 07:59:53 AM »
very helpful tip for me..specially now that my son is in grade 1.. :D

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