Our days at school are full of variety and challenge, with structured lessons and a settled environment to help make the most of opportunities to focus and learn. When students go home, that learning can continue and a strong link between routines at home and school will enhance students’ progress.
Homework is not often something students look forward to doing but there is clear data to support structured practice at home in the Secondary years brings learning growth. Building up homework routines over the course of Secondary education develops personal study habits that prepare students for the senior years.
Students are greatly helped if there are:
- Good routines and time set aside for homework
- A suitable work area – well lit, quiet, not interrupted
- Healthy boundaries set around distractions like social media, TV and electronics
Parents can assist with monitoring their children’s homework and study by:
- Consistent reinforcement of expectations – working to due dates, standards in completion and effort.
- Having a time each night when homework is expected and reminding students to begin that task.
- Regular involvement in the routine of homework in the early years of Secondary, but then gradually turning over the responsibility for study and homework so that students become responsible for their own learning as they mature.
- Accepting that learning to be responsible and diligent is a process – some mistakes are bound to happen along the way. It’s okay to face a consequence and learn from the experience.
- Discussing progress and feedback rather than just grades.
- Speaking positively about the opportunity to revise, study and learn.
Helping our children become more independent and take responsibility for their own learning is one of the best ways a parent can support academic progress.
Other opportunities to foster learning at home include:
- Engaging in good conversation about current events and ideas
- Sharing your life in the work force and talking about the world of work
- Giving children responsibilities around the home to build their life-skills and independence
- Providing a stock of good books to keep the reading habit alive into their teen years
- Staying connected to the books, films, games and music they are interested in – being part of their world even though it’s changing from your tastes to theirs!
For some further tips on supporting learning at home, check out Psychologist-Approved Homework Survival Tips for Parents of Teens