pay attention to homework

How to Focus on Homework and Actually Get Things Done: 12 Hacks for Busy Students

• September 15, 2022

Chances are, you’ve had some days when you felt overwhelmed after a long day at school. You couldn’t imagine doing anything other than plopping down in front of the television, let alone finding out how to focus on your homework. 

How can you overcome the resistance and get it done? How do you get your mind to include this task in your day as well?

With just a few adjustments, you will be able to expand your capacity to concentrate.

Why Can’t I Focus on My Homework?

Countless factors constantly fight for your attention : social media, people, overthinking, and anxiety. All of this can make you feel as though you have little control over your mind. 

If you want to start to focus better on your homework, you’ll need to set your mind up for success. Remove all distractions .

Here are two key principles that can help you be more successful in your studies:

1. Identify the distractions in your surroundings

What are the things in your daily life that take your mind away from your studies? Clearly identifying these distractions can help you understand both the problem and what causes it.

Among our environmental distractions, digital distractions are one of the worst kinds, and according to a number of studies , their effect is on the rise in the classroom.

If you’re looking to gain more concentration and, thus, form better study habits, question your online behavior first and foremost.

2. Limit the use of technology to find focus

What’s the role of social media in your daily life? Have you ever sat down to calculate how social media distracts you from doing the things you should be doing?

When you are wondering how to focus on homework long after you’ve put your phone away, you’re still thinking about the last posts you saw on Instagram. The sound of new notifications can be enough to reroute our attention from the task at hand.

And then comes the information overload, the fear of missing out, and the all-too-common signs of addictive behavior. Technology is affecting your mind more than ever, and it’s taking your focus away.

How to Focus on Homework: 12 Things You Can Do to Be More Indistractible

Here are 12 tips on how to stay focused while completing your homework, taught by superbrain coach Jim Kwik and habit transformation expert Nir Eyal .

• Make a routine
• Set up a study-friendly environment
• Avoid heavy meals
• Organize your study notes
• Tell others to stay away
• Listen to study music
• Set deadlines
• Take brain breaks
• Use discomfort as motivation for productivity
• Use time blocking
• Let go of thoughts that distract you
• Reimagine your task

Let’s look at each study hack in more detail.

1. Make a routine

Routines help you be productive without exerting as much effort. When you have homework to do, a study routine can be the reason you actually sit down, set enough time aside, concentrate, and stay focused until you complete the project.

This process doesn’t need to be complicated: just tell yourself that you will sit at your desk at home once you’re back from school. Put your phone on silent, make an outline of the work that needs to get done, and simply begin with what’s most important.

2. Set up a study-friendly environment

A place for everything and everything in its place. That applies to studying, too.

Lying in bed with your notebook is considered a distraction, as is being in the living room with your laptop while others are doing their activities.

You need an isolated place when you decide to focus on your homework. Make it feel comfortable, keep it organized, keep it clean, and consider putting up some motivational posters or positive affirmations .

3. Avoid heavy meals

It’s not advisable to have a big meal beforehand. Big meals can ruin your focus and make you feel sluggish and lazy because it takes a big amount of time and energy for your body to digest. A snack is okay.

There are also some foods , though, that are just plain bad for your productivity. For example, soda, candy, and fried foods are all full of sugar and have no nutritional value. They make your insulin spike up, but then it crashes very fast, which makes you feel depleted of energy.

4. Organize your study notes

Prioritize your work. Keep lists and place the most important items on top. Then work on the items that you should get done first.

It helps to outline what you need to do, breaking it down into smaller, more manageable steps. Use colors to highlight the essentials . 

This makes it all look much simpler and you’re more likely to actually get started. The brain loves organization and it won’t be so likely to procrastinate when it knows you have a structure set in place.

5. Tell others to stay away

Don’t be afraid to let others know that you’re studying and require some time and space to get your work done. Decide on fixed hours for studying and tell your friends and family members that you won’t be available during that time of the day.

If others respect your study time, you’ll be more inclined to respect it as well. 

6. Listen to study music

There are many tracks out there designed to help your mind focus. Whether you use binaural beats or just instrumental music, the right sounds can really help to tune your brain into a productive frequency.

This meditation is also great to listen to; it puts your mind in a clear, concise, and ready-to-take-on-the-world mode:

7. Set deadlines

Even if your teacher has already given you deadlines for each assignment, set new ones yourself at earlier dates.

This helps you build discipline, learn how to focus on studying, and prioritize every day.

8. Take brain breaks

Frequent breaks actually increase your productivity and focus. You’ll see that after each study session, the brain needs to be engaged with something different —  you need to activate other parts of your brain before going back to your studies so that you can reach top performance.

You can also use the Superbrain Yoga Technique. In the Superbrain Quest, Jim talks about implementing it during your breaks. It goes as follows:

• Massage the left lobe of your ear with your right hand, and the right one with your left hand
• Inhale and squat down
• Exhale and come back up while continuing massaging your opposite ear with the opposite hand
• Keep going for a few minutes

As your body moves, your brain grooves. — Jim Kwik, trainer of Mindvalley’s Superbrain Quest

9. Use discomfort as motivation for productivity

The brain is wired to protect us from danger, and our ancestors needed this function of the psyche to survive. Discomfort is associated with danger, and whenever they felt it, they knew it was time to run away or protect themselves in one way or another.

In today’s world, danger isn’t so imminent. However, discomfort is, and the brain still works to protect us in the same way. 

So why not use it to your advantage?

Once you have this mindset shift, you can see the discomfort that comes with doing your homework as fuel for moving forward, from pain to pleasure. So instead of procrastinating and avoiding the discomfort, just use it as motivation to get things done.

And maybe you can even save yourself a fun activity to do later in the day, so you have something to look forward to.

10. Use time blocking

You can use time blocking and set a specific amount of time for parts of your homework that needs to be done. For example, you block 30 minutes of reading, then another 30 minutes of writing down highlights from the text. 

This method will give you more structure and support you when you need to focus on school work, as you will have a dedicated structured time to do so.

11. Let go of thoughts that distract you

When you need more concentration, but your thoughts keep getting in the way, here’s a fun visualization exercise you can use:

• Before you start working on your homework, close down your eyes and imagine a flowing river in front of you. 
• Now, place every thought on a leaf and let it run down the river while watching it move away from you. 

Do this repeatedly for 5-10 minutes and see how your mind becomes clearer, more productive, and more inspired.

12. Reimagine your task

How can you make the process of doing your homework more fun? Is there any way you can think of to make it more exciting and engaging?

As you introduce play and fun into any task, your capacity to stay focused will increase. So just try out different methods to engage more in your homework. 

For example, what if you made a trivia quest about your history lesson homework? Or what about riddles to make you remember all the characters from the novel you have to read? 

Once you play around with these kinds of games, you might find that focusing on your homework isn’t as boring as you thought it would be.

Unleash the Power of Your Focus

Discovering how to focus on your homework can go beyond schoolwork and actually support you in many other activities you want to do. Concentration is one of the best skills to nurture for your growth.

If you need a little guidance at the beginning of your focusing journey, Mindvalley has it in store for you. 

By unlocking your FREE Mindvalley access , you can check out sample classes from quests that help you develop better focus and study habits, such as Becoming Focused and Indistractable by Nir Eyal and Superbrain by Jim Kwik. You can also immerse yourself in beautiful sounds and guided meditations designed to improve concentration and help you enter the flow state.

The earlier you start, the greater your journey of self-discovery will be. Welcome in.

— Images generated on Midjourney.

Recommended Free Masterclass For You

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Join the foremost expert in memory improvement and brain performance, Jim Kwik, in a free masterclass that will dive into the one skill you will ever need — learning how to learn Reserve My Free Spot Now

Alexandra Tudor

Jim Kwik is the trainer of Mindvalley’s Superbrain and Super Reading quests. He’s a brain coach and a world expert in speed reading, memory improvement, and optimal brain performance. Known as the “boy with the broken brain” due to a childhood injury, Jim discovered strategies to dramatically enhance his mental performance. He is now committed to helping people improve their memory, learn to speed-read, increase their decision-making skills, and turn on their superbrain. He has shared his techniques with Hollywood actors, Fortune 500 companies, and trailblazing entrepreneurs like Elon Musk and Richard Branson to reach their highest level of mental performance. He is also one of the most sought-after trainers for top organizations like Harvard University, Nike, Virgin, and GE.

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, how to do homework: 15 expert tips and tricks.

Coursework/GPA

Everyone struggles with homework sometimes, but if getting your homework done has become a chronic issue for you, then you may need a little extra help. That’s why we’ve written this article all about how to do homework. Once you’re finished reading it, you’ll know how to do homework (and have tons of new ways to motivate yourself to do homework)!

We’ve broken this article down into a few major sections. You’ll find:

• A diagnostic test to help you figure out why you’re struggling with homework
• A discussion of the four major homework problems students face, along with expert tips for addressing them
• A bonus section with tips for how to do homework fast

By the end of this article, you’ll be prepared to tackle whatever homework assignments your teachers throw at you .

So let’s get started!

How to Do Homework: Figure Out Your Struggles 

Sometimes it feels like everything is standing between you and getting your homework done. But the truth is, most people only have one or two major roadblocks that are keeping them from getting their homework done well and on time. 

The best way to figure out how to get motivated to do homework starts with pinpointing the issues that are affecting your ability to get your assignments done. That’s why we’ve developed a short quiz to help you identify the areas where you’re struggling. 

Take the quiz below and record your answers on your phone or on a scrap piece of paper. Keep in mind there are no wrong answers! 

1. You’ve just been assigned an essay in your English class that’s due at the end of the week. What’s the first thing you do?

A. Keep it in mind, even though you won’t start it until the day before it’s due  B. Open up your planner. You’ve got to figure out when you’ll write your paper since you have band practice, a speech tournament, and your little sister’s dance recital this week, too.  C. Groan out loud. Another essay? You could barely get yourself to write the last one!  D. Start thinking about your essay topic, which makes you think about your art project that’s due the same day, which reminds you that your favorite artist might have just posted to Instagram...so you better check your feed right now. 

2. Your mom asked you to pick up your room before she gets home from work. You’ve just gotten home from school. You decide you’ll tackle your chores: 

A. Five minutes before your mom walks through the front door. As long as it gets done, who cares when you start?  B. As soon as you get home from your shift at the local grocery store.  C. After you give yourself a 15-minute pep talk about how you need to get to work.  D. You won’t get it done. Between texts from your friends, trying to watch your favorite Netflix show, and playing with your dog, you just lost track of time! 

3. You’ve signed up to wash dogs at the Humane Society to help earn money for your senior class trip. You: 

A. Show up ten minutes late. You put off leaving your house until the last minute, then got stuck in unexpected traffic on the way to the shelter.  B. Have to call and cancel at the last minute. You forgot you’d already agreed to babysit your cousin and bake cupcakes for tomorrow’s bake sale.  C. Actually arrive fifteen minutes early with extra brushes and bandanas you picked up at the store. You’re passionate about animals, so you’re excited to help out! D. Show up on time, but only get three dogs washed. You couldn’t help it: you just kept getting distracted by how cute they were!

4. You have an hour of downtime, so you decide you’re going to watch an episode of The Great British Baking Show. You: 

A. Scroll through your social media feeds for twenty minutes before hitting play, which means you’re not able to finish the whole episode. Ugh! You really wanted to see who was sent home!  B. Watch fifteen minutes until you remember you’re supposed to pick up your sister from band practice before heading to your part-time job. No GBBO for you!  C. You finish one episode, then decide to watch another even though you’ve got SAT studying to do. It’s just more fun to watch people make scones.  D. Start the episode, but only catch bits and pieces of it because you’re reading Twitter, cleaning out your backpack, and eating a snack at the same time.

5. Your teacher asks you to stay after class because you’ve missed turning in two homework assignments in a row. When she asks you what’s wrong, you say: 

A. You planned to do your assignments during lunch, but you ran out of time. You decided it would be better to turn in nothing at all than submit unfinished work.  B. You really wanted to get the assignments done, but between your extracurriculars, family commitments, and your part-time job, your homework fell through the cracks.  C. You have a hard time psyching yourself to tackle the assignments. You just can’t seem to find the motivation to work on them once you get home.  D. You tried to do them, but you had a hard time focusing. By the time you realized you hadn’t gotten anything done, it was already time to turn them in. 

Like we said earlier, there are no right or wrong answers to this quiz (though your results will be better if you answered as honestly as possible). Here’s how your answers break down: 

• If your answers were mostly As, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is procrastination. 
• If your answers were mostly Bs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is time management. 
• If your answers were mostly Cs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is motivation. 
• If your answers were mostly Ds, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is getting distracted. 

Now that you’ve identified why you’re having a hard time getting your homework done, we can help you figure out how to fix it! Scroll down to find your core problem area to learn more about how you can start to address it. 

And one more thing: you’re really struggling with homework, it’s a good idea to read through every section below. You may find some additional tips that will help make homework less intimidating. 

How to Do Homework When You’re a Procrastinator  

Merriam Webster defines “procrastinate” as “to put off intentionally and habitually.” In other words, procrastination is when you choose to do something at the last minute on a regular basis. If you’ve ever found yourself pulling an all-nighter, trying to finish an assignment between periods, or sprinting to turn in a paper minutes before a deadline, you’ve experienced the effects of procrastination. 

If you’re a chronic procrastinator, you’re in good company. In fact, one study found that 70% to 95% of undergraduate students procrastinate when it comes to doing their homework. Unfortunately, procrastination can negatively impact your grades. Researchers have found that procrastination can lower your grade on an assignment by as much as five points ...which might not sound serious until you realize that can mean the difference between a B- and a C+. 

Procrastination can also negatively affect your health by increasing your stress levels , which can lead to other health conditions like insomnia, a weakened immune system, and even heart conditions. Getting a handle on procrastination can not only improve your grades, it can make you feel better, too! 

The big thing to understand about procrastination is that it’s not the result of laziness. Laziness is defined as being “disinclined to activity or exertion.” In other words, being lazy is all about doing nothing. But a s this Psychology Today article explains , procrastinators don’t put things off because they don’t want to work. Instead, procrastinators tend to postpone tasks they don’t want to do in favor of tasks that they perceive as either more important or more fun. Put another way, procrastinators want to do things...as long as it’s not their homework! 

3 Tips f or Conquering Procrastination 

Because putting off doing homework is a common problem, there are lots of good tactics for addressing procrastination. Keep reading for our three expert tips that will get your homework habits back on track in no time. 

#1: Create a Reward System

Like we mentioned earlier, procrastination happens when you prioritize other activities over getting your homework done. Many times, this happens because homework...well, just isn’t enjoyable. But you can add some fun back into the process by rewarding yourself for getting your work done. 

Here’s what we mean: let’s say you decide that every time you get your homework done before the day it’s due, you’ll give yourself a point. For every five points you earn, you’ll treat yourself to your favorite dessert: a chocolate cupcake! Now you have an extra (delicious!) incentive to motivate you to leave procrastination in the dust. 

If you’re not into cupcakes, don’t worry. Your reward can be anything that motivates you . Maybe it’s hanging out with your best friend or an extra ten minutes of video game time. As long as you’re choosing something that makes homework worth doing, you’ll be successful. 

#2: Have a Homework Accountability Partner 

If you’re having trouble getting yourself to start your homework ahead of time, it may be a good idea to call in reinforcements . Find a friend or classmate you can trust and explain to them that you’re trying to change your homework habits. Ask them if they’d be willing to text you to make sure you’re doing your homework and check in with you once a week to see if you’re meeting your anti-procrastination goals. 

Sharing your goals can make them feel more real, and an accountability partner can help hold you responsible for your decisions. For example, let’s say you’re tempted to put off your science lab write-up until the morning before it’s due. But you know that your accountability partner is going to text you about it tomorrow...and you don’t want to fess up that you haven’t started your assignment. A homework accountability partner can give you the extra support and incentive you need to keep your homework habits on track. 

#3: Create Your Own Due Dates 

If you’re a life-long procrastinator, you might find that changing the habit is harder than you expected. In that case, you might try using procrastination to your advantage! If you just can’t seem to stop doing your work at the last minute, try setting your own due dates for assignments that range from a day to a week before the assignment is actually due. 

