BETTER
140 | September 2019 BY LESLIE PEPPER PHOTOS MARTY BALDWIN
THE ISSUE
“I’LL DO IT LATER.”
THE SOLUTION
Avoid the refrain of
“Have you done your
homework yet?” with a
two-pronged approach.
First, set a time for
homework to start. Some
kids need a break after
they get home; others
like to keep working while
they’re still in school mode,
says Cathy Vatterott, Ph.D.,
professor of education at
the University of Missouri-
St. Louis and author of
Rethinking Homework. If
yours needs a break, get
input from your child about
how long, set a timer, and
when the bell goes off, it’s
time to work.
Second, you may
need to create an
incentive program of
sorts. And that’s OK,
says developmental
psychologist Janine
Bempechat, Ed.D. Ask
what would motivate her.
A special lunch? Extra
time on electronics? If she
does all her homework
automatically for a week,
she earns the reward.
THE ISSUE
“I DON’T KNOW
WHERE TO START.”
THE SOLUTION
At the start of each week
have your child estimate
how long each assignment
will take and make a to-do
list in the order he wants to
tackle them. (He can add
assignments as he gets
them.) Some kids want to
get the hard stuff out of the
way; others prefer crossing
off a few easy assignments
first. Organizing his to-do
list this way will help him
figure out his working
patterns and how he can
be the most productive.
Break down assignments
that have more lead time
into manageable pieces
with separate due dates.
For example, to tackle
a two-page book report
due in a month, work
with your child to make
a schedule for reading a
set number of pages each
week and a timeline for
writing and editing.
TECH
SUPPORT
nMYHOMEWORK
STUDENT PLANNER
It helps students
track assignments
and tests. The calendar
display alerts you
with due dates and
study schedules.
(Free or $5 per year
for premium version.)
nSCANNER PRO
Turns your iPhone
or iPad into a scanner
to scan assignments
and go paperless ($4).
The process of
doing homework
doesn’t come
naturally; it needs
to be taught.
Our A+ strategies
for getting
over the most
common hurdles.
HOMEWORK
HELPERS
BACK-TO-SCHOOL SPECIAL
EXPERTS SAY
KIDS SHOULDN’T
HAVE MORE
THAN 10 MINUTES
OF HOMEWORK
PER NIGHT PER
GRADE LEVEL.
