May 19, 2011 by Yolanda Fontanez-Coleman | Focus
This time of year it’s especially difficult to keep kids focused in the classroom. By mid May most students have checked out and many teachers are holding their own personal countdowns to summer. Homework time is just so hard for kids this time of year. Parents often ask the following question around this time of year, “How do I keep my child focused during homework and study time? They don’t seem to want to do anymore work. They want to be outside and play.” I thought it would be a good idea to share some ideas that may help during homework and spring fever time!
Problem: My child doesn’t want to do homework anymore! He says school is just about done and it doesn’t matter anymore if I do my homework.
Solution: I am not a big fan of setting up “rewards” for tasks that are required to be completed, however I think it may work in this scenario. Set up a reward system for your child so he stays focused and completes his homework. The reward system can be as simple as extra time playing outside. Let your child know that if he completes his work without any complaints he can spend more time outside.
Problem: My daughter is having a hard time studying for tests. How can I get her focused again?
Solution: This is a good time to vary your study techniques. You have to get your daughter interested again, so make learning fun for her. Here are a few ideas to get her studying again! Incorporate some traditional games into the learning process. Play jeopardy to learn some vocabulary and its meanings, or some history and or science facts. Play tic tac toe with your daughter. Set up a tic tac toe board, ask a question, and if your child answers correctly they can make a move on board. Make a game using a blank game board worksheet (http://donnayoung.org/homeschooling/games/game-boards.htm) Put the learned facts on the board, use dice and a play token and have fun learning those facts!
I hope you find these tips helpful and I hope homework time is less stressful!
Happy Learning!
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