Here’s what we mean. Let’s say you have a math worksheet that’s been assigned on Tuesday and is due on Friday. In your planner, you can write down the due date as Thursday instead. You may still put off your homework assignment until the last minute...but in this case, the “last minute” is a day before the assignment’s real due date . This little hack can trick your procrastination-addicted brain into planning ahead! 

If you feel like Kevin Hart in this meme, then our tips for doing homework when you're busy are for you. 

How to Do Homework When You’re too Busy

If you’re aiming to go to a top-tier college , you’re going to have a full plate. Because college admissions is getting more competitive, it’s important that you’re maintaining your grades , studying hard for your standardized tests , and participating in extracurriculars so your application stands out. A packed schedule can get even more hectic once you add family obligations or a part-time job to the mix. 

If you feel like you’re being pulled in a million directions at once, you’re not alone. Recent research has found that stress—and more severe stress-related conditions like anxiety and depression— are a major problem for high school students . In fact, one study from the American Psychological Association found that during the school year, students’ stress levels are higher than those of the adults around them. 

For students, homework is a major contributor to their overall stress levels . Many high schoolers have multiple hours of homework every night , and figuring out how to fit it into an already-packed schedule can seem impossible. 

3 Tips for Fitting Homework Into Your Busy Schedule

While it might feel like you have literally no time left in your schedule, there are still ways to make sure you’re able to get your homework done and meet your other commitments. Here are our expert homework tips for even the busiest of students. 

#1: Make a Prioritized To-Do List 

You probably already have a to-do list to keep yourself on track. The next step is to prioritize the items on your to-do list so you can see what items need your attention right away. 

Here’s how it works: at the beginning of each day, sit down and make a list of all the items you need to get done before you go to bed. This includes your homework, but it should also take into account any practices, chores, events, or job shifts you may have. Once you get everything listed out, it’s time to prioritize them using the labels A, B, and C. Here’s what those labels mean:

• A Tasks : tasks that have to get done—like showing up at work or turning in an assignment—get an A. 
• B Tasks : these are tasks that you would like to get done by the end of the day but aren’t as time sensitive. For example, studying for a test you have next week could be a B-level task. It’s still important, but it doesn’t have to be done right away.
• C Tasks: these are tasks that aren’t very important and/or have no real consequences if you don’t get them done immediately. For instance, if you’re hoping to clean out your closet but it’s not an assigned chore from your parents, you could label that to-do item with a C.

Prioritizing your to-do list helps you visualize which items need your immediate attention, and which items you can leave for later. A prioritized to-do list ensures that you’re spending your time efficiently and effectively, which helps you make room in your schedule for homework. So even though you might really want to start making decorations for Homecoming (a B task), you’ll know that finishing your reading log (an A task) is more important. 

#2: Use a Planner With Time Labels

Your planner is probably packed with notes, events, and assignments already. (And if you’re not using a planner, it’s time to start!) But planners can do more for you than just remind you when an assignment is due. If you’re using a planner with time labels, it can help you visualize how you need to spend your day.

A planner with time labels breaks your day down into chunks, and you assign tasks to each chunk of time. For example, you can make a note of your class schedule with assignments, block out time to study, and make sure you know when you need to be at practice. Once you know which tasks take priority, you can add them to any empty spaces in your day. 

Planning out how you spend your time not only helps you use it wisely, it can help you feel less overwhelmed, too . We’re big fans of planners that include a task list ( like this one ) or have room for notes ( like this one ). 

#3: Set Reminders on Your Phone 

If you need a little extra nudge to make sure you’re getting your homework done on time, it’s a good idea to set some reminders on your phone. You don’t need a fancy app, either. You can use your alarm app to have it go off at specific times throughout the day to remind you to do your homework. This works especially well if you have a set homework time scheduled. So if you’ve decided you’re doing homework at 6:00 pm, you can set an alarm to remind you to bust out your books and get to work. 

If you use your phone as your planner, you may have the option to add alerts, emails, or notifications to scheduled events . Many calendar apps, including the one that comes with your phone, have built-in reminders that you can customize to meet your needs. So if you block off time to do your homework from 4:30 to 6:00 pm, you can set a reminder that will pop up on your phone when it’s time to get started. 

This dog isn't judging your lack of motivation...but your teacher might. Keep reading for tips to help you motivate yourself to do your homework.

How to Do Homework When You’re Unmotivated 

At first glance, it may seem like procrastination and being unmotivated are the same thing. After all, both of these issues usually result in you putting off your homework until the very last minute. 

But there’s one key difference: many procrastinators are working, they’re just prioritizing work differently. They know they’re going to start their homework...they’re just going to do it later. 

Conversely, people who are unmotivated to do homework just can’t find the willpower to tackle their assignments. Procrastinators know they’ll at least attempt the homework at the last minute, whereas people who are unmotivated struggle with convincing themselves to do it at a ll. For procrastinators, the stress comes from the inevitable time crunch. For unmotivated people, the stress comes from trying to convince themselves to do something they don’t want to do in the first place. 

Here are some common reasons students are unmotivated in doing homework : 

• Assignments are too easy, too hard, or seemingly pointless 
• Students aren’t interested in (or passionate about) the subject matter
• Students are intimidated by the work and/or feels like they don’t understand the assignment 
• Homework isn’t fun, and students would rather spend their time on things that they enjoy 

To sum it up: people who lack motivation to do their homework are more likely to not do it at all, or to spend more time worrying about doing their homework than...well, actually doing it.

3 Tips for How to Get Motivated to Do Homework

The key to getting homework done when you’re unmotivated is to figure out what does motivate you, then apply those things to homework. It sounds tricky...but it’s pretty simple once you get the hang of it! Here are our three expert tips for motivating yourself to do your homework. 

#1: Use Incremental Incentives

When you’re not motivated, it’s important to give yourself small rewards to stay focused on finishing the task at hand. The trick is to keep the incentives small and to reward yourself often. For example, maybe you’re reading a good book in your free time. For every ten minutes you spend on your homework, you get to read five pages of your book. Like we mentioned earlier, make sure you’re choosing a reward that works for you! 

So why does this technique work? Using small rewards more often allows you to experience small wins for getting your work done. Every time you make it to one of your tiny reward points, you get to celebrate your success, which gives your brain a boost of dopamine . Dopamine helps you stay motivated and also creates a feeling of satisfaction when you complete your homework !  

#2: Form a Homework Group 

If you’re having trouble motivating yourself, it’s okay to turn to others for support. Creating a homework group can help with this. Bring together a group of your friends or classmates, and pick one time a week where you meet and work on homework together. You don’t have to be in the same class, or even taking the same subjects— the goal is to encourage one another to start (and finish!) your assignments. 

Another added benefit of a homework group is that you can help one another if you’re struggling to understand the material covered in your classes. This is especially helpful if your lack of motivation comes from being intimidated by your assignments. Asking your friends for help may feel less scary than talking to your teacher...and once you get a handle on the material, your homework may become less frightening, too. 

#3: Change Up Your Environment 

If you find that you’re totally unmotivated, it may help if you find a new place to do your homework. For example, if you’ve been struggling to get your homework done at home, try spending an extra hour in the library after school instead. The change of scenery can limit your distractions and give you the energy you need to get your work done. 

If you’re stuck doing homework at home, you can still use this tip. For instance, maybe you’ve always done your homework sitting on your bed. Try relocating somewhere else, like your kitchen table, for a few weeks. You may find that setting up a new “homework spot” in your house gives you a motivational lift and helps you get your work done. 

Social media can be a huge problem when it comes to doing homework. We have advice for helping you unplug and regain focus.

How to Do Homework When You’re Easily Distracted

We live in an always-on world, and there are tons of things clamoring for our attention. From friends and family to pop culture and social media, it seems like there’s always something (or someone!) distracting us from the things we need to do.

The 24/7 world we live in has affected our ability to focus on tasks for prolonged periods of time. Research has shown that over the past decade, an average person’s attention span has gone from 12 seconds to eight seconds . And when we do lose focus, i t takes people a long time to get back on task . One study found that it can take as long as 23 minutes to get back to work once we’ve been distracte d. No wonder it can take hours to get your homework done! 

3 Tips to Improve Your Focus

If you have a hard time focusing when you’re doing your homework, it’s a good idea to try and eliminate as many distractions as possible. Here are three expert tips for blocking out the noise so you can focus on getting your homework done. 

#1: Create a Distraction-Free Environment

Pick a place where you’ll do your homework every day, and make it as distraction-free as possible. Try to find a location where there won’t be tons of noise, and limit your access to screens while you’re doing your homework. Put together a focus-oriented playlist (or choose one on your favorite streaming service), and put your headphones on while you work. 

You may find that other people, like your friends and family, are your biggest distraction. If that’s the case, try setting up some homework boundaries. Let them know when you’ll be working on homework every day, and ask them if they’ll help you keep a quiet environment. They’ll be happy to lend a hand! 

#2: Limit Your Access to Technology 

We know, we know...this tip isn’t fun, but it does work. For homework that doesn’t require a computer, like handouts or worksheets, it’s best to put all your technology away . Turn off your television, put your phone and laptop in your backpack, and silence notifications on any wearable tech you may be sporting. If you listen to music while you work, that’s fine...but make sure you have a playlist set up so you’re not shuffling through songs once you get started on your homework. 

If your homework requires your laptop or tablet, it can be harder to limit your access to distractions. But it’s not impossible! T here are apps you can download that will block certain websites while you’re working so that you’re not tempted to scroll through Twitter or check your Facebook feed. Silence notifications and text messages on your computer, and don’t open your email account unless you absolutely have to. And if you don’t need access to the internet to complete your assignments, turn off your WiFi. Cutting out the online chatter is a great way to make sure you’re getting your homework done. 

#3: Set a Timer (the Pomodoro Technique)

Have you ever heard of the Pomodoro technique ? It’s a productivity hack that uses a timer to help you focus!

Here’s how it works: first, set a timer for 25 minutes. This is going to be your work time. During this 25 minutes, all you can do is work on whatever homework assignment you have in front of you. No email, no text messaging, no phone calls—just homework. When that timer goes off, you get to take a 5 minute break. Every time you go through one of these cycles, it’s called a “pomodoro.” For every four pomodoros you complete, you can take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.

The pomodoro technique works through a combination of boundary setting and rewards. First, it gives you a finite amount of time to focus, so you know that you only have to work really hard for 25 minutes. Once you’ve done that, you’re rewarded with a short break where you can do whatever you want. Additionally, tracking how many pomodoros you complete can help you see how long you’re really working on your homework. (Once you start using our focus tips, you may find it doesn’t take as long as you thought!)

Two Bonus Tips for How to Do Homework Fast

Even if you’re doing everything right, there will be times when you just need to get your homework done as fast as possible. (Why do teachers always have projects due in the same week? The world may never know.)

The problem with speeding through homework is that it’s easy to make mistakes. While turning in an assignment is always better than not submitting anything at all, you want to make sure that you’re not compromising quality for speed. Simply put, the goal is to get your homework done quickly and still make a good grade on the assignment! 

Here are our two bonus tips for getting a decent grade on your homework assignments , even when you’re in a time crunch. 

#1: Do the Easy Parts First 

This is especially true if you’re working on a handout with multiple questions. Before you start working on the assignment, read through all the questions and problems. As you do, make a mark beside the questions you think are “easy” to answer . 

Once you’ve finished going through the whole assignment, you can answer these questions first. Getting the easy questions out of the way as quickly as possible lets you spend more time on the trickier portions of your homework, which will maximize your assignment grade. 

(Quick note: this is also a good strategy to use on timed assignments and tests, like the SAT and the ACT !) 

#2: Pay Attention in Class 

Homework gets a lot easier when you’re actively learning the material. Teachers aren’t giving you homework because they’re mean or trying to ruin your weekend... it’s because they want you to really understand the course material. Homework is designed to reinforce what you’re already learning in class so you’ll be ready to tackle harder concepts later.

When you pay attention in class, ask questions, and take good notes, you’re absorbing the information you’ll need to succeed on your homework assignments. (You’re stuck in class anyway, so you might as well make the most of it!) Not only will paying attention in class make your homework less confusing, it will also help it go much faster, too.

What’s Next?

If you’re looking to improve your productivity beyond homework, a good place to begin is with time management. After all, we only have so much time in a day...so it’s important to get the most out of it! To get you started, check out this list of the 12 best time management techniques that you can start using today.

You may have read this article because homework struggles have been affecting your GPA. Now that you’re on the path to homework success, it’s time to start being proactive about raising your grades. This article teaches you everything you need to know about raising your GPA so you can

Now you know how to get motivated to do homework...but what about your study habits? Studying is just as critical to getting good grades, and ultimately getting into a good college . We can teach you how to study bette r in high school. (We’ve also got tons of resources to help you study for your ACT and SAT exams , too!)

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

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How to Pay Attention in Class

Last Updated: December 15, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by César de León, M.Ed. . César de León is an Educational Leadership Consultant and currently serves as an Assistant Principal for the Austin Independent School District in Austin, TX. César specializes in education program development, curriculum improvement, student mentorship, social justice, equity leadership, and family and community engagement. He is passionate about eradicating inequities in schools for all children, especially those who have been historically underserved and marginalized. César holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education and Biology from Texas State University and a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from The University of Texas at Austin. There are 13 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 476,385 times.

You want to learn, you want to listen to your teacher, and you want to absorb all of that information in class; but it's just so...boring! It's hard to focus on the next lecture when you're mind wanders to different tasks or thoughts, but with a few mental and physical tricks, you can pay attention in class. Like with most things in school, it takes work and determination, but once you build the skill you'll be happy that you put in the effort.

Controlling Your Thoughts

• Distractions include items like a computer, a phone, and small items that you can play with. Distractions also include things that are around you, like a friend, an annoying classmate, or a window.
• Physical removal is the best way to deal with a distraction. So, for example, if you know a classmate is distracting you. Try sitting somewhere else. Your teacher will understand and will probably be more than happy to help you move seats.

• Things you might catch yourself thinking about include: games, what you’re doing after school, your boyfriend or girlfriend (or lack thereof!), your friends, your family...even fantasy stuff like books you'd like to read or places you wish you could go.
• You’ll have to learn to manually refocus your attention. Catch yourself and then make yourself think about the lesson again. Eventually it becomes a habit and you learn to daydream less.
• This means that even if you’re thinking about another aspect of the class, like the test you have coming up, you’ll want to stop and refocus on what’s happening right now. It’s important to do things like think about tests but if your mind is wandering then you’re not absorbing the information that you need to learn at the moment.

• One thing you might want to practice is building your ability to focus. Test yourself by trying to do a challenging task while listening to loud, distracting music. Focus is a skill which needs to be exercised and developed, just like any other.

• Try making customized lessons or assignments that are more interesting for you to learn. You can also ask your teacher for extra credit or side projects which help you learn the same lessons but in a way that works better for you. If you're serious about learning and you're willing to put in hard work, your teacher will probably be willing to help you come up with something.

• You can try finding some aspect of the subject that is interesting to you. This can make the rest of the class more interesting because you'll feel more like you're building a base for the stuff that you want to learn. For example, maybe you don't really like your history class but you do like medieval knights. You can try to imagine how all of the history that you are learning ties back to medieval knights, and you'll find that that makes it easier to focus on what you're learning.

Changing Your Actions

• Preparing yourself by getting everything that you'll need and arranging your desk can also help you focus. This will cut down on distractions, like needing to borrow a pencil because yours is out of lead.

• Ask questions. A good way to participate in class is to ask questions. When you have a question about something you don't understand or the teacher said something and you want to know more about it, raise your hand and ask. Even just focusing enough to listen for things you might want to ask questions about can help you pay way more attention.

• If you don't know how to take notes, we've got you covered!

• For example, if you're struggling with math, try going to Math is Fun or Wolfram Alpha to get more math help.

Priming Your Body

• For anyone under 12 years old, doctors recommend about 10 hours of sleep. For anyone older, eight or nine hours of sleep is recommended. However, some people need more sleep and some people need less. You’ll have to experiment.
• Keep in mind that oversleeping can also make you tired. You might be sleeping too much, if you increase your sleep and still feel tired halfway through the day.

