Anchor Bay School District

Mission Statement

Anchor Bay Schools, in partnership with the community, will produce lifelong learners who respect diversity, adapt to change, and function as responsible citizens.

Resources

Improving Homework Skills

Below is a brief description of some effective ways to assist with the improvement of your child’s homework skills. You may wish to contact your child’s school for additional suggestions for how you may further assist your child’s academic skills at home.

  1. Establish a set time to start homework - It may also be helpful to designate an average amount of time for homework. Regardless of whether or not your child actually has homework. For example, you might have your child study between 4:30 and 5:30. This makes it more likely that your child will remember to do her homework, and to use her time efficiently without rushing.
  2. Help your child design a special place to study - This place should be free from distraction, so the kitchen table is generally not the best option. It should also provide good lighting and contain all of the necessary school supplies. This makes it more likely that your child will continue to work uninterrupted. To encourage the use of this area you might allow your child to decorate the study area with artwork, graded papers, etc. Decorations should encourage ownership and desirability, not further distraction.
  3. Take breaks - It may be unrealistic for some children to sit still for an hour. Your child’s individual ability to stay of task and to pay attention should be taken into account. It might be helpful to establish a pattern such as studying for 10-15 minutes followed by a 2-3 minute break.
  4. Teach your child how to organize - What needs to be done? How will it be done? How much time will be spent?
  5. Check your child’s work - Be careful to resist the temptation of falling into the trap of doing more of your child’s work than them.
  6. Praise effort - It is important to praise your child for her effort in completing her homework and showing good work habits, not just for getting good grades. Many homework experts recommend that you do not reward your child with money or other gifts. Praise and encouragement helps to instill a desire to learn for the sake of learning, and not for the payoff of a gift.