which is the best way or method to encourage children to do their homework?

Answer 1

My kids aren't quite that age yet but when we were younger my mum made a rule that we were allowed out after school to play or sit and watch tv until 5pm when we had dinner and after that she made all of us sit at the family dinner table to do our homework where she could keep an eye on us.

She normally made us start it at 6pm at the latest depending on dinner and we sat there until we finished so if we wanted to do something we worked quicker and got our work sone without messing about.

My sister employs this with her kids (12, 9, 7) and it seems to work for her so far - she makes them stay at the table until they have completely finished, she checks their homework (when she can) and makes them re-do it if necessary. If they refuse or just act up she gives them a punishment - usually no tv for the rest of the night or something

Hope you find what works for your family - good luck

Answer 2

Depending on who's asking.

For a teacher:
Involving the parents is critical for a chronic no-homework doer. I use 'homework slips' whenever a kid doesn't have his homework finished FOR ANY REASON (without a note from home) I have him/her fill out a slip that includes Name, date, class, teacher, but most importantly his reason or excuse why it isn't done. I tell my class that I don't care what they put, as long as they write something, I've gotten everything from 'I forgot my books' and 'Didn't get it' to 'don't care' and 'didn't feel like it'. Anyway, I have the student sign their own name to their reason and keep the slip. After 5 homework slips from the same student I make a call the the parents telling them of my concern and read to them some of the excuses I was given. As you can guess, most are quite shocked.

As a parent:
Make an effort to see what is expected from you kid when it comes to homework - every night. Most schools have their students use planners/agendas to write assignments and homework down in. You should ask to see your child's agenda each night. If you think that your student isn't writing down his homework, a simple request to the teacher to look at his agenda before school ends each day can fix this. Even when a student has NO homework on a particular night, have him write 'no homework' with a teacher's initials, that way, you know that he isn't just being lazy.
If after all that, your kid is still not doing homework. Its time for more drastic measures. Of course the quickest way is by heaping on the punishments, but a more 'humane' way to deal with it is by removing rewards. If your kid doesn't do his homework habitually, start by putting a password onto the computer or to get onto the Internet. If you're running Windows XP, you can create an account for him and limit to what he can access (games, MSN, whatever). Take away his Xbox controllers, or if you are savvy to be able to do so, 'accidentally' erase his saved games (that's a big one). If he has a TV in his bedroom, take the cable away, take his remote, and keep them until he can prove to you that his homework is complete to your satisfaction. Hopefully these small things will knock some sense into him, if not, go after some bigger things - cutting off his allowance or any funds you give him. Remove him from being able to participate in sports or teams or clubs. If he starts ranting about his 'rights' to these things, explain to him that these are 'privileges' that are earned by mature people who take responsibility for their actions, and are not for people who act like little kids throwing a tantrum.
But remember above all else, the student is the one who ulitmately decides to do his homework. All you can do is present a situation where NOT doing the homework is a whole lot more inconvenient than actually doing it.

Answer 3

Hi, you don't say how old your child is, but I have always found that if you sit with them and chat about the work, show an interest and set them up with all they need (Books, pens,etc) they'll generally get on with it! I usually make sure I'm around cooking dinner or something in case they need to ask anything - this also means you can keep an eye on them and make sure they stick to the task! Good luck!

Answer 4

When I was in school my parents use to make us do our homework when we walked in the door from school. We weren't allowed to do anything else until our homework was completed. So, needless to say we got our homework done fast so that we could go out and play or do what we wanted. All of us graduated with honors.

Answer 5

I don't want my kids to be fat and lazy, so I let them play outside when they get home, but come in and do some homework before supper. Then I go over it with them before bedtime. I also reward them monetarily for a good report card. Likewise, they are punished for bad grades - I'm talking about bad grades as a result of laziness, not bad grades as a result of confusion.

Answer 6

Let the child decide when to do the homework. After school right away, after dinner etc. Depending on age and family schedule. And even if they make a mistake praise them don't yell at wrong answers.

Answer 7

If you sit with them and get involved, although difficult to find time for most nights, it can really help. I always sit with my kids or get them to work in the kitchen if I'm cooking dinner. Even if they don't need my help, I always ask questions to show interest. They respond more to their parents interest and praise than that of their teachers. Its worked so far and they seem to enjoy it as it's quality time spent with their mum or dad on something that they have done.

Answer 8

well this is what i did last night....
they had their dinner (so they were nice and sedate)
then i put a doughnut on a plate each for them
then i said, "you do your homework, you can have that doughnut"
they did it in double quick time, didn't make any mistakes or anything
oh did i mention i put the doughnuts on the table in front of them so they could see and smell it the whole time
whhooppaahh!

Answer 9

i use a smiley face chart and for willing participation 7 smiles
earn a token - to be used for special outings or an item on their wish list. the number of tokens being pre decided for each wish.

Answer 10

Make it a rule that they do their homework as soon as they come home, before anything else.