• You need to get lots of veggies, a little fruit, healthy whole grains, and plenty of lean proteins. Good options include: kale, broccoli, spinach, apples, citrus fruits, bananas, brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, fish, chicken without skin, and turkey.
• Avoid caffeine or at least use it carefully. Caffeine can help some people focus but for others it makes them too jittery to pay attention to anything for very long. You also risk a caffeine crash.

• Drinking actual water is a good idea here. Soda, commercial juice, and milk are all not very good for you and the sugar in the soda and juice can actually make your problems focusing even worse.

• Try jumping up and down or running in place. You can also jog around the building or play a game with your friends if you have the time.

• One good way to practice is actually to meditate. Sit and try to empty your mind while focusing only on one simple thing, like breathing in and out from your nose.

Supercharge Your Studying with this Expert Series

Expert Q&A

• Sitting close to the front of the class will get you the best view and help you stay attentive. [16] X Research source Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• Stay hydrated ! Drinking more water will prevent dehydration, clean out the body, prevent overeating and obesity and help you to stay attentive! Try to carry a bottle of water with you. Thanks Helpful 421 Not Helpful 45
• Try to get interested in the subject your teacher is teaching you. If the class is interesting it won't be as hard to pay attention. Thanks Helpful 331 Not Helpful 58

Tips from our Readers

• Put a small toy or reward in front of you. Tell yourself you can only have it once you complete your work. You could even ask a friend to hold onto it until you're finished so you don't take it early.
• When you are studying for something, chew gum and listen to instrumental music because it can help you pay more attention. Also, try to take breaks every 20 minutes to stand up and stretch.
• Tie a hairband around your wrist and snap it against your arm whenever you catch yourself not paying attention. That way you can start focusing again.
• If you can choose your seats in class, sit near good students who pay attention instead of annoying classmates or friends.

• Falling asleep in class will be awful for your studying and can easily get you a detention or even something worse! Thanks Helpful 233 Not Helpful 44
• Try your best to pay attention if the class is boring . It's much harder to pay attention in a boring class, so be prepared to put in the effort. Thanks Helpful 12 Not Helpful 2
• Having caffeine will help you get awake and energized for a short period of time, yes, but will bring you down again after that and so isn't always a good idea. [17] X Research source Make sure you know how your body is affected by caffeine before you try it in class. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 1

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://usm.maine.edu/learning-commons/paying-attention/
• ↑ https://schools.au.reachout.com/articles/mindfulness-in-the-classroom
• ↑ https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/brief-mindfulness-training-may-boost-test-scores-working-memory.html
• ↑ https://www.bowdoin.edu/baldwin-center/pdf/handout-focus-attention-in-class.pdf
• ↑ Alexander Ruiz, M.Ed.. Academic Tutor. Expert Interview. 18 June 2020.
• ↑ https://hbr.org/2017/07/how-to-get-excited-about-topics-that-bore-you
• ↑ https://effectiveu.umn.edu/tips/class-participation
• ↑ https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/effective-note-taking-in-class/
• ↑ https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/teens-and-sleep
• ↑ https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/foods-linked-to-better-brainpower
• ↑ https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/study-finds-inadequate-hydration-among-u-s-children/
• ↑ https://www.wgu.edu/heyteach/article/exercise-and-brain-how-fitness-impacts-learning1801.html
• ↑ https://uhs.princeton.edu/health-resources/caffeine

About This Article

To pay attention in class, put away distractions like your computer, phone, and any small items you can fiddle with. Try to stay focused on the present lesson and manually refocus your attention whenever your mind starts to wander. Participate in class discussions and take good notes to help you stay engaged in the lesson, and consider talking to your teacher after class if you're still having trouble focusing on the material. For tips on keeping your body and mind sharp for class each day, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Distracted by Technology: Focusing Attention on Homework

By Michael Howard

Does your child stay up all night doing homework ? Is he or she often texting or online while doing homework or studying? Is it possible for students to study and do their homework effectively while being distracted by technology? Is focusing attention on homework really all that important? It’s just homework, right? 

Welcome to the 21st century. A world filled with distractions every where you turn. How is it even possible to get homework done at all, let alone focus on doing homework without being distracted by a wide variety of electronic gadgets. Back in the not so distant past, you might have heard a kid saying "It doesn't matter if I have the TV on while I do my homework. It's not like I'm studying for a test." Today, it's a bit more complicated as students and their smart phones are inseparable. What might at first glance seem harmelss, doing homework or studying while watching TV, texting or checking social media can actually impair learning the material as well as lower test scores. Research has shown that it's one of the worst study habits a student can develop.

Is There an App For That ?

With nearly everyone over the age of 10 having a cell phone and access to the internet these days, it's quite common to find students dividing their attention between texting, checking social media websites and surfing the internet while doing homework and studying for exams. Given that text messaging is the way many students communicate with each other, it's not easy for parents to explain to them that when it's time to do homework or study for an exam it's necessary to turn their phone off.

In all likelihood, they will argue about this as s tudents of all ages seem to have a misconception that they can pay attention to more than one thing at a time and that multitasking is an effective way to do homework or study for a test. How are you, their parent, going to respond? With research. In this blog post, w e reviewed the most up to date research that we could find on the subject of multitasking to give parents a better understanding of what it takes to be a successful student.

What Does Research Show About Studying While Distracted by Technology?

In a study conducted by Dr. Larry Rosen, a psychology professor at California State University - Dominguez Hills, students were observed studying for a 15 minute period where they were told to "study something important.” He found was that students generally started to lose focus after about three minutes. On average "students only spent about 65 percent of the observation period actually studying." That’s not exactly what you might consider “quality” studying time.

Dr. Rosen did another study where he surveyed high school students and asked them how often they switch from studying to doing something related to technology such as checking email, Facebook, texting or watching TV. Across all grade levels, 80% of students reported that they switch between studying and technology somewhat often to very often. Rosen calls this “Continuous Partial Attention,” meaning that most of the time, students are not focused on studying but rather are moving their attention back and forth between studying and various forms of technology. As you might expect, students who were the most distracted generally had the most windows open on their computers. Students who were less distracted had higher GPAs than students who switched back and forth fairly often and those who regularly check Facebook or text messages. Students who had strategies for studying also had higher GPAs according to Rosen’s findings.

Rosen explains, “Young people’s technology use is really about quelling anxiety...they don’t want to miss out or to be the last person to hear some news (or like or comment about a post online).” One of the major problems with texting and posting on Facebook and other social media sites while in class and/or studying, is that "they draw on the same mental resources—using language, parsing meaning—demanded by schoolwork." Ultimately, he concludes, if we want students to learn and perform at their best, smart phones and other online distractions must be managed.

Can Doing Homework While Distracted by Technology Affect Test Scores?

In another study of 8-18 year old students done by the Kaiser Family Foundation, nearly one third of the students surveyed confessed that when they were doing homework, they were also watching TV, texting, or listening to music. Victoria Rideout, the lead author of the study, warns parents about the dangers of media multitasking. This concern is distinct from worrying about how much kids are online or how much kids are media multitasking overall. “It’s multitasking while learning that has the biggest potential downside,”she says.

If a student is focused when doing their homework, they actually retain more of the information when it comes time to take a test on the same subject matter. It's like studying for the test little by little and absorbing the information in small chunks. The strategy of ‘chunking’ bits of information has been shown to be the most effective way to learn larger amounts of information and is a useful test prep strategy. If a student does her homework while multitasking, that will result in less information being retained and therefore  more time will be required for test preparation in order to achieve the same result. Compounding matters, if homework is done while multitasking in an introductory class, it will be more difficult to build on that “shaky foundation of knowledge” in the more advanced class the next semester.

Dr. David Meyer, a psychology professor at the University of Michigan observed that “under most conditions, the brain simply cannot do two complex tasks at the same time. Listening to a lecture while texting, or doing homework and being on Facebook—each of these tasks is very demanding, and each of them uses the same area of the brain, the prefrontal cortex." Most students incorrectly believe that they can perform two challenging tasks at the same time, according to Meyer. They may like to do it, they may even be addicted to it, but there’s no getting around the fact that it’s far better to focus on one task from start to finish.”

Quick Test for Students to Determine if Multitasking Impacts Performance

Here’s a fun, 3 minute test that you can do along with your kids to demonstrate if multitasking impacts performance (and the time it takes to complete homework).  Taking this simple test will allow students to see for themselves if multitasking could potentially be affecting their studying.

http://davecrenshaw.com/multitasking-example/

Top 3 Negative Outcomes of Studying While Being Distracted by Technology

According to an article by Annie Murphy Paul , research has shown that there are various negative outcomes that result from students multitasking while doing homework. Paul describes the top 3 negative outcomes. "First, the assignment takes longer to complete, because of the time spent on distracting activities and because, upon returning to the assignment, the student has to re-familiarize himself with the material.” Second, the mental fatigue caused by repeatedly dropping and picking up a mental thread leads to more mistakes. “Third, students’ subsequent memory of what they’re working on will be impaired if their attention is divided.” Paul explains, “The moment of encoding information is what matters most for retention, and dozens of laboratory studies have demonstrated that when our attention is divided during encoding, we remember that piece of information less well—or not at all."

Paul goes on to write, "Finally, researchers have found that media multitasking while learning is correlated with lower grades. In Rosen’s study (discussed above), students who used Facebook during the 15-minute observation period had lower grade-point averages than those who didn’t go on the site. In addition, two recent studies by Reynol Junco , a faculty associate at Harvard’s Berkan Center for Internet & Society , found that texting and using Facebook—in class and while doing homework—were negatively correlated with college students’ GPAs."

In conclusion, the evidence is overwhelming. Studying or doing homework while sitting in front of the TV, using social media or texting, makes it more difficult to learn and retain the information, increases the time it takes to complete homework, and may ultimately result in lower test scores.

Is your child attached to his smart phone or other electronic gadgets? If so, and grades are suffering, it might be time to take action. Are you ready to help your child  break the multitasking habit, learn to focus attention on homework and get on the path to academic success?

How Parents Can Help Children Manage Distractions While Studying

Teach your child to take technology breaks to separate doing homework from using technology. Here's the strategy: After your child has worked on his homework without interruption for 15 minutes, he is then allowed a technology break for 2-3 minutes to text and post to social media. When the break time is up, you instruct him to turn off his electronic devices for another 15 minutes of doing homework or studying. Students can extend their working time to 20, 30 or 45 minutes and perhaps extend their technology break time to 5-7 minutes. If your child complains that the technology break time is too short, you can let him know that when he is finished with his homework, he can use technology for as long as he wants (or whatever amount of time you say is ok).

Would you like to cut your child's homework time in half?

If so, click below to download our free guide to "Cutting Homework Time in Half."  You might also want to contact us to see if Executive Function coaching can help your child with focusing attention on homework .

Photo credit: Gitte Laasby

Attribution: A much more detailed discussion of some of these studies can be found in Slate Magazine (May 3, 2013) by Annie Murphy Paul , a fellow at the New America Foundation and author of the book Brilliant: The Science of How We Get Smarter.

Michael Howard is the Director of Marketing for Beyond BookSmart. He joined the company in 2012 and works remotely from Los Angeles. He is responsible for researching and developing marketing strategies, marketing materials, updating and optimizing the company website, social media, and search engine optimization. Michael earned his BA in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his MS in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Lamar University .

About the Author

Michael howard.

Michael Howard is the Lead Marketing Strategist for Beyond BookSmart. He joined the company in 2012 and works remotely from Los Angeles. He is responsible for researching and developing marketing strategies, marketing materials, updating and optimizing the company website, social media, and search engine optimization. Michael is also involved with researching and recruiting potential candidates for employment. Michael earned his BA in Psychology from the University of Illinois, Champaign and his MS in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Lamar University.

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How to Pay Attention in Class: A Comprehensive Guide

Table of Contents

Attention is the cornerstone of effective learning. How to pay attention in class is an obvious challenge for any student when beset by the constant intrusive barrage of the cell phone, feeling tired, or not viewing the course material as interesting. But for high school and college students with ADHD, staying focused in class can be a daily challenge and can impact the learning process.

The constant battle to eliminate distractions, procrastination, and barriers to getting started on a task can make the academic journey seem like an uphill climb. You are not alone in these challenges to the learning experience.

With a little extra effort, the right mindset, and positive strategies in your back pocket, you can overcome these challenges and thrive in your educational pursuits.

Let’s discuss some ideas for improving our classroom concentration, staying engaged, and heightening our motivation to stay focused. We will explore practical and effective focus techniques for students with ADHD, covering key areas such as coping with distractions, dealing with procrastination, communicating with teachers, seeking academic accommodations, being proactive about self-advocacy, and building essential executive function skills.

Coping with Distractions During Class Discussions

Distractions are an inevitable part of any classroom environment, but for students with ADHD, they can be particularly disruptive.

Some students benefit from a certain amount of simple changes to their routine. For example, getting enough sleep is an important step in having the ability to re-focus during class discussions. Get the rest your body needs to concentrate when you need to.

Here are some other tips to help minimize distractions and enhance focus:

• Strategic Seating: Choose a seat near the front of the class to minimize distractions. Sit away from windows, doors, and high-traffic areas. We all want to sit next to our friends. But will that lead to talking and cause you to lose focus? Will it cause you to pay more attention to the teacher or less?
• Use of Fidget Tools: Consider discreet fidget tools such as stress balls or textured pencils to channel excess energy and maintain focus. Chewing gum can also be an effective strategy in this same vein because it provides a small amount of physical activity.
• Taking Notes: You may find paying attention to the class discussion easier when taking notes. Writing engages other senses beyond the ears and gives you material to review later.
• Digital Detox: Turn off non-essential electronic devices during class to reduce the temptation of checking messages or social media. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder already presents enough of a challenge to your attention span; you don’t need the added distraction of a cell phone pulling your focus away from the lesson!

Dealing with Procrastination and Task Initiation

Procrastination can be a major hurdle for students with ADHD. Overcoming this challenge requires effective time management and task initiation strategies. What are some ways to stay in the moment while trying to accomplish classwork?

• Use Timers and Alarms: Set specific time limits for tasks and use alarms to signal when to start or finish. This creates a sense of urgency and helps in task initiation.
• Create a Routine: Establish a routine with dedicated study and work periods. Consistency can help train the brain to focus during specific times of the school day.
• Prioritize Tasks: Identify the most important tasks and tackle them first. This prevents the tendency to procrastinate on challenging or less appealing assignments.
• Actively Participate: You may find it easier to stay focused when you join in and give voice to your ideas during class discussions. Lessons become more interesting and fun when you have something to contribute to the entire class.

Communicating with Teachers and Seeking Academic Accommodations

Open communication with the teacher is essential for students with ADHD. Consider some tips to communicate your needs and seek necessary accommodations effectively.

• Schedule Regular Check-Ins: Arrange regular meetings with your teacher to discuss progress, challenges, and strategies for improvement. Talk openly about where you are struggling and make it a clear priority not to shy away from hard work.
• Explore Accommodation Options: Work with the school’s disability services office to explore accommodations such as extended test-taking time, preferential seating, or note-taking assistance.
• Utilize Communication Apps: Use communication apps or platforms to contact your teacher for clarifications and additional support.

Developing Self-Advocacy Skills in the School Setting

Prepare a self-advocacy letter explaining your ADHD diagnosis, how it impacts your learning, and suggested accommodations. Share this letter with teachers at the beginning of each semester. Give the instructors plenty of time to develop alternative lessons within the course.

Self-advocacy is a crucial skill for students with ADHD. Building this skill empowers students to take an active role in their education.

• Understand Your Learning Style: Identify and communicate your preferred learning style to teachers. This helps them tailor their teaching methods to suit your needs and abilities better.
• Practice Assertiveness: Practice assertive communication to express your needs and concerns clearly. This includes asking for clarification, requesting extra help, or seeking accommodations. Can a teacher provide effective assistance if they need to be made aware of your struggles in paying attention in class?
• Set Realistic Goals: Establish realistic academic and personal goals. Break them down into achievable steps, and celebrate small victories.
• Seek Support from Peers: Connect with classmates who share similar challenges. Forming a support network can provide understanding and encouragement. Talking about your focusing issues may open the door to other students with similar challenges.

Building Useful Executive Function Skills

Executive function skills are the cognitive processes that enable individuals to plan, organize, and execute tasks. Strengthening these skills is fundamental for academic success in the classroom and other activities in life.

