Feb 2, 2022 by Mary Kate | Homework
You may have heard the common recommendation from the National Education Association that the amount of time a student spends on homework should be 10 minutes per grade level. In other words a 3rd grader should have 30 minutes of homework, a 4th grader should have 40 minutes of homework and so on. For many families this guideline is a challenge to fit in with other activities and commitments. Team Tutor has some recommendations to help use time as effectively as possible to get that homework and studying finished without cramming and stress.
Splitting The Time
Just as we create time to eat, drive to basketball, or relax in front of the TV; it is important to also schedule time for homework. If your school is following the guidelines for your child’s grade, it may be a challenge to work in a 30, 40, or 50 minute block into a busy evening. We recommend splitting the time in half to create two shorter opportunities to finish work. For example, a 3rd grader can split their 30 minutes of homework into two 15 minute periods. Finding 15 minutes here and there is much more possible. This also creates a break time for your child while working.
Taking Breaks
Verywellmind.com gives examples of research that show 5-10 minute breaks allow students’ brains to naturally replay and process information to eventually become long term memory. Rather promoting “push through to get it done”; if a child has shown true effort while working, it may be more beneficial to give a short break. This break may not even need to be the full 5 minutes but as simple as going to get a drink or walking downstairs to get something. These moments can help reset the mind and help replenish the energy to focus.
Prioritizing
With a limited amount of time in the evening, choosing what is most challenging or most time sensitive assignments can be key. A fellow teacher, Stylish SPED, from the famous website teacherspayteachers.com made a simple sheet that asks all the right questions while trying to prioritize. It is not essential to purchase the worksheet, but simply look closely at the prompts to ask your child. These questions can be partnered with looking through assignments. It gives an opportunity to become a reflective thinker by asking themselves what is the hardest subject for me? What is something I know I can finish quickly? So often students go through the simple assignments and wait until late in the night to even think about that huge project or big test due the next day.
All of these strategies help reshape the at home homework approach and hopefully makes the evening less overwhelming. Our tutors can also help develop these strategies into routines for long term school success, as well as, guiding your student in understanding each subject.