The consensus among the students is that academics is deplorably boring and homework should be banned. However, the system has to be followed and if it has to be then why not make the medicine taste sweet? Here are five useful tips to help you do so.
From books to life (apply)
Your child will be more eager to study and do her work if you relate the subject matter to her real life. For example, if there is a chapter on the anatomy of plants, pick up her favourite flower’s plant and let her understand it with the help of it. Ask her:”How do you think you could use this idea in your daily life?” Consequently, not only will the child develop the habit of using her learning practically but also be more creative. It would be even beneficial to explain her how a particular exercise helps her retain the information more easily and prevents the build-up of work at the last moment.
Why is the Sun yellow?(engage)
Reading in verbatim and just trying to memorize the material isn’t a very good way to keep the child interested. While reading the lessons, the child should be encouraged to ask questions. To begin with, the five questions used in journalism could be of help: what, when, where, why and how. This also helps in developing thinking skills. Another way to keep the child engaged with the text is to merge two areas of study. While reading a lesson in literature, the child could be asked to mark the nouns in it. Also, highlighters should be used while reading something. Highlighting the important matter enables the child to pay more attention.
Open your presents! (reward)
This might take some time to work but after every couple of days, you should reward the child for her effort. This could be even done on a weekly basis. This is called positive reinforcement. Perhaps you could buy her, her favourite comics or do an activity with her that she thoroughly enjoys. In fact, positive reinforcement works well for adults too!
Not all the strain together!
Not all subjects are equally liked and not all subjects involve the equal amount of strain. Therefore, you should make the child do the work in the order of heavy work followed by lighter work alternatively. This will not tire out the child and keep the interest piqued. Writing an essay could be followed by an easy reading.
When was Akbar born?( Memorize)
Recalling any prior information that the child has about a subject aids in memorizing new information easily and improves retention. He should be asked: “What do you know about this?” after which the new information should be added. The task of memorizing can be made fun and effortless if it is coupled with a bit of creativity. Colourful pens can be used to make notes. For a particular process, flow-charts could be made. A great way to remember things easily is to compare and contrast them. For example, a table could be made stating the differences between the different kind of clouds. You could also give the child exercises to improve recall. To be able to recall the new words learned, the child could be asked to write a paragraph in which those words have been used. It is noteworthy, that the work should be revised periodically!
Using the aforesaid tips, you could prevent the task of doing homework from being burdensome and make your teen look forward to it!