• Use Visual Aids: Utilize visual aids such as calendars, planners, and to-do lists to organize tasks and deadlines. Notes are a form of visual aid. But consider alternate forms of taking notes, too! Some students find that notes that involve drawing pictures help trick the brain into paying attention to what they hear in class.
• Practice Mindfulness: Incorporate learning mindfulness techniques into your routine to improve focus and reduce stress. Techniques such as deep breathing or meditation can benefit the learning process.
• Break Down Multitasking: Avoid multitasking, as it can be overwhelming. Focus on one task at a time, and use strategies like time blocking to allocate specific, defined periods for different activities.
• Time Management Workshops: Attend workshops or seek resources on time management to enhance organizational skills and efficiency.

Paying Attention in Class is Achievable

Navigating the classroom with ADHD may present unique challenges. Still, with determination and the right strategies, success is possible and achievable.

By addressing distractions, tackling procrastination, communicating with teachers, seeking accommodations, developing self-advocacy skills, and building executive function skills, students can pave the way for a fulfilling academic journey.

Remember, each small step forward is a victory, and with perseverance, you can pay attention in class and excel in your educational pursuits. Embrace the journey, embrace your uniqueness, and let your potential shine.

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21 Simple Ways You Can Help Students Pay Attention

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In the classroom, using engaging visuals can help students stay focused.

While interactive tools and clear expectations are effective ways to boost engagement, there are other less obvious techniques that can make a big impact on student attention.

Let’s discuss some overlooked strategies that could be the key to enhancing students’ focus in our learning environments.

Effective Ways You Can Help Students Pay Attention

Engaging students with visuals, interactive tools, and clear expectations can help improve their focus in class.

By using a variety of teaching methods and encouraging active participation, you can create a more dynamic and engaging learning environment.

These simple strategies promote better attention and participation, making lessons more effective and enjoyable for students.

Engage With Visuals

Incorporating visuals like colorful charts and interactive images in the classroom significantly enhances students’ attention and comprehension. These visual aids not only make learning more engaging but also encourage active participation.

By using a variety of visual tools, educators can cater to different learning styles and create a dynamic and stimulating environment for students. When teachers integrate creative visuals into their lessons, students are more focused and retain information better.

This approach fosters a deeper connection to the content, leading to improved academic performance. Ultimately, the use of visuals is a powerful way to support students in their learning journey.

Use Interactive Tools

Utilizing interactive tools in the classroom enhances student engagement and attentiveness. By incorporating activities that require participation, students interact more actively, leading to a more dynamic learning environment. Technology integration not only captures students’ interest but also facilitates a better understanding of the subject matter.

Visual aids play a crucial role in improving comprehension and aiding in attention retention. Incorporating short movement breaks helps students maintain focus by releasing excess energy. The use of interactive tools creates a positive atmosphere that enhances the overall learning experience.

Educators can effectively capture and retain students’ attention by encouraging active participation and utilizing a variety of interactive tools.

Set Clear Expectations

Setting clear expectations for students is crucial to enhancing their focus and participation in the classroom. By establishing straightforward guidelines, students will understand what’s required of them, creating a conducive learning environment.

Effective communication of these expectations is key, ensuring that students are aware of what’s expected consistently. Engaging students actively in class activities and discussions not only promotes their involvement but also helps maintain their attention on the lesson.

Vary Teaching Methods

Incorporating a variety of teaching methods in the classroom is an effective way to help students stay engaged and focused. Techniques like role-playing, case studies, group discussions, peer teaching, and brainstorming exercises create a dynamic learning environment that caters to different learning styles.

Role-playing allows students to explore different perspectives, making the content more relatable. Case studies provide practical, real-world applications that enhance understanding. Group discussions promote collaboration and the exchange of ideas. Peer teaching encourages students to learn from each other, reinforcing their understanding.

Brainstorming exercises stimulate creativity and critical thinking skills. By utilizing these diverse methods, teachers can keep students interested and actively participating throughout the class, leading to a more effective learning experience.

Encourage Active Participation

Encouraging active participation in the classroom is key to enhancing student engagement and focus. This can be achieved through a few strategies:

• Listening Actively: Encouraging students to listen carefully to both the teacher and their peers helps them grasp information more effectively.
• Engaging in Group Discussions: Providing opportunities for students to take part in group discussions fosters the sharing of ideas and promotes active learning.
• Promoting Peer Interaction: Encouraging students to interact with their peers not only improves their social skills but also boosts their involvement in classroom activities.

Provide Frequent Breaks

Incorporating regular breaks during lessons can significantly enhance students’ focus and overall learning experience. These breaks offer opportunities for students to reset their minds, increase awareness, and alleviate stress.

Movement breaks, such as stretching or short walks, can re-energize students and boost their concentration levels. Brain breaks, like engaging puzzles or games, stimulate different parts of the brain, leading to improved cognitive function.

Energizing breaks involving physical activities can uplift students’ mood and motivation. Revitalizing breaks, like deep breathing exercises or calming music, help students feel refreshed and prepared for the next lesson.

Incorporate Movement Activities

Incorporating movement activities in lessons can greatly enhance students’ focus and engagement. Here are some easy ways to add movement to your teaching:

• Movement Breaks : Include short breaks for students to stretch or move around, helping them re-energize and stay attentive.
• Brain Boosts : Integrate quick activities like dancing or jumping jacks to stimulate the brain and keep students active during learning sessions.
• Physical Engagement : Incorporate hands-on tasks or interactive games that require physical movement, catering to kinesthetic learners and promoting active participation.

Foster a Positive Environment

Creating a positive learning environment is essential for promoting student attention. Positive reinforcement is crucial in keeping students engaged and focused. Recognizing their hard work and achievements boosts their confidence and encourages active participation.

Group activities not only foster teamwork but also help maintain attention through collaborative learning experiences. Incorporating mindful breathing exercises can reduce stress and improve concentration levels, creating a relaxed atmosphere for learning.

Cultivating a supportive classroom culture where students feel valued and respected enhances their overall attentiveness. Practicing mindful listening, where both teachers and students engage actively in conversations, builds a stronger connection and understanding, leading to increased focus and engagement.

Utilize Technology Wisely

Integrating technology smartly in the classroom can enhance student engagement and learning. To make the most of tech tools, consider these tips:

• Manage Screen Time : Monitor and limit the time students spend on screens to prevent fatigue and maintain focus.
• Reduce Digital Distractions : Create a tech-friendly environment with tools that aid learning and minimize diversions.
• Foster Online Participation : Use interactive platforms to encourage student engagement and collaboration in virtual learning settings.

Offer Hands-On Experiences

Engaging students in hands-on experiences enhances their learning by promoting active participation and improving retention. Activities like hands-on experiments, group projects, outdoor learning, interactive simulations, and role-playing exercises are effective in capturing students’ attention and making learning memorable.

Through these methods, students explore, collaborate, think critically, and develop social skills. For example, science lab activities encourage exploration, collaborative presentations foster teamwork, nature scavenger hunts enrich creativity, virtual science experiments enhance critical thinking, and historical reenactments develop social skills.

Hands-on experiences not only make learning fun but also help students apply theoretical knowledge in practical situations, preparing them for real-world challenges.

Establish Routines and Structure

Establishing routines and structure in the classroom is crucial for helping students focus and engage in learning effectively. To create an optimal learning environment, I prioritize the following:

• Consistent schedules: Following a consistent schedule for lessons and activities helps students anticipate what’s ahead each day, reducing stress and enhancing their ability to concentrate on the tasks at hand.
• Clear expectations: By clearly outlining expectations for students, they can better grasp what’s required of them, fostering a sense of responsibility and ownership in their learning journey.
• Structured activities: Structuring learning activities provides a clear framework for students to follow, enabling them to stay on track and maintain focus throughout the lesson. This structured approach aids in keeping students engaged and actively participating in their learning experience.

Use Storytelling Techniques

Storytelling techniques are a powerful tool to enhance student engagement in the classroom. By sharing captivating stories, teachers can prompt students to actively listen and follow the narrative closely. This not only stimulates their minds but also makes the content more relatable and memorable.

Through creative storytelling, teachers can breathe life into subjects, creating an emotional connection with the students. This approach fosters critical thinking as students analyze the plot, characters, and themes within the stories. By incorporating real-life examples and situations, complex topics become more understandable to students.

Story-driven lessons create an immersive and enjoyable learning environment that captivates students’ attention and makes learning more engaging.

Ask Open-Ended Questions

Active student participation in lessons is enhanced through open-ended questions that stimulate critical thinking and deeper engagement. When you incorporate open-ended questions into your teaching, you encourage:

• Active listening: Thought-provoking questions prompt students to listen attentively to their peers and the teacher, fostering a more interactive learning environment.
• Critical thinking: Open-ended questions challenge students to analyze information, think critically, and express their thoughts effectively, improving their cognitive abilities.
• Effective questioning: Crafting questions that ignite curiosity and encourage discussion is essential for sustaining student engagement and fostering a lively classroom atmosphere.

Provide Immediate Feedback

Immediate feedback plays a crucial role in enhancing students’ attention and engagement during the learning process. It provides students with timely responses to their work, allowing them to immediately address any areas of improvement.

Constructive criticism, delivered in a positive manner, helps students identify their strengths and weaknesses. By engaging in dialogue with students about their performance, educators foster a collaborative learning environment where everyone feels valued.

This approach not only helps students stay focused but also encourages active participation in the classroom. Ultimately, providing immediate feedback creates a supportive atmosphere that enhances students’ attention and overall learning experience.

Allow for Collaboration

Collaboration among students is vital for enhancing their focus and attention during learning activities. By working together, students can learn from each other, share ideas, and build a sense of community within the classroom.

One effective way to encourage collaboration is through group projects. Assigning tasks that require students to collaborate towards a common goal not only keeps them engaged but also fosters teamwork skills. Additionally, promoting peer support among students can create a supportive environment where individuals help each other, leading to increased attention and participation.

Organizing team activities is another strategy to boost focus. By engaging students in activities that necessitate collaboration to succeed, educators can keep students actively involved in the learning process. These interactions not only enhance attention but also develop important social skills that are valuable for future endeavors.

Incorporating collaborative learning opportunities into lessons is crucial for creating a dynamic and engaging learning environment. By implementing partner work and group tasks, students are more likely to stay focused and attentive as they feel connected to their peers and the material being taught.

Incorporate Real-World Examples

Incorporating real-world examples into lessons can significantly enhance students’ engagement and understanding. By connecting theoretical concepts to practical scenarios and everyday situations, educators can make learning more relatable and impactful. For instance, organizing field trips that engage multiple senses, inviting guest speakers to provide industry insights, using case studies to encourage critical thinking, and utilizing simulations to promote decision-making are effective strategies.

Field trips allow students to experience concepts in real-life settings, making learning more tangible and memorable. Guest speakers bring real-world expertise and perspectives into the classroom, enriching students’ understanding of how theoretical knowledge applies in professional settings. Case studies challenge students to analyze and solve problems, fostering critical thinking skills essential for their academic and future career success. Simulations provide hands-on experiences that simulate real-world decision-making processes, helping students develop practical skills and adaptability.

Use Humor Strategically

One effective way to keep students engaged in the classroom is by using humor strategically. Humor can help in several ways:

• Student Engagement: Humor can grab students’ attention and make learning more fun and interesting.
• Breaks for Laughter: Incorporating humor at appropriate moments can give students mental breaks, keeping them energized and focused.
• Improved Learning Retention: When humor is woven into lessons, students are more likely to remember the material because it creates a positive connection with the content.

Maintain Eye Contact

Maintaining eye contact in the classroom is crucial for enhancing students’ focus and engagement. When teachers actively listen and make eye contact, they demonstrate that students’ thoughts and opinions are valued.

Through facial expressions and body language, educators can express interest and encourage student participation, fostering engaging conversations that enrich the learning experience. Non-verbal cues like nodding in agreement or smiling further reinforce the message being conveyed.

Use Music for Focus

When incorporating music for focus in the classroom, opt for instrumental tracks known for their calming and concentration-boosting effects. Music therapy can greatly aid students in staying attentive, making it a valuable tool for educators.

Here’s how instrumental playlists can help enhance focus:

• Brainwave Synchronization: Select instrumental tracks that can synchronize brainwaves, facilitating a state of alertness and improved focus.
• Ambient Background: Utilize background music with ambient sounds to create a serene learning environment that fosters concentration and engagement.
• Melodic Support: Choose melodies with a consistent rhythm and soft tones to help students maintain their focus on tasks effectively.

Encourage Self-Reflection

Encouraging students to reflect on their learning can boost their focus and involvement in class. Peer reflections enable students to gain fresh perspectives from their classmates, leading to a better grasp of the subject matter.

Journaling gives students a private outlet to process their thoughts, fostering self-awareness. Group discussions promote active participation and the sharing of diverse viewpoints, keeping students engaged in the learning process.

Setting realistic goals empowers students to remain motivated and on track towards achieving success. Regular self-assessments assist students in monitoring their progress, reflecting on their learning experiences, and making necessary improvements.

Celebrate Small Victories

Celebrating small wins is crucial for boosting student morale and enhancing their ability to concentrate in the classroom.

By acknowledging progress, no matter how small, we help students recognize their growth and build self-assurance.

It’s essential to appreciate the effort students put in, showing them that hard work is valued and respected, regardless of the outcome.

Additionally, rewarding improvements, whether with incentives or praise, motivates students to strive for continuous enhancement.

These practices not only foster a positive learning environment but also instill a sense of accomplishment and determination in students.

When you use clear instructions and interactive activities, you can significantly enhance students’ ability to focus in the classroom.

Research indicates that students can typically concentrate for 10-15 minutes at a stretch.

With these simple approaches, educators can effectively engage students for longer durations, fostering better attention and participation.

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How to Do Homework in Class

Last Updated: June 4, 2020

This article was co-authored by Alexander Peterman, MA . Alexander Peterman is a Private Tutor in Florida. He received his MA in Education from the University of Florida in 2017. This article has been viewed 29,992 times.

Forgetting to do a homework assignment is something that most of us have done. While it's not an ideal situation, you can still try to work on the homework assignment during another class. However, keep in mind that most teachers won't allow you to do this. You will need to be careful and avoid getting caught while you work to finish your homework.

Keeping Your Homework Hidden

• The closer you are to your teacher, the harder it will be to hide your homework.
• Think about where your teacher usually walks during class and try to sit away from them.
• If you have an assigned seat, don’t bring unnecessary attention to yourself. Do things as normal as you can.

• Have your regular class book and material out on top of your desk.
• Try to make it look like your focus is the current class material.

• Keep an eye out for your teacher. You may need to hide your homework quickly.
• Don't get too involved with your homework. Remember, you are trying to look like you are just taking a few notes.

• Put your homework away and pay attention to the teacher for a few minutes.
• Try asking questions and answering questions during class. Ask open-ended and broad topic questions.
• Every few minutes, look away from your homework.
• Keep taking the occasional note for your current class.

Visiting The Restroom

• Fold your homework or worksheet up neatly and slip it in your pocket.
• Hide your pen or pencil in a pocket.
• If you need another textbook, you might try quickly visiting your locker to pick it up.

• Use the stall walls as a solid writing surface, doing your homework while standing up.
• Put the lid on the toilet down and sit down to get your homework done, using your lap as a writing surface.
• Use the top-back section of the toilet tank as a makeshift desk.

• Remember to hide your homework again in your pocket before returning to class.
• It's probably a good idea to work no longer than five minutes before going back to class.
• If you have to actually use the bathroom, make sure you do so while you’re there. You don’t want to run to the restroom twice in one period.

Getting Homework Done On Time

• Write down your assignment and what it requires. This can help you know how much time it might take. Use a calendar or planner to keep track of the deadlines.
• Use your study halls to do your homework.
• Generally, you will need around 1 to 3 hours per night for homework. This is dependent on the courses you are taking, so always estimate for more time rather than less.
• You can try scheduling your day in hour blocks to visually see how much time you have.

• Turn off any televisions or loud music.
• Close a window if it is too noisy outside.
• Try to avoid doing homework in a loud public space.

