Improve Your Homework Time With These Concentration Tips for Kids
For many families, homework is a struggle. And in the age of digital distraction, it only gets more complicated. Here are some tips to help your kids focus. Zero judgment if you use them against yourself.
Set a “working hour” for the whole family
During college graduation week, there was a reason we dragged ourselves out of our rooms to sit in crowded classrooms at 1 AM. The presence of fellow sick people somehow nourished and helped us to survive in the final chapter of Economy 19e. Create a similar atmosphere at home by setting a dedicated working hour where all family members sit together and work quietly. If possible, do it at the same time every weekday evening (you can set an alarm or ask Alexa to announce its working hours, which will help to get rid of some negotiations). While the kids are doing their homework, do your non-digital work: sorting mail, signing papers, writing thank you notes, journaling, writing this romance in your head, or making a to-do list for the next day.
Give the kids a moment to complain
You know this: if your kids tend to whine about homework, asking them to stop whining often leads to more whining. Maybe they need a release. When they are upset, announce that they have a “minute to complain.” And then start the timer. During this minute, they can express their irritation to the whole world. They may fall to the ground, clench their fists and exclaim, “THIS IS SO DIFFICULT, WHY IS THERE A HOME BUILDING, IT’S AWESOME, WHY WHY, AAAAAAAAAA! And it’s all. When the time is up, they have to go back to work – moaning is no longer allowed. For longer periods of study, you can give your child two or three Complaints Minute tickets that they can use as needed.
Change the environment
While it is good to have a dedicated space for homework, your children can learn more as they move around the house while they study. Academic coachAna Mascara explains, “Let’s say you study math in the kitchen, then you study math in the library, and then you study math on the bus, the brain is like, ‘Yeah. She uses these mathematical formulas in a wide variety of environments. Maybe these math formulas are critical to Ana’s survival. Let’s reinforce these math formulas because she uses them all over the place, so they must be important, right? “I know that when I write , being able to wander around the house helps me gain clarity – I often find new perspectives in new environments. If your child is nervous or stuck, encourage him to try a new place, such as a beanbag chair, porch, or rug on the floor.
Let your child be Batman
Literally let your child wear a superhero cape. The study found that when performing a repetitive task, four- and six-year-olds who pretended to be familiar characters such as Batman persisted significantly longer than those who remained themselves. The reason is what is called self-deletion. When children embody a personality other than their own, it helps them “go beyond the urgency of the situation and look into a more distant perspective,” the report says. While Petey might want to collapse before adding a three-digit number, Batman definitely won’t.
Try a pencil game
Here’s a good option for kids who are too old for Batman. In The Gift of Failure, author Jessica Lahey discusses Pencil Play, a reorientation technique taught to her by child psychologist William Hudenko.
Give your child a set of two or three pencils and teach him to change pencils when he feels his brain is being distracted. It’s not which pencil he’s using, but changing pencils gives his brain a clue, “Oh, I’m distracted, I need to focus again,” and changing pencils is a signal for his brain to refocus.
In the end, he won’t need pencils because his brain will eventually learn to recognize a distraction and he will automatically redirect his attention, but in the beginning, pencils offer a way to recognize subtle distraction signals.
Set homework immediately after vigorous play
Study of learning associates exercise with academic progress. Allowing your child to run vigorously for just 30 minutes can pump their brain with extra blood, delivering the oxygen and nutrients it needs to perform at peak performance. (PS This is why we cannot shorten the break .) Schedule a play break between the last school bell and your homework. When all these maneuvers are gone, your child will be much more ready to take up books.