14 ways to help your child concentrate
1. Establish a homework time. Getting your child on a regular schedule will make getting them to start their work every day much easier.
2. Set up a homework station at which your child can work in peace.
3. Ease their stress by assuring your child that you’re available to answer any questions they have with their work.
4. If they can’t find the motivation to focus, turn homework into a “beat the clock” game, in which they’re given a set amount of time to complete a task.
5. If your child has an assignment with multiple components, try to break it down into smaller, more manageable parts. Lessen their stress by allowing them short breaks between each part.
6. You child’s peers can be helpful in keeping your child on task. If they all get together to work on an assignment together, the mindset will already be there that the work must get done at that particular time.
7. Make your child write down each assignment that’s due, so their tasks are laid out in a concrete form.
8. Letting your child partake in physical activities, such as soccer or basketball, allows them to burn off their excess energy, later helping them focus on the task at hand.
9. Whatever the most dreaded assignment is, take on first. If your child hates English homework, have them do that first while they’re fresh.
10. Play into what type of learner your child is. If they’re more visual, for example, get out a few small pieces of candy to teach them division. If they learn through doing, guide them as they work.
11. Reward your child for a job well done to improve their motivation. If they complete their assignments in a timely manner, allow them video game time. If they complete a large project, take them out for ice cream to celebrate.
12. Have your child do one thing at a time, at all times. Multitasking does not help when it comes to retaining information.
13. Encourage your child to take notes. It’s an easy way to reinforce the information after your child has first read and processed it.
14. Take time to apply what your child is learning to real life. If they’re learning about systems of measurement, have them measure their height, or the area of their bedroom floors. It will make it more interactive and fun.