• Save easy problems for later, as they take less energy to do.
• Doing the hard problems first will leave you with only the easy problems to do in class, should you forget to finish the assignment.
• If you’re an individual that is motivated by seeing workload decrease, consider doing some simpler problems followed by a difficult one.
• Always prioritize based on due dates or on how many points the project is worth.

• Take about a 15 minute break for every hour of work.
• Don't go too far from your workplace. Make it easy on yourself to get back to work after the break.

Community Q&A

• Schedule your time to get homework done before it's due. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 0
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• ↑ http://kidshealth.org/en/teens/homework.html#
• ↑ http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/school/time/article5.html

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12 Ways to Maintain Focus All Day Long

“why can’t i focus” you learned long ago that good intentions don’t magically translate into concentration — particularly when your task is boring, difficult, or extra critical. designed for adhd brains, these 12 strategies will help you develop the muscles for real, sustained attention..

Why Can't I Focus?

You’ve crafted your to-do list. You’ve gathered your supplies. You know what you need to do. And yet when the time comes to actually complete the day’s tasks, your brain drifts off.

Why is focus — both finding it in the first place, and pulling it back when it starts to stray — so difficult for people with attention deficit disorder ( ADHD )? The answer lies in brain chemistry: ADHD brains are naturally low on dopamine and norepinephrine, which control brain arousal and attention levels. Other people may find that, when the situation calls for it, they can “buckle down” and force their brains to focus. For people with ADHD, the advice to “just focus” is maddening; it simply can’t be done.

You can’t force focus, but you can create an ideal environment — both physical and mental — for it to thrive. The key is working with (not against) your ADHD brain, and combining the specific factors that help your focus flourish. When you're wondering, "Why can't I focus?" follow these 12 tips to get started.

1. Remember the Zeigarnik Effect.

The “Zeigarnik Effect” is the principle that unfinished tasks are harder to get out of your brain than are tasks that haven’t been started. This means that starting a project — even if you work on it for just 10 minutes — will make it harder for your brain to forget or dismiss it. If you find yourself daydreaming instead of getting started, set a timer for 10 minutes and do something (anything!) during that time. Once you start, the big, scary project will turn into an unfinished task — meaning your brain will latch onto it and figure out how to get it done.

2. Use a “daily focus list.”

Write down your major priorities at the beginning of each day. This is a great way to block out annoying distractions and periodically refocus your attention. A daily focus list — a short, bulleted outline of three major and three secondary priorities — isn’t just a “to-do list”; rather, it’s a grounding tool that keeps your head out of the clouds and focused on what’s really important. (Download an example of a daily focus list .)

[ Get This Free Download: 6 Ways to Retain Focus (When Your Brain Says 'No!') ]

3. Create a “parking lot.”

Racing thoughts and hyperactive imaginations mean that ADHD brains are easily thrown off course by passing thoughts about dry cleaning or returning Aunt Linda’s phone call. Deal with sidetracking thoughts — and the anxiety they can create — with a “parking lot,” an easily accessible place to dump unneeded thoughts until a more appropriate time. The parking lot could be a notebook you carry in your purse, or a post-it note stuck to your desk; whatever it is, it will save you stress and keep your focus unbroken.

4. Identify your “overwhelm” triggers.

When the ADHD brain gets stressed, it jumps into fight or flight mode. This looks like a lack of motivation: You abandon your piles of laundry or half-done taxes and binge-watch Netflix instead. Break this cycle by identifying the triggers that cause you to feel overwhelmed. For some, it’s hunger; for others, it’s too many conflicting priorities. Getting a handle on what causes your overwhelm won’t be enough to deter it every time, but you’ll be better equipped to anticipate its arrival and plan accordingly.

5. Go with your flow — not just the flow.

ADHD comes with plenty of superpowers (like hyperfocus ), but you can’t always predict when they’ll kick in. Respect your brain! Recognizing when you’re “in the zone” — and able to tackle tasks that require attention and focus — is just as important as recognizing when your brain is in a fog. When you’re totally out of it, give yourself permission to shift your attention to less-demanding tasks, like filing papers or folding socks. You’ll get more done in the long run!

6. Look for “positive distractions.”

“ Distraction ” need not be a dirty word. Certain diversions can actually help you get more done in the long run. Take, for instance, exercise: stepping away from a project to go for a walk might seem like avoidance, but physical activity actually boosts the brain and can help you operate more efficiently when you come back. Seek out the “positive distractions” that work for you; good examples include meditation, a quick dance break, or a creative art project. If you’re nervous about getting lost in your distraction, set a timer — and stick to it.

[ Click to Read: 25 Everyday Brain Boosts ]

7. Forget perfection.

Hyperfocus isn’t always a force for good. Sometimes, it can lead people with ADHD to obsess over small, unimportant details — and kill their real productivity in the process. Work on letting go of perfectionism and settling for “good enough.” This is a journey, not a destination, so don’t expect your perfectionist tendencies to disappear overnight — but you can expect to reduce your anxiety, build your self-esteem, and improve your productivity along the way.

8. Buddy up.

Recruit an “accountability partner” — someone you talk to daily, weekly, or monthly — to help you prioritize goals, chart progress, and celebrate successes. Accountability builds focus — and, in the long run, creates change — because everyone (particularly someone with ADHD) thrives on being able to say, “Yep, I did it.” A partner — whether it’s an ADHD coach, a close friend, or even your mom — can help get you where you want to go.

9. Set aside planning time.

Lack of planning is one of the biggest focus drains; it’s hard to stay in the zone when you don’t know exactly what you’re supposed to be doing! Even one minute of planning can save you as much as 40 minutes of work, so it’s important that you schedule regular, short planning sessions to sketch out priorities and deadlines for the upcoming days or weeks. Of course, nothing is set in stone — priorities can shift and emergencies can arise. But having even a general sense of your goals and how to plan to achieve them — even if you get thrown off course — works wonders for retrieving your focus from La-La Land.

10. Find clarity.

The greater your clarity, the easier it is to stay focused and get things done. If you’re having trouble paying attention to a project, ask yourself these questions to expose the root of the problem: What do you want to achieve? Whose expectations are driving this project — your own or someone else’s? Do you understand what you need to do? Getting a handle on what’s expected of you will make it easier to ignore distractions and maintain a positive mindset.

11. Set deadlines.

Ever wonder why you do everything at the last minute? It’s because deadlines are actually neurologically useful to the ADHD brain — they eliminate competing priorities and boost adrenaline, making it easier to dive into hyperfocus and crack down on a task. Not every task comes with a clear deadline, however — so you need to create your own. These could be deadlines for each phase of a project — “On Tuesday at 4 PM, I’ll pick up the paint supplies from the hardware store” — or for the project itself: “The bathroom needs to be painted by February 1.” Post your deadlines prominently and set frequent reminders — they’ll increase your likelihood of following through.

12. Acknowledge — and then dismiss — negative thoughts.

Rumination is the enemy of focus. Repeatedly dwelling on, say, a recent argument with your spouse can block out other important thoughts, making it nearly impossible to get anything done. Trying to block out negative thoughts entirely, however, usually backfires. Instead, acknowledge your natural thought patterns, and plan a time when you can give them the attention they deserve. Tell yourself, “Yes, the argument last night upset me, and my feelings right now are valid” to help you manage strong emotions and circular thought patterns — without letting them hold back your focus.

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28 Ideas On How To Make Homework Fun For Students

Do your children seem to need continual nagging to complete their homework? If your answer is “yes,” then don’t worry; we’ve all been there. Parents naturally want their kids to advance and do well in class, but after a full day of paper, pens, and books, many students won’t feel like doing their assignments.

No matter what the ages or grades of the students are, academic burnout may happen to any student, which affects overall learning and development. To solve this issue, we have brought 28 ideas on how to make homework fun and interesting for students of any age. Not only for parents but also if you are a tutor, these tricks and tips will come to your use.

28 Ideas on How To Make Homework Fun for Students

Homework enables the students to revise and evaluate the classroom learning and develops a habit of self-study, which in turn helps the students to score better. But it can be energy-draining, challenging, monotonous, and difficult to focus upon for students of any age.

Getting students to enjoy their homework and assignments could be immensely difficult at times. Especially after a long break or vacation, they find it difficult to focus on homework. Simultaneously, the importance of home tasks cannot be ignored. Wondering what the solution is?

It’s easy – why not make the homework fun and engaging? Yes, this is the ALL-IN-ONE solution to create a spark of interest in homework. There is practically a plethora of ways to let students feel enthusiastic while doing homework. However, not every strategy suits every student.

For instance, some students love to go outdoors and complete their homework or study amidst nature. On the other hand, some students simply want to stay indoors and complete home tasks in their study area.

So, while implementing a strategy or adopting ways to make homework fun and interesting, you must make sure you are doing the right thing for the right individual so that the student receives maximum benefits.

Here are 28 brilliant ideas that will guide you on how to make homework fun for elementary, middle, and high schoolers. Take a look:

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1. rewards are magical motivators.

It’s nothing new to provide children with little rewards in the classroom. But when it comes to the concept of homework for students, these approaches are rarely used. Instructors aren’t always aware of what’s offered or if it’s useful, and some parents may create their rewards. A great idea is to offer rewards inside the classroom.

Giving out vouchers, stickers, snacks, toys, or meal coupons that let youngsters earn money by doing their homework is something we advocate. The advantages of these magical motivators include having a friend sitting next to you in class, access to the internet, and unscheduled time in the classroom. If they link accomplishing their tasks to positive classroom experiences, students will be more engaged and motivated both inside and outside of the classroom.

2. Get Some Favorite Snacks

How to make homework fun and captivating? Let’s face the truth: A hungry student will be disinterested, uninspired, and miserable. Give them something healthful and palpable to eat while they do their schoolwork because most young kids are ravenous when they get home from school. Some options are apple slices, popcorn, grapes, crackers, flapjacks, and cheese.

If you want to attempt something a little more systematic, make a list of nutritious after-school snack suggestions and recipes and try them out every day. A delicious, crunchy apple is one of the healthiest nutrients for youngsters’ brain development. Some other nutritious and palpable snacks for students are Pancakes, Butter Popcorn, Fruit-flavored Yogurt, nut mix, sliced pears with ricotta cheese, Banana Smoothies, etc.

3. Beat the Clock

This is perfect for young kids who are reluctant to complete their schoolwork. Try it out, and you’ll thank us later. Young children like competing in races. By creating timed tasks, you may make schoolwork feel more like a race. For instance, keep track of the number of words they can spell properly or the number of arithmetic problems they can do in five minutes. Challenge your child to beat their previous best the next day.

To make it more fun, a little competition with siblings or best friends will work great. Nevertheless, make sure that the competition is healthy and doesn’t turn into an aggressive one. Often, students’ psychology works differently, and they tend to be violent in these kinds of situations.

4. Get A Homework Buddy

Allow your child to have a buddy or two over to study if they struggle with a particular topic or have difficulties concentrating in a quiet, empty room. If a second child is too distracting, set an example by helping your youngster. You may pay bills, prepare supper, respond to emails, or even work on a crossword puzzle or other mental exercise while they are doing their schoolwork.

Working on homework teaches children that work is a part of life, not just school, and fosters friendship without being overpowering.

5. Design an Awesome Workspace

Improve the area where your kids complete their schoolwork to increase efficiency, creativity, and problem-solving abilities. Have tools and materials available, such as cool notepads or notebooks, colored pens, highlighters, and sticky notes, to assist students in completing difficult projects.

Use calendars, whiteboards, chalkboards, corkboards, or even simply paper and tape to help them visualize and keep track of all they need to complete. You may also decorate it with art and other items that inspire you. For pupils older than 5 years old, you may also hang up some aesthetically pleasing motivating quotations and photos in their study space to help them stay focused and goal-oriented.

6. Make Them Feel Comfortable

The comfort level of the students is the first and foremost thing you have to take care of while making them complete their homework. Not every learner has the same comfort level in the same ways, and these levels tend to differ from one person to another. It’s the responsibility of a parent or a teacher to understand their comfort zone and then plan accordingly.

For instance, provide them with a variety of alternatives or let them design their strategy. You might also inquire as to what time they like to complete their assignment. You won’t need to repeatedly remind people of their duties if you reach an agreement.

7. Incorporate Intervals and Breaks

Some learners might be able to finish their entire load of homework in one sitting. If your class has any pupils that can’t sit still, think about introducing breaks into the assignment process. Weekly study regimens can accommodate breaks.

Give a food break, allow them to complete one level of a video game, or let them talk to a buddy during a quick break. To establish expectations for when and how homework breaks should be taken, teachers might talk about these concepts with parents and students.

This functions in two main ways. It first rewards pupils for finishing their schoolwork. In addition, it gives them a mental break so they can come back to their job reenergized and motivated.

8. Role Plays Work Wonders

Create your little school and let your youngster take the role of the instructor to make enjoyable learning-based games. Assume the position of the student, and have your youngster explain a concept to you in the teacher’s role. This game will help players better comprehend the topic and develop their logical and reasoning abilities. It works especially well with courses that call for theory, like science.

By letting your kid pick their favorite stuffed animals and playthings and placing them in their little classroom, you can make schoolwork enjoyable. Begin by registering, saying “mummy,” “gift,” “Mr. Teddy,” etc. Since kids love to pretend to be teachers, you’ll soon notice that your kid is becoming more self-assured.

9. Make Them Stay Positive and Focused

Ensure to keep the students’ attitudes toward school and the values of their schoolwork are always positive. To keep them inspired and on track, shower your youngster with compliments on how great they’re doing. If they are getting pissed off with the pressure of homework, make them understand its importance and how positively it can impact their learning.

Spend five minutes after each homework session going over your child’s accomplishments. Have a look at our selection of free-to-download home learning packs if you’re out of things to do. To keep them motivated, you can reward or recognize their achievements in front of their peers. This will not only boost their confidence but also will help them maintain a positive outlook toward homework and studies.

10. Take It Outside

Outdoor learning is one of the most feasible ways to do homework with fun in a natural environment. If the weather is good, create a cozy and safe study space outside and let the student finish all the homework outdoors.

Studies also demonstrate that being outside, nearer to nature enhances productivity. The fresh air can aid students’ attention if they have spent the entire day in a classroom. In between jobs, rewarding them with a brief game of football or Frisbee will keep them engaged. You can conduct some fun outdoor Math or English fun homework activities.

11. Altering the homework concept

Many kids feel burdened by their homework assignments. What if, though, you adopt a whole new approach to homework? It can be argued that schoolwork has a lot of unfavorable associations. These concepts usually start early in life and persist into college.

By referring to assignments in different ways, teachers can change these mental habits. Better ways to describe homework include home learning, brain workouts, and study time. You might try using these phrases in place of homework in the classroom.

12. Get Help If You Need

Homework can be frustrating if your child doesn’t understand the material or gets bored easily. Furthermore, excessive pressurizing or insisting on too much can mess up the student’s psychology. To be honest, in extreme cases, none of the methods will work. If your child or student is struggling beyond the normal limit, get them some expert help!

Education Advisors have plenty of advice for students who are not able to cope with homework. They also conduct counseling sessions from time to time in case it’s required.

13. Go for Audio-Visual Resources

Engaging additional senses in the at-home learning process is another technique to cheer up your boring assignments. Focus may be improved by using a child’s perception of touch, smell, or taste in a unique manner.

Sending kids home with instructions for making scented play dough, for instance, improve learning. The dough may be used in classes including math and spatial concepts. Plus, the aroma of scented/colored clays keeps kids focused while they work. Additionally, it enables children to link the smell to what they learned, improving memory and recall.

Another item that teachers might give their pupils as a take-home is a stress ball. Before, during, or after tasks, using a stress ball can encourage creative thinking and anxiety reduction positively.

14. Meditation Can Reduce Stress

Stress is not something that happens only to adults. With the increased competition in academics, young learners nowadays are suffering from severe stress, which ushers’ negative impacts on their mental health. Sometimes, both the little children and older students can’t express this stress and fail to explain how they are feeling.

Homework pressure often creates such challenging situations which disrupt the emotional equilibrium of youngsters. In situations like this, meditation can reduce stress and improve focus. Positive thinking, fear and the tension and anxiety that lead to depression may all be lessened by meditation. Being aware without judgment is one of the foundational elements of meditation, and this attitude of acceptance may ward against unpleasant thoughts.

