How much time should your child spend on homework and lesson review?
People tend to have strong opinions about how much time a child should spend doing homework and reviewing lessons. And yet, experts tend to agree that there’s no single answer to this question, because it depends on the needs and abilities of the student. Here are a few tips and tricks you can use to figure out how much time your child should spend on their schoolwork.
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Be aware of your child’s energy levels
Generally speaking, there are two types of fatigue: physical fatigue and mental fatigue. At the end of the day, all kids feel a certain degree of both. However, it’s been proven that children with learning difficulties typically experience a great deal more mental fatigue. That being said, all children can feel mentally spent some days. That’s why it’s crucial to take your child’s mental energy into account before you start planning how much time they should spend on homework that day.
Make daily adjustments
Energy levels can vary from one day to the next. There are a number of ways to gauge your child’s mental state and make the best assessment about how much time you should be spending on homework:
- Observe your child’s behaviour (physical agitation, moodiness, tension, etc.)
- Use our mood thermometer
- Read the comments left by your child’s teacher in their agenda (things to improve, specific incidents, etc.)
- Etc.
Focus on quality
Sometimes, when a child is agitated or distracted, it’s better to focus on quality over quantity. In other words, even if it means working in several stages, handing in high-quality work that shows your child really understood the task at hand is better than simply crossing items off their homework list, which can feel tedious and doesn’t really encourage learning.
On days when your child is feeling especially tired or stressed out, you can include a note in their agenda to let their teacher know why they didn’t finish their homework. The teacher can decide what to do next:
- Ask your child to finish the task in class
- Extend the due date
- Consider the work complete
- Etc.
Put a time limit on homework
Whereas some children consider any homework to be too much homework, others have the opposite experience. They’d do schoolwork all evening if they could! But sometimes, less is more. With children who are perfectionists or who just love learning, it’s important to set boundaries. It’s a matter of helping them find balance and develop healthy habits. If your child loves doing schoolwork, try giving them a specific amount of time to spend on homework each day. Alloprof’s Motivational Timer is great for this.
This tool can also be extremely beneficial for kids who have a hard time with homework, as it helps them do the following:
- Break up tasks into smaller steps
- Organize their work
- Keep track of time
- Take breaks
- Reward themselves for completing each task
- Etc.
Communicate with your child’s teacher
Does your child seem overwhelmed by the amount of homework they have to do? Does it feel like you’re fighting a new battle every evening? Whatever you’re experiencing, don’t hesitate to talk to your child’s teacher about it. They can use their expertise to do the following:
- Give you tips
- Refer you to a specialist if necessary
- Help you notice your child’s efforts
- Etc.
Collaborators
Writing : The Alloprof Parents' team