1. Create a Homework Schedule
Creating a workable daily homework schedule is one way that parents can help their children get their homework done. Every child is different, however, so it's important that your find out what works for yours. Some children like to finish their homework right after school, while others like to work after dinner. Some need absolute quiet and privacy, while others can work in a noisy kitchen or while listening to music. You should encourage your children to find what works for them and develop a consistent habit for how and when homework is done every day.
2. Create an Organized Homework Space
Organization can help your child find everything he needs to do his homework more efficiently. Provide a space in which he can keep everything he needs for his assignments. Whether this is a section of your child's bedroom, the family room, an office or an area of the kitchen doesn't matter, as long as it is an area that is always accessible to your child.
Encourage your child to organize his personal school effects as well. Take your child to an office supply store at the beginning of every school year or each semester and pick out binders, folders and other supplies to aid in organization. You can sit down with younger children and map out how materials for each class can be organized. Older children should be encouraged to do this independently, but you should check their work afterwards. Be sure your child has a calendar or planner so that they can track the due dates for assignments. You can also use this calendar to provide gentle reminders along the way.
3. Point in the Right Direction
Some parents want to help so much that they do their child's homework for them. This is counterproductive. Instead of doing the work, guide your child. For example, if your child has a project that requires research, you can help her find books at the library or point out websites that have useful information. That is far more useful to your child than doing the research for her.
When checking her homework, point out where the mistakes instead of correcting them yourself. For example, if you are proofreading a book report, mark the sentence containing the error. Then tell your child to use her own skills to find what's wrong with the sentence and to make the necessary corrections. If your child is having difficulty with a particular concept, help her work it through. Whatever homework help you give to your children should aim at providing opportunities for them to learn rather than manufacturing higher grades.