15. Make It a Group Effort

Since time immemorial, team working is super effective for any activity. The same applies to homework as well. If students sit for the home task in a group, they will be able to wrap all the assignments up quickly.

Now the question is – how? Teamwork involves group discussions as well as brainstorming, which gives rise to new ideas. Students try to develop new ways to complete homework through mutual discussion.

16. Take Help from Learning Apps and Libraries

If your child struggles with their homework, it can be difficult for you as well. Games and visual examples in amusing math practice applications may be a terrific way to give your youngster practice with things he is having trouble with. Therefore, make schoolwork enjoyable for your youngster by downloading an app that simplifies the subject.

There are so many online applications and libraries that will help students enjoy fun and encouraging homework sessions. If the toddler or an older student specifically refers to a particular app or a website, talk to him/her about it properly. Then visit the online resource, and if you think it is a legit and helpful one, let your child or student use it during his/her homework time.

17. Tell Them Not to Take It Too Seriously

There are more important things in life than homework and grades. Too much focus on grades can affect your child’s love for learning. Think about what values you want to instill in your child and make sure the homework is not getting in the way.

If you believe your child’s teacher is giving out too much homework after you see your child demonstrate an understanding of the subject, don’t be afraid to voice your concern. Even if nothing changes, it will show your children that you care and empathize with them. That matters a lot!

18. Storytelling Can Be a Great Idea

Storytelling is a fantastic idea to make children complete their homework without facing any boredom. Especially for specific subjects like Math, History, and Literature, storytelling develops a context that allows the students to grasp things very easily.

If you find a student is finding it difficult to understand a concept and complete assignments on it, you can give a try to the storytelling method a since it works well. Storytelling has the power to captivate learners and keep them engaged irrespective of their age and grades.

19. Create A Homework Mood

Creating a mood for homework is a bit difficult for younger students but setting the right environment can help them complete the tasks as quickly as possible. However, it’s not an issue for the senior students but can be a bit overwhelming for the little kids.

You can select a comfortable location for them to study and use their favorite stickers, lights, etc., to decorate the space. Keeping in mind the results as well as their abilities to take the pressure, set goals and establish rewards. It’s vital to make them understand the goals and disclose a bit about the rewards but don’t let them know exactly what’s going to happen. This will create an enthusiasm to complete the homework in no time.

20. Turn on Some Music

The psychological effects of music are undeniable. Music brings concentration and helps to focus on a particular work pleasantly. Then why not use it for your children’s homework? Science dictates that music is the best aid for studying.

Play some soft music while the student is doing his/her homework and this will help to create an ambiance. You can also play cool, energetic, upbeat music since it radiates energetic vibes and the student will find immense energy as well as positivity to complete the tasks.

21. Ask Them to Do the Tough Tasks First

One more cool thing to try out is doing the tough tasks first. It’s a perfect strategy if the student has a list of various tasks of different levels of complexity. You will be able to realize how much time he/she needs to complete the tasks and edit afterward if needed.

Completing the more complex tasks at first enables a student to think and decide critically. The remaining time can be enjoyed with much lower stress while doing the easier assignments. If your child gets bored very quickly you can try this method out.

22. Get Creative

Wondering how to make homework fun creatively? Homework doesn’t sound exciting to students. To be more specific, solving sums after sums or writing science projects doesn’t sound fun alone. Rather, if you mingle these tasks with an artsy adventure, the same old boring homework sessions become interesting.

For instance, you can ask them to paint out the math problems, prepare a model for their science projects, or act a portion of the history or literature books. Some other effective ideas may include creating a range of paintings while explaining a paragraph to a child, making clay characters, and doing some moves with the music.

23. Doing Homework at School

Nowadays, as the syllabuses are changing, students have too much pressure from homework to deal with. After coming home from school, it’s quite natural for them to feel exhausted. At times it becomes impossible for a kid to keep their eyes open for homework.

The best remedy here is to complete the majority of their homework at school. Your child also doesn’t have to stay up all night looking for answers or trying to understand how to remember academic facts. They can use their free time at school to complete some of the homework to stay relaxed later. Also, completing homework with peers involves so much engagement and fun.

24. Ask Them to Work on Different Subjects in a Session

Are you trying to know how to make homework fun without putting in much effort? Plan a routine for your child so that they can work on different subjects in a single session. Try to mix and match the subjects to make them feel comfortable with the pace of the study.

Working on a maximum of 3 subjects a session will help a student to get rid of the homework quickly without considering it as a pressure. Ensure they are not in a rush to complete one subject after another. Make it as systematic and orderly as you can to avoid any unwanted confusion.

25. Get Academic Help

Getting a little homework help is a feasible way to make homework fun. Nevertheless, you must make sure that none of you, the teachers, or the program facilitators are not spoon-feeding them, or else it will affect the student’s development in terms of learning.

If there is a math problem that is too difficult to solve or a paragraph with heavy words, you or the tutor can give your helping hand to the student so that he/she can complete it on his/her own. For instance, you can give a clue to solve the sum or narrate the context of the paragraph.

26. Planning Is the Key

Planning is a powerful habit to make homework sessions fun and organized. Not only at school, but also this habit will help a student throughout his/her life. It’s required for a student to be extremely serious about homework in a studying period and systematic planning can help in completing all the assignments on time.

If your child is in high school or middle school, you can guide him/her to make homework routines. However, elementary school kids and preschool students need their parents’ or teachers’ assistance to make advanced homework plans.

27. Ask Them to Write on Their Favorite Topics

Working on something you love will make you feel more connected to the work. The same applies to both the kids’ homework and older students’ homework. If you are thinking about how to make doing homework fun, you can ask them to write a paragraph or a short essay on their favorite topics.

To implement this strategy, first, talk to the students on a one-on-one basis and try to know their individual preferences in terms of writing. Then assign them a task where they will write whatever they want on their favorite topics. This will act as a warm-up session before doing the homework.

28. Provide Choice

One of the key reasons why younger and older students become disengaged with their homework is they find it meaningless. This is where the mentors and the parents have to play the biggest role. They need to make the student understand why homework is important and how it can benefit them in the future.

This will make the kids’ homework sessions more engaging and they will be able to connect emotionally or personally. How to make homework fun in this way? It’s simple, provide the students with more choices while assigning the homework. For instance, if there is a tough project, they can choose to work alone on it or work with partners.

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Elementary school homework tips.

Homework gives elementary students a way to practice the concepts. But you have to be very careful while making them do the home tasks as at this age they don’t develop an understanding regarding the benefits of homework. To them, homework is just something that parents and teachers use to restrict them from doing what they want.

Below are some effective tips on how to make homework fun for kindergarten students.

• Make sure kids have a creative, engaging, and well-lit place to do the homework.
• Give the kids delicious snacks from time to time so that they don’t get distracted due to hunger.
• Encourage the children to complete their homework by giving them small rewards or recognizing their efforts to make the entire process more manageable.
• Instead of dictating to them what to do and threatening them, be a mentor, a leader, and a motivator.
• Create a homework routine for elementary students manually or use desktop app for planning your homework. Don’t forget to keep short breaks in between.
• Try to keep distractions to a minimum. This means no phone calls, loud music, and TV during homework time.

Set good examples for them but without comparing them with anybody. Have you ever seen your little one saving money? Point that quality out, praise him/her for it, and set it as an example.

Middle School Homework Tips

Middle school students develop a fair understanding of the importance of homework. So, you are not supposed to face much trouble to make them complete their tasks. Check out these middle school homework tips below. These tips will work wonders if you are looking for ways to make homework fun for 7th graders or 8th graders.

• Designate a specific amount of time for homework. This will help them to complete work on time.
• Help them prioritize which tasks to do on a priority basis. In this way, they will develop the ability to make decisions.
• Continuously encourage them to evaluate their work so that they can find the mistakes and correct them on their own.
• Put away the phone to prevent them from being distracted from time to time.
• When needed, help them to complete homework instead of spoon-feeding the whole thing. Give clues to solve a sum, point out some important areas, or explain them in a paragraph so that they can complete the next tasks by themselves.
• Don’t pressurize or force yourself to do homework. Parents need to know when to stop, especially when they are feeling exhausted, frustrated, and confused.

High School Homework Tips

When it comes to homework, high school students are better able to manage their time, stay focused and finish their tasks. This enables them to understand the value of homework. They don’t do any tantrums and get less distracted because they understand the consequences of not completing home tasks on time. But if you want to know how to make homework more enjoyable for high school students throughout the school year, here are some effective tips:

• Tell them to write down their homework every day in a notebook, or a planner to keep it more organized.
• Ask them to write their homework with a blue pen on a white sheet to remember their writing. Also, it’s the best combo to do homework faster.
• Help your teens to divide their homework schedule in a planned way and keep short breaks to freshen up their minds. For instance, if they work for 30 minutes, they can take a 5 minutes break.
• Doing homework with buddies is a proven method to complete homework on time and also in an accurate manner.
• If they get stuck while doing any specific homework, ask them to take help from online resources, libraries, video demonstrations, and journals.

Homework Dos and Don’ts

Let’s face it – nobody loves homework although it’s super important for your child’s learning and development. While high school students understand the importance and need of doing school assignments at home, elementary and preschool children can’t develop the understanding at their age.

Several things are to be kept in mind while expecting homework from students in proper time. To make the students complete their homework happily, we have brought some amazing dos and don’ts that parents or teachers need to follow:

Homework Do’s

1. monitor the answers.

After your child has completed his/her homework, check it once to find what went right and what went wrong. If you find any mistake in his/her work, try not to point that out directly. Instead, give your youngster clues so that he/she can find out the mistakes now.

2. Remove the Distractions

Thinking about how to make homework more fun for your child? Remove the distractions from the study room first including social media on the computer, mobile phones, unnecessary toys, etc. Remember, a decluttered environment is the reason behind a decluttered head. They will be able to focus more on the homework when there isn’t a pile of distractions around them.

3. Be A Cheerleader

Always be your child’s motivator when he/she is doing homework. Students may not be correct always but humiliating them may make them demotivated and frustrated at the same time. Celebrate small successes such as completion of the tasks within time, the maximum number of correct answers, the maximum time the child has devoted to homework, etc. Give treats like candies, stickers, pens/pencils, and colored boxes to celebrate their success.

4. Work in Collaboration

The parents and the children need to work together in terms of homework. There must be a proper channel of communication between both parties so that the child’s overall performance can be monitored.

Homework Don’ts

1. don’t force them to homework.

Forcing a student to do the homework can bring immensely negative results. Children won’t like homework – it’s quite normal but forcefully making them do it is tremendously fatal as it will develop a permanent fear or discomfort that will hamper their overall growth.

2. Don’t Show Them Your Frustration

Kids have a lot of tantrums. Especially, the tantrums increase while doing homework. Often teachers and parents get frustrated but showing them the frustration is not at all a good idea. Not only will the child become stubborn but also, they will develop a fear of doing assignments or getting help from you. If you want to make homework fun for 6th graders or students of any other grades, don’t show your frustration in front of them.

3. Don’t Compare with Their Peers

Comparison is something that demotivates a child to a great extent. It develops a deep resentment in their mind which doesn’t fade away even after growing older. Comparing their grades or skills with their peers is probably the worst idea to make students do homework.

4. Don’t Keep Electronic Devices in Front of Them

Yes, you can give the students electronic gadgets for a few minutes as small rewards but don’t keep the devices in front of them all the time when they are doing homework. This may loosen their concentration and will make them distracted from their respective tasks.

How A Homework Planning App Can Help a Student?

A homework app is the best time-management tool that enables students to organize everything they need to do throughout a week, month, academic year, or semester. It’s an easy way to keep your homework sessions organized. In case you are still thinking about how to make homework fun for your child, software with proper features of homework planning can help him/her out.

The academic pressure on school children sometimes becomes too difficult to handle, especially when there is so much to do. This is where student planners for their home assignments are found to be beneficial. Here is an explanation of how an efficient home assignment planning tool can help students finish their tasks on time:

1. Gives Students A Break

It might also be helpful to make sure that kids have some downtime to unwind and not become overburdened with assignments. If teachers are assigning homework through software, they will see how long a piece of homework will take to be completed, and they can allocate the tasks accordingly scheduling breaks in between.

2. Reduces Stress

Homework pressure may not sound like a big deal to you because you have already left those days behind but to your child, it’s a headache. The fear of being scolded by parents/teachers is one of their biggest concerns to them. Thanks to digital planners, these tools know exactly how to help each student in a customized way.

3. Increases Productivity

How to make homework interesting? Students who use a school planner are more productive and can manage their time more effectively. Students today struggle with procrastination because the internet age offers so many diversions. However, if they have noted down the tasks they must complete, they will be more motivated to complete them.

4. Easier for Parents and Teachers

A homework app with intuitive features of planning helps to complete an assignment within time in a systematic manner. Younger students who still rely on the help of their parents and teachers to do their schoolwork often fail to inform them about their homework status. Having homework software can easily sort this problem out and reduces mentors’ work and hassle.

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How to make homework fun with clarifi.

To assist students to achieve their highest potential, Clarifi is a homework software that acts as an ideal digital homework attention coach. We are dedicated to helping students achieve their academic goals. The pupils may complete their homework independently with the help of this digital planning app for homework.

It is a straightforward and uncomplicated desktop program that gives them more confidence to finish their assignment as quickly and effectively as possible. It is the only research-backed desktop application that enables children who are easily distracted to do their schoolwork without a parent watching over them. Monitoring student behavior is the only way to be sure they are doing their assignments.

However, keeping track of pupils’ activity is a time-consuming and important duty. However, Clarifi is available to make this procedure as easy as possible. With the aid of this program, students can effortlessly enter each homework assignment and keep track of the due dates for each one based on the class or the current day.

They receive prizes from the automated coach for maintaining concentration and doing their homework. When all pupils turn in their schoolwork on time, they will receive diamonds as a reward. This element motivates pupils to develop the positive habit of finishing their home assignments on time. Clarifi is an easy digital homework attention planner that provides kids with the ability to filter out distractions, improve their executive functioning, and keep all of their assignments organized in one location.

Clarifi guarantees to raise their capacity for concentration and focus as well as their academic performance. It incorporates functions that provide users the means to remain centered, motivated, and organized while finishing their schoolwork on their own. When kids use the app, it is specially designed with cutting-edge technology that blocks all other apps.

Generating an undistracted and focused environment for students with Clarifi is the answer to “how to make homework less boring.”

Students Can Now Complete Homework with Fun!

With these tricks and tips, students can now efficiently engage themselves in homework. Learners need to study and complete their homework/assignments with a positive mindset and not forcefully. As soon as a student starts doing his/her homework strenuously, the interest is eventually lost, leading to mistakes and burnout.

But with the tricks mentioned above, homework sessions can now be immensely fun and interesting. Whether you are a teacher, parent, or student, these are some tried and tested ways to complete home tasks engagingly. Stay tuned to Clarifi for similar informative blogs like this. If to need help with your children’s homework and know more about how to make homework fun get in touch with Clarifi today.

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Being an Efficient Homework Helper: Turning a Chore into a Challenge

This article will help your child succeed doing homework. Read tips that can help kids with learning disabilities, ADHD, and dyslexia work faster and with focus. Set up a place for your child to work and give them the supplies they need. Teach them strategies, get them organized, and encourage them to succeed.

“The secret of education lies in respecting the pupil.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882, U.S. poet, essayist and lecturer)

Homework is a constant for most children — it is always there. And for many children, it is often a chore. Just the concept of “homework” can cause multiple anxieties and negative feelings. To assist parents and students, this article presents some tools to help turn this chore into an enjoyable challenge. It focuses on some general preliminaries, basic strategies, and motivation.

To begin, we must keep in mind the characteristics of our own children, because each child has his or her unique strengths, weaknesses, and needs.

When embarking on any project, there are first some questions we need to ask ourselves. These apply whether the project is a page of math facts or a full report.

• We need to make sure we understand the project: what are we trying to do?
• We need to assemble our tools: what materials will we need for this project?

Working successfully with our children on schoolwork requires respect, and respect begins with understanding. If a child struggles with and/or resists homework, ask yourself, “why?” As you discover the reasons, share them with your child so he or she better understands the issues. Doing so takes the mystery out of struggles or frustrations. Pediatrician Mel Levine calls this “demystification,” which he describes as eliminating mystery by explaining the child’s strengths and weaknesses and guiding him to develop more accurate personal insight.

Students may struggle with and/or resist homework for a variety of reasons. These may include any of the following:

• Your child is experiencing some aspect of a learning disability or learning difference.
• Your child is inefficient in a skill needed to establish a solid foundation related to the concept.
• Your child struggles to process one or more components of the task.
• Your child lacks or is not using the appropriate strategies or tools.
• Your child is experiencing fatigue, either processing fatigue or general fatigue.

As a parent, we should attend to how our student approaches the task. Help him identify and sort through the different components and determine the needed sub-steps. You can delineate these using a concrete chart or graphic organizer.

Many students express the idea that homework is “stupid” or a “waste of time.” Even if you do wonder about the value of the given task, it is critical to communicate an optimistic, important belief that homework positively affects achievement in school and teaches many valuable skills critical for success throughout life. For example:

• Following directions
• Independent work habits
• Time management
• Use of strategies
• Follow-through
• Responsibility

Keep in mind that you and your child are laying an important foundation that will guide his routines for years to come. Starting in early elementary school years, each child begins to establish habits for time management and task completion.

Preliminaries

Establishing a consistent workspace is a critical beginning. The precise location for doing homework does not matter as long as it is free from distractions. For example, trying to read a chapter in the middle of the kitchen while a parent makes dinner and siblings run in and out creates a recipe for failure. In the early grades, you and your child should select the homework location together, identifying a place where you can be close by and available for help. As the child matures, he can be more independent in selecting his own workspace.

At the beginning of each school year, help your child create his own Homework Survival Kit with the necessary supplies. If the child receives accommodations for their learning disabilities at school — such as a particular pencil grip, a type of paper, or a Frankin speller — try to let them use them at home too. Children should learn to take care of the supplies in their Homework Survival Kit, therefore sharing is not advisable. Your child, even at age five, should have a large calendar with enough space to note their assignments. This is a critical habit that students will need to use through high school and college.

Lighting and posture

Use of an appropriate writing posture should be encouraged. Therefore, a desk and chair of appropriate size are necessary. The desk should have adequate lighting. Some children enjoy reading in a different position, while in a beanbag chair, for example. Ensure that there is also adequate lighting by the location.

General environment

Keeping in mind that each student may have different needs and preferences, following are some ideas to help students enhance their ability to focus while doing homework:

• Quiet or soft background music
• Small crunchy snacks, sour candy, or chewing gum
• Carbonated beverages (preferably without sugar)

Basic strategies

One of the best gifts that we can give to our students is an appreciation of and ability to use strategies. Strategies enable us to pre-plan and organize activities and tasks. We use strategies to pull in our processing strengths while compensating for processing weaknesses. This ability is very beneficial in a wide range of situations throughout our lives.

Some strategies are obvious, such as mnemonic phrases. Students learning music use the mnemonic “Every Good Boy Does Fine.” The first letter of each word in this phrase stands for the notes on a music staff: E; G; B; D; F. The mnemonic “Never Eat Shredded Wheat” can help students remember directions in sequence: N for North; E for East; S the South; and W for West.

Other strategies are less obvious. For example, if you have dinner plans for 6 p.m., you need to determine how long it will take you to get to the restaurant so you know when to begin your travel. You also need to determine how long it will take you to get ready so you know when to start preparing. This time-orientation strategy helps us pre-plan an activity backward from the goal and is valuable for determining how much time we’ll need. It can be used in planning any project.

As we help our students use strategies, we may initially need to model how to use the strategy and provide practice. The end goal is for students to develop independence in automatically using strategies. No two people have the same learning style and every individual is a unique combination of strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, a strategy that is extremely beneficial for one student may not be useful for another. In developing a toolbox of strategies, parents can help their students learn when and how to select the appropriate tool. Some valuable resources for tools can be found in the books noted in the References section at the end of this article.

Organization

Some ideas for helping your student organize his book bag or backpack follow. To help increase your child’s follow-through, initially you may want to check the bag every few days, providing comments and suggestions to help maintain the organization.

• Use different colored folders for different subjects.
• Have a special place for papers that need to come home.
• Have a special place for papers that will be returned to the teacher.
• Develop a consistent routine for your child to replace homework in the appropriate spot in the book bag immediately upon completing it.
• Have a specific place for your child to place the book bag when it is ready to return to school and encourage your child to use this location consistently.
• Praise your child for following through with the routine.

Understanding the task

Review the basic assignment with your child to ensure that she understands what is required. Many children miss the overall message or global concept. Visual organizers, also called mind maps, are very efficient in presenting the global view in a concrete visual manner. Below is an example of a visual organizer comparing frogs and toads. It identifies some characteristics of each, as well as characteristics similar to both.

Figure 1: A comparison mind map provides a global view in a visual format

In previewing the assignment with your child, be alert to his understanding of vocabulary used. Misinterpreting vocabulary words is a frequent source of frustration for students. Many books describe various forms and use of graphic organizers , including those listed in the References section, below.

Fatigue issues

Students may often interpret feelings of fatigue as boredom or a desire to escape the situation. There are many different types of fatigue and, consequently, many reasons for it. Exploring the reasons is beyond the scope of this article. However, it is helpful to have some basic strategies in a “Parent Tool Kit.” Then you may select a tool to help your student manage her feelings of fatigue during homework time.

• Provide a break that requires hard pressure (called proprioceptive pressure), such as chair push-ups, stretching, lifting a pile books.
• Allow for a controlled movement break such as walking to another table to sharpen a pencil.
• Provide a visual break to help relax eye muscles (which may fatigue with excessive bookwork) by asking your child to look out the window at a distant target, count to five, and return to task.
• Allow your child time for “vegging out” between tasks, perhaps with a short snack. It is helpful to use a timer that rings to indicate the end of the break.
• Prioritize areas of emphasis: some students perform better doing the harder tasks first; other students perform better starting with simpler tasks.

Some children experience substantial fatigue with the process of writing. One suggestion from The Source for Dyslexia and Dysgraphia is to include exercising and stretching the fingers for a few minutes before and during the task. Use of technology can compensate for fatigue as well as many other writing issues. Some options include: using keyboarding/word processing rather than handwriting; using a spell checker with an auditory component (such as Franklin Language Master 6000b); and/or using a graphics program such as Inspiration® or Kidspiraition® .

Monitor the amount of time your child spends on homework. If you feel your child is requiring an excessively long time, keep track of the time and discuss it with your child’s teacher. In some cases, you may wish to suggest that you limit homework to a certain amount of time and that the teacher give your child credit for what was actually completed. In other situations, it may be advisable to decrease the amount of homework, such as having your child complete only the odd problems on a math page.

Encouragement

One of the most valuable tools for parents is the tool of encouragement . Encouragement can help provide demystification for your child and it can help reduce your child’s frustration when the task becomes difficult or he becomes fatigued.

An important component of encouragement is to support your child’s efforts to work independently and build her confidence in doing homework successfully. Some suggestions follow.

• Example: “I know this is hard, but I’m sure you can do it with just a little help. Let’s just start with one small part. “
• Example: “Let’s start with this part. Let’s go over the directions.” Then, after child reads the directions, say, “What is the next step?”
• Example: “It’s great that you did X. Now, let’s go on to Y.”
• As your child gains confidence, have him do a small part on his own.
• Prioritize areas of emphasis.
• Provide occasional short nonverbal reinforces, such as a kiss on the cheek, a pat on the shoulder, a smile, or bringing a beverage or piece of gum.

If your child continues to ask you for help even though you are confident that the task is within his skill level, you can play a game with him. Begin by placing 10 pieces of candy in a bowl. Tell him that every time he asks you for help, he will give you one piece of candy. When the candy is gone, you will not help any more. Assure him that he will keep whatever pieces of candy remain in the bowl at the end of the homework time. When playing this game with your child, be sure that the task is within his ability to work on his own. You may vary the number of pieces of candy, depending on the task.

Another important component of encouragement is to provide statements of demystification. These help remove the mystery of why one task is difficult while another is easier while increasing your child’s understanding of his processing strengths and weaknesses.

Use concrete statements to emphasize strengths, such as:

• “I saw that drawing you did; you are really great at that kind of artwork.”
• “Very few kids your age can draw like this; you have great talent.”

Use concrete statements relevant to your child’s struggles, such as:

• “Many kids struggle because they do things to quickly without thinking enough. This may get them into trouble or cause them to do schoolwork too fast and carelessly. Sometimes you are like these kids because you do things too quickly.”

Use concrete statements relevant to your child’s efforts to overcome their specific difficulties, such as:

• “I like the way you have continued to work at this when the other kids have already learned it. It’s particularly hard to do something when you’re the last to get it done, but you have persisted — and you are almost there.”
• “I can see its hard to keep working on that letter, and you are continuing to persist. Thank you.”

In the book, Eli, The Boy Who Hated to Write , Eli describes multiple benefits he experienced due to the impact he felt from encouragement. As parents and teachers, we need to listen to our children about this very critical point.

Some children need external motivators to help maintain focus on the task. Some useful suggestions include homework contracts, devices to help monitor time on task, or rewards. It is important that you are setting realistic goals for your child and that they are not overly stressed in their area of learning disability. Some children, for example, take longer to write by hand or to calculate sums so you need to be realistic about time allowed.

Homework contracts may take many forms. Write the contract with your child, making sure it is within your child’s ability level. Focus on one goal at a time. Examples follow.

• “I, Johnny, will complete my homework without argument for five nights in a row. When I accomplish this, I can watch 30 extra minutes of TV.”
• “I, Susie, will mark off a square on my chart each night that I complete all my homework assignments. When I have marked off five squares, I will select a reward from my list.”

The criteria in your contract should change as the child’s skills change. Furthermore, it is important to be specific regarding your expectations regarding homework completion. Indicate definite starting and stopping points as well as minimum requirements.

Monitoring time on task

A timer is a useful device for monitoring time on task. It makes the passage of time more concrete for your child. Identify a reasonable time for your child to complete an assignment (or a given part) and set the timer to ring after that time. It is useful for your child to be able to observe the passage of time, on either the timer or hourglass. Example statements follow:

• “You have agreed to practice typing for five minutes every night. This means five minutes with good focus. I will set the timer and if you focus and practice appropriately the whole time, you will be done. Remember, I will have to restart the timer if you fool around in the middle.”
• “You have a half-hour to complete this part of the assignment. I’m setting this timer for 30 minutes. If you finish your homework correctly by the time the bell goes off, then you will get X reward (or sticker).”

If your child is earning points or stickers for appropriate follow through, you may want to allow him to earn rewards for a given number of stickers. To phase out his dependence on the stickers, require a larger number of stickers for a reward as he becomes more responsible.

Young children respond well to games as motivational aids. You can develop a customized game spinner by using cardboard and brads, or you may purchase blank spinners from an educational supply store. Fill in each section of the spinner with a reward. Use tape so that you can occasionally change the awards. Be sure to vary the prizes on the spinner so that some are more desirable. You may want to have a space marked “no-win.”

Establish criteria with your child, such as completing a homework assignment appropriately or finishing all of the homework tasks for the evening. When your child meets the criteria (i.e. completes the task), allow her to spin the spinner and earn the reward indicated. Be sure to use an appropriate positive statement such as, “Great job tonight! You’ve earned a spin on the spinner.”

To phase out dependence on the spinner, change the rewards to points. These points will then accumulate towards a specific prize. Increase the number of points needed to earn the prize as your child becomes more responsible. An example of a spinner follows.

Learning from mistakes

Another critical tool for parents to have is the tool of helping their children learn from their mistakes . This is important because too many students are afraid to be wrong. We give our children a valuable gift by helping them understand that mistakes are valuable because they help us learn how to adjust and improve our approach as we move through a task.

Robert Brooks and Sam Goldstein in their book, Raising Resilient Children: Fostering Strength Hope and Optimism in Your Child , devote a whole chapter to learning from mistakes. They discuss various obstacles that interfere as well as some valuable guiding principles for parents to keep in mind. Following is a summary of Brooks’ and Goldstein’s Obstacles and Guiding Principles:

Obstacles to a positive outlook about mistakes

• Temperament and biological factors
• Negative comments of parents
• Parents setting the bar too high
• Dealing with the fear of mistakes in ways that worsened the situation

Guiding principles to help children deal with mistakes

• Serve as a model for dealing with mistakes and setbacks
• Set and evaluate realistic expectations
• In different ways, emphasize that mistakes are not only accepted but also expected
• Loving our children should not be contingent on whether or not they make mistakes

Developing the concept of having a tool kit to use when working with our children can be a fun and rewarding process. Some key factors to keep in mind are:

• Have fun with your tools and strategies
• Encourage your child to have fun
• Expand upon the suggestions given, using them as guidelines
• Pay attention to your child’s strengths and weaknesses
• Develop your own strategies
• Continue to expand your Parents’ Tool Kit as your child matures

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Brooks, R. & Goldstein, S. (2002). Raising Resilient Children: Fostering Strength, Hope, and Optimism in Your Child . New York: McGraw-Hill. http://www.retctrpress.com

Canter, L. & Hauser, L. (1988). Homework Without Tears: A Parent's Guide for Motivating Children to do Homework and to Succeed in School . New York: HarperReference (Harper Collins).

Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc., Speaking Language Master (model LM-6000B). Burlington, NJ: Author. http://www.franklin.com

Lavoie, R. How Difficult Can This Be? - FAT City. Steuben, ME: Eagle Hill Foundation. Distributed by PBS VIDEO in association with WTA. Available in the LD OnLine Store

Lavoie, R. (2007). The Motivation Breakthrough . New York: Touchstone (Simon & Schuster). Available in the LD OnLine Store

Levine, M.D. (2001). Educational Care: A System for Understanding Children with Learning Differences at Home and at School . Cambridge, MA: Educators Publishing Service, Inc. http://www.epsbooks.com

Levine, M.D. (1992). All Kinds of Minds: A Young Student's Book About Learning Abilities and Learning Disorders . Cambridge, MA: Educators Publishing Service http://www.epsbooks.com

Levine, M.D. (1990). Keeping a Head in School: A Student's Book About Learning Abilities and Learning Disorders . Cambridge, MA: Educators Publishing Service http://www.epsbooks.com

Levine, M.D. (2003). The Myth of Laziness . New York: Simon & Schuster. http://www.retctrpress.com

Richards, R.G. & Richards, E.I. (2000). Eli, the Boy Who Hated to Write: Understanding Dysgraphia . Riverside, CA: RET Center Press. http://www.retctrpress.com

Richards, R.G. (2001). LEARN: Playful Strategies for All Students . Riverside, CA: RET Center Press. http://www.retctrpress.com

Richards, R.G. (1997). Memory Foundations for Reading: Visual Mnemonics for Sound/Symbol Relationships . Riverside, CA: RET Center Press. http://www.retctrpress.com

Richards, R.G. (1999). The Source for Dyslexia and Dysgraphia . East Moline, IL: LinguiSystems. http://www.linguisystems.com

Richards, R.G. (2003). The Source for Learning and Memory Strategies . East Moline, IL: LinguiSystems. http://www.linguisystems.com

Richards, R.G. (2006). The Source for Reading Comprehension Strategies . East Moline, IL: LinguiSystems. http://www.linguisystems.com

Kidspiration (visual organizers for grades K-3) & Inspiration (visual organizers for grades 6 to adult). Available in the LD OnLine Store

Richards, R.G. (January, 2008). Being an Efficient Homework Helper: Turning a Chore into a Challenge. Written exclusively for LD OnLine.

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EF Skills: Paying Attention

At a glance.

For kids with ADHD, a common problem is maintaining focus long enough to complete tasks such as schoolwork, chores, and other activities • Paying attention is an executive functioning skill that can be improved by understanding their “attention profile” and applying strategies that address shortcomings and capitalize on strengths

Students who struggle with sustained attention are unable to focus on a task until it is complete, (e.g., finishing a set of math problems without attention errors or reading textbook chapters thoroughly enough to retain the central ideas). Other common indicators that your child has trouble paying attention include:

• Missed details in instructions
• Starting a task, getting distracted part way through, and then forgetting to finish
• “Careless” errors
• Repeating the same mistake due to not learning from the past
• Finding it physically difficult to engage, because of lethargy or overstimulation

  Most people have an attention span that ’ s somewhere between 10-30 minutes with exceptions for the kind of deep focus some experience when they enter a flow state. Students with ADHD tend to have shorter attention-spans. Those with inattentive ADHD may find that their attention drifts away from the primary focus; those with hyperactive ADHD tend to be easily distracted by external stimuli. Mood or energy level also impacts attention: being tired or excited makes it hard to maintain focus; disinterest in the task at hand means the mind is more likely to drift. Regardless of what causes the problem, the result is the same—difficulty with sustained attention.

Improving Attention

Paying attention is an executive functioning (EF) skill that—like all EF skills— benefits from intentional support.  

As your child looks to improve control over their attention, they should start by understanding their attention profile. Having them reflect on these questions will help them select appropriate strategies from the list below to address their attention challenges.

• How long is their attention span? If they have no idea, experiment by setting a timer first for 20 minutes while they engage in a task. Did their attention drift throughout the process? If so, try a 15-minute timer. If not, push to 25 minutes and see what happens.
• Are they more distracted by internal (thoughts) or external (visual or auditory) stimuli? That information enables them to make smart decisions about their workspace.  
• What kinds of activities are more or less challenging to focus on? Knowing this can help determine a work strategy: they can opt to engage in difficult tasks when their energy is optimized for attention and pick easier tasks when they know that focus will be a challenge.

Based on their attention profile, the next step is to select the strategies that will help maximize their attention strengths while addressing their shortcomings.

Strategies for Sustained Attention

• Mindfulness Exercises: Developing their mindfulness muscle will help your child recognize when their attention shifts so that they can redirect it.  
• Movement – For children who feel under-stimulated when it’s time to focus, adding movement can be a helpful attention tool. Consider alternating active tasks (cleaning their room) with sedentary tasks (homework assignments); using kinesthetic study strategies (walking, pacing, role-playing, bouncing a ball, etc.), or timed movement breaks.  
• Neurofeedback –   ADDitude Magazine defines neurofeedback (NFB) training as “an alternative therapy that uses real-time EEG (brain imaging) data to help patients train their brains to improve focus, impulse control, and executive function.”
• Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Training – HRV is widely recognized as a valuable data point for physical training, but it also has connections to overall brain function. The scientists at  HeartMath  remind us that the heart sends information to the brain constantly. That means that learning to regulate the heart also regulates the brain.
• Brain Dump & Parking Lot – For students who recognize that they are more distracted by thoughts than by external stimuli, taking a moment to put their thoughts on paper before starting to work can be helpful. A “parking lot” for ideas that pop up while working can also allow students to acknowledge the idea by writing it down, and then redirect their attention to the task at hand, confident they can return to the distracting thought later.  
• Personalize – If your child wants to try the Pomodoro Method, have them use their attention span as the length of the focus time. The key for most students is timing their breaks!
• Authentic Breaks – When a student takes a break, the goal should be a true rest for their attention, and they can’t accomplish that by engaging with screens, which tend to over-activate the brain. Instead, they might consider stretching, listening to music, looking out a window, or doing something physical that they enjoy.  
• Dedicated Work Space – Use the power of association to increase your child’s attention. If you have the space, set up a workstation that they won’t use for anything else. If that’s not possible, at least be sure that students aren’t trying to complete attention-demanding tasks in spaces that have a different purpose like a bed or the couch.  
• Visual – Students distracted by visual clutter may benefit from spending a few minutes organizing their space before they work.  
• Auditory – Sounds can interrupt attention. Students should consider if music will be helpful or distracting. In most cases, music can help if it’s not competing for attention: think classical or other instrumental. Brown noise with music also does an excellent job of blocking out sounds.

As with most skill-building efforts, none of the strategies above offers a quick fix. To that end, your job as the parent is to encourage your child to value the process of discovering what works for them over their outcomes on a single day.

In addition to sustained attention, other forms of attention include the types listed below, all of which serve a purpose at the right time. Help your child recognize the types of attention their brain excels at as a counterbalance to any frustrations when they struggle with sustained attention.  

• Alternating Attention: The ability to shift easily between multiple tasks or stimuli. This ability can be helpful in group work when students are working on their contribution while maintaining an awareness of the group’s progress and needs.  
• Selective Attention: This refers to the ability to block out external stimuli in favor of the specific task at hand. Having strong selective focus allows a student to read a book in a loud study hall or forget about the test they have the next day while at the play rehearsal.
• Focused Attention: This type of attention refers to being “caught” by important stimuli—a loud noise, a sudden pain, our name—so that we can respond to a pressing need. Focused attention is immensely important for survival, but it can be co-opted by phone alerts or other technology notifications.

Jenna Prada, a certified teacher and administrator, is the Director of Executive Functioning & Special Education at  Private Prep  and the Director of Learning at Sadar Psychological.

Related Smart Kids Topics 

• Executive Functioning: An Overview
• ADHD: An Overview

School Life Balance , Tips for Online Students

The Pros and Cons of Homework

Updated: December 7, 2023

Published: January 23, 2020

Homework is a word that most students dread hearing. After hours upon hours of sitting in class , the last thing we want is more schoolwork over our precious weekends. While it’s known to be a staple of traditional schooling, homework has also become a rather divise topic. Some feel as though homework is a necessary part of school, while others believe that the time could be better invested. Should students have homework? Have a closer look into the arguments on both sides to decide for yourself.

Photo by  energepic.com  from  Pexels

Why should students have homework, 1. homework encourages practice.

Many people believe that one of the positive effects of homework is that it encourages the discipline of practice. While it may be time consuming and boring compared to other activities, repetition is needed to get better at skills. Homework helps make concepts more clear, and gives students more opportunities when starting their career .

2. Homework Gets Parents Involved

Homework can be something that gets parents involved in their children’s lives if the environment is a healthy one. A parent helping their child with homework makes them take part in their academic success, and allows for the parent to keep up with what the child is doing in school. It can also be a chance to connect together.

3. Homework Teaches Time Management

Homework is much more than just completing the assigned tasks. Homework can develop time management skills , forcing students to plan their time and make sure that all of their homework assignments are done on time. By learning to manage their time, students also practice their problem-solving skills and independent thinking. One of the positive effects of homework is that it forces decision making and compromises to be made.

4. Homework Opens A Bridge Of Communication

Homework creates a connection between the student, the teacher, the school, and the parents. It allows everyone to get to know each other better, and parents can see where their children are struggling. In the same sense, parents can also see where their children are excelling. Homework in turn can allow for a better, more targeted educational plan for the student.

5. Homework Allows For More Learning Time

Homework allows for more time to complete the learning process. School hours are not always enough time for students to really understand core concepts, and homework can counter the effects of time shortages, benefiting students in the long run, even if they can’t see it in the moment.

6. Homework Reduces Screen Time

Many students in North America spend far too many hours watching TV. If they weren’t in school, these numbers would likely increase even more. Although homework is usually undesired, it encourages better study habits and discourages spending time in front of the TV. Homework can be seen as another extracurricular activity, and many families already invest a lot of time and money in different clubs and lessons to fill up their children’s extra time. Just like extracurricular activities, homework can be fit into one’s schedule.

The Other Side: Why Homework Is Bad

1. homework encourages a sedentary lifestyle.

Should students have homework? Well, that depends on where you stand. There are arguments both for the advantages and the disadvantages of homework.

While classroom time is important, playground time is just as important. If children are given too much homework, they won’t have enough playtime, which can impact their social development and learning. Studies have found that those who get more play get better grades in school , as it can help them pay closer attention in the classroom.

Children are already sitting long hours in the classroom, and homework assignments only add to these hours. Sedentary lifestyles can be dangerous and can cause health problems such as obesity. Homework takes away from time that could be spent investing in physical activity.

2. Homework Isn’t Healthy In Every Home

While many people that think homes are a beneficial environment for children to learn, not all homes provide a healthy environment, and there may be very little investment from parents. Some parents do not provide any kind of support or homework help, and even if they would like to, due to personal barriers, they sometimes cannot. Homework can create friction between children and their parents, which is one of the reasons why homework is bad .

3. Homework Adds To An Already Full-Time Job

School is already a full-time job for students, as they generally spend over 6 hours each day in class. Students also often have extracurricular activities such as sports, music, or art that are just as important as their traditional courses. Adding on extra hours to all of these demands is a lot for children to manage, and prevents students from having extra time to themselves for a variety of creative endeavors. Homework prevents self discovery and having the time to learn new skills outside of the school system. This is one of the main disadvantages of homework.

4. Homework Has Not Been Proven To Provide Results

Endless surveys have found that homework creates a negative attitude towards school, and homework has not been found to be linked to a higher level of academic success.

The positive effects of homework have not been backed up enough. While homework may help some students improve in specific subjects, if they have outside help there is no real proof that homework makes for improvements.

It can be a challenge to really enforce the completion of homework, and students can still get decent grades without doing their homework. Extra school time does not necessarily mean better grades — quality must always come before quantity.

Accurate practice when it comes to homework simply isn’t reliable. Homework could even cause opposite effects if misunderstood, especially since the reliance is placed on the student and their parents — one of the major reasons as to why homework is bad. Many students would rather cheat in class to avoid doing their homework at home, and children often just copy off of each other or from what they read on the internet.

5. Homework Assignments Are Overdone

The general agreement is that students should not be given more than 10 minutes a day per grade level. What this means is that a first grader should be given a maximum of 10 minutes of homework, while a second grader receives 20 minutes, etc. Many students are given a lot more homework than the recommended amount, however.

On average, college students spend as much as 3 hours per night on homework . By giving too much homework, it can increase stress levels and lead to burn out. This in turn provides an opposite effect when it comes to academic success.

The pros and cons of homework are both valid, and it seems as though the question of ‘‘should students have homework?’ is not a simple, straightforward one. Parents and teachers often are found to be clashing heads, while the student is left in the middle without much say.

It’s important to understand all the advantages and disadvantages of homework, taking both perspectives into conversation to find a common ground. At the end of the day, everyone’s goal is the success of the student.

Related Articles

How to Get Your Child to Pay Attention for Homework

Caroline Kelly

January 3, 2018

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It’s the start of a New Year and your kids are probably all coming down off an epic sugar high and are adjusting to the routine of getting back in to school. New presents litter the house and, with so many fun distractions at home, it can be difficult for kids to stop and shut out the noise to get the dreaded homework done. Here are some handy tips for How To Get Your Child to Pay Attention for Homework :

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We know that getting the routine and focus back into the regime can be hard…..so here are our 5 tips to help improve your little ones focus to adjust for a new year of learning.

How To Get Your Child to Pay Attention for Homework

#1. bye-bye distractions.

Lay the law down of having no technology turned on until ALL study has been completed. Impossible, you say? If you try leading by example and reducing your own phone use at this time then it will be easier for the kids to adapt the same behaviour.

Harry and Co. will be there waiting for them when they are done.. there may be initial withdrawals adjusting to the new routing but they will eventually pass!

#2. Train them young

Learning new habits takes time and focus and quality study time is important. The sooner you get your kids to come round to this way of thinking then the simpler it is to maintain that habit. Get them trained young.

A great way to do this is to get the younger kids sitting down alongside the older siblings when the elders are studying – the younger ones can read or colour or do some other learning activity during ‘study time’ to establish it as a fixed time to study and learn. They might not last the whole study time while little but it’s a great starting point.

#3. Bitesize chunks

Big projects can be overwhelming to young children in those early days when they haven’t mastered how to tackle enormous tasks. A great strategy to help increase your child’s concentration is to split that big task at hand up into smaller pieces.

Breaking the task down into bitesize chunks will give your child a sense of progress and achievement as the chunks are finally completed.

They also get the buzz out of completing each small piece of work.

#4. Goals are Gold

Goals are a fantastic way to increase your child’s ability to focus – and healthy incentives can do no harm as long as it is rewarding and not bribery :)! When your child makes his own goals (when guided by you with rewards set in place for reaching them) then they can become a great motivation for learning.

Star charts are a great way to monitor progress. Maybe agree with your child something that you can both do together as a quality reward for goals reached. Just make sure that the goals you set are manageable for your child’s ability and age so they don’t lose interest or get frustrated.

#5. Set a fixed homework space

Designate a space in your home for the children to do their homework at. Ideally, this space should have a table or desk with plenty of room for your children schoolbooks, pens and papers with anything else they need close at hand.

This is most effective when this space is located in a quieter area of your home where distractions are minimised.

You might also enjoy reading How to Keep Your Kids Focused With a Homework Station

Over to you now. Any other tips for how to get your child to pay attention for homework? Share them with us in the comments below. 

About the Author: Caroline Kelly

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Report Card Comments & Phrases—Work and Study Habits

Report Card Comments & Phrases—Work Habits

Report card comments.

As I have explained in my previous reports, ________ does not use his/her time wisely in class. Please help him/her to understand that we study in class and play at only certain times in school.

When _______ is able to settle down, he/she does much better work. However, he/she is often seeking the attention of his/her classmates, which causes distraction for everyone.

As we have discussed in previous meetings, __________ must continue to improve his/her study habits. We need to encourage him/her to be much more serious about the work he does.

_______ loves artistic activities. However, I am concerned about the amount of time he/she spends drawing when he/she has other work to do. Can we please meet to discuss strategies to help _________ correct this issue?

________ is doing grade-level work at this time. However, I am sure he is capable of turning in better work. When he improves his concentration abilities, I know the work will improve.

_______ misuses much of his work time daydreaming and then does not complete the work in time. He is capable of finishing the work in the allotted time and needs to start doing so.

________ has been doing good work at times, but it is not consistent. She can be very social and restless and often does not finish his/her work on time. Thank you for your help at home. Please continue to work with him/her on this issue.

________ is very anxious to get his/her work done, yet he/she tends to be bothersome to other students around him/her. Although he/she has shown progress in this area over the past month, he/she still needs to work on it.

_______ is having difficulty because he frequently talks out loud and disturbs the other students. He is trying to improve this bad habit and has shown some growth in the past few weeks.

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Report Card Phrases

______ works well in groups, planning and carrying out activities.

______ needs to work democratically with others in groups.

______ needs to develop a better sense of responsibility.

______ wants responsibilities and follows through.

______ now accepts responsibility well.

______ is an attentive student.

______ is gaining self-confidence.

______'s work habits are improving.

______ has the ability to follow directions.

______ requires incentives.

______'s assignments and/or homework are incomplete and/or late.

______ needs to pay attention in class.

______ needs better study skills.

Please encourage him/her to do things on his/her own.

______ is learning to listen to directions more carefully.

______ is learning to be a better listener.

______ is learning to share and listen.

______ listens carefully.

______ is a good worker and an attentive listener.

______ evaluates what he/she hears.

______ needs to listen to all directions.

______ has difficulty following directions.

______'s hand work is beautifully done.

______ enjoys doing neat, careful work.

______'s work is neatly and accurately done.

______ does colorful and interesting art work.

______ takes pride in work well done.

______ makes careless errors.

______ is disorganized.

______ needs to proofread work.

______ is learning to occupy his time constructively.

______ always uses his/her time wisely.

______ never completes assignments in the allotted time.

______ is becoming more dependable during work periods.

______ is gaining independence.

______ is becoming more self-reliant.

______ works independently on assignments.

______ fails to finish independent assignments.

______ comprehends well, but needs to work more quickly.

______ needs to be urged.

______ lacks independence.

______ is too easily distracted.

______ works too slowly.

______ does not complete assignments in the allotted time.

______ seems unable to finish required work.

______ often completes work early.

______ is not very appreciative of the value of time.

______ is sacrificing accuracy for unnecessary speed in his written work.

______ has great potential and works toward achieving it.

______ is working to full capability.

______ is a steadfast, conscientious worker.

______ is enthusiastic about work in general.

______ seeks information.

______ is a hard-working student.

______ is extremely conscientious.

______ is a pleasant, conscientious student.

______ is a hard worker.

______ is an enthusiastic worker during the ____ period.

______ is a polite and conscientious pupil.

______ must improve work habits if he is to gain the fundamentals needed for ___ grade work.

______ is inconsistent in his/her efforts, especially in _______.

______ makes little effort when not under direct supervision.

______ is anxious to please.

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