Organizing Tips for Tackling Homework

The new school year is right around the corner. Is your child ready? More importantly, are you, the parent, ready for all the homework assignments?

If you have school-aged children, you know that homework can cause headaches, upset stomachs, tears, and even tantrums! Every parent has witnessed at least one of these reactions to homework. Now, I’m not a parent, so I can’t give out expert advice on this subject–so I turned to a good friend who has many years of parenting under her belt. With multiple children who’ve earned full-ride scholarships to college, she was my clear choice for expert advice on getting kids to do their homework.

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Here are some of her best kept secrets:

Create a “Homework Zone”

If you’ve got multiple children, this task might prove daunting. A desk in a bedroom can work, but if you’ve got siblings sharing a room, two kids in one room does not equal quality homework time.

Ideally, the homework zone should be away from toys, TVs, cell phones, and any other noisy distractions–including brothers or sisters. Psychologically, a quiet, distraction-free area provides the best environment for concentration and learning.

Take a look around your home for little niches that might work as a study area. A hall closet can be converted into a homework zone with a little thought and planning. A quiet corner in the living room could work, or you could even set up a work station in the laundry room. Wherever you create the homework zone, make sure it has easy parent access, so you can peek in on your child from time to time to check on progress. Make sure the homework area has a nice, flat work surface with ample space for an open textbook, a notebook, and a laptop, if needed. A comfortable chair at correct writing height will help keep students on task, as well.

As you get the homework zone set up, include your child in the process. Choose colors they like for accessories like pencil holders or other essentials. Make the area cool and fun-looking–you want it to be an area that your child WANTS to spend time in. Environment can make a big difference in liking or disliking homework time.

For some awesome design ideas, head over to my “Homework Zone” Pinterest board.

Stock Up

Keep essential supplies in or near your homework zone, so kids are armed and ready for whatever their assignment might require. If you’ve got primary or middle schoolers, here’s a list of things to have on hand:

• Sharpened pencils
• Erasers
• Markers
• Crayons
• Color pencils
• Glue sticks and school glue
• Wide-ruled loose leaf paper
• Plain white paper
• Construction paper
• Ruler

I recommend keeping these supplies organized in a plastic multi-drawer storage unit. Use a label maker to designate what is stowed in each drawer. Get your kids in the habit of putting things back in the correct drawer, so there’s no searching for the missing glue stick the next time it’s needed.

If your students are older–junior high or high school–they’ll probably need some of the things listed above, too. But my veteran mom says to also keep these items on hand…unless you like running to the nearest store at 9 pm at night!

• College-ruled loose leaf paper
• Graph paper
• Pens
• Protractor
• Compass
• Graphing calculator (yes, your kid will forget theirs at school at least once)
• Plastic report covers
• Poster board
• Corrugated tri-fold display board (keeps extras on hand for that project that is due tomorrow…oh, did I forget to tell you, Mom?)
• Thumb drives (in case homework needs to be taken to school electronically)

Establish a Homework Routine

As soon as your kiddos walk through the door after school, backpacks should be emptied. You can set up a whiteboard and have each child make a list of homework that needs to be tackled. This gives both your child and you a clear picture of what needs to get done. You may also want to keep a master calendar for homework only. It’s good to notate when projects or major papers are due, so there’s no element of surprise.

If there is any paperwork that parents need to sign, initial, or read, have your children get in the habit of placing these papers in a designated “in box” as part of the daily backpack clean-out process. A magnetized in-box on the fridge, or a hanging wall file container, works well for this. Once something is signed or initialed, put it right back in your child’s backpack, so it makes its way back to school the next day. 

All kids need a little down time before slaving over homework, so give them 15-30 minutes for talking, relaxing, and snacking. You can even set a timer, so your children know exactly when homework time is to begin.

Listening to quiet, wordless music is scientifically proven to help concentration and learning. To help stimulate these benefits, you can play this music in the background throughout the house, or place a small Bluetooth speaker at each homework zone and let your child choose appropriate study music from an iPod or Smartphone. Older children might argue that they want to listen to their favorite music, but hold firm! iTunes has great playlists built specifically for optimal studying, so if you want to offer a choice, let kids choose from your pre-determined list of appropriate selections.

It’s also key to teach your children to prioritize their homework. After making the list of work to be done, ask your child which item he or she thinks is the most difficult–then have them work on that first. Leave the easiest thing for last, when tiredness might start to set in.

Does any homework require adult supervision or guidance? If so, plan what time of the evening that will take place, and which parent will be helping. If your child has some memorization to tackle, or needs to be quizzed on test questions, incorporate that into your evening duties. Quizzing can easily be done while washing dishes or folding laundry. Or Dad could help with memorization, and throw in a few multiplication questions just for fun. It changes up the routine, and helps keep kids on their toes.

Be sure to have your child “wipe out” each assignment from the white board as it’s accomplished. Just like you enjoy crossing something off your “to do” list, kids also need that sense of accomplishment that comes from wiping out their homework.

So, get ready! The school year is fast approaching, but if you get organized and arm your household with adequate supplies, a set of homework guidelines, and some pretty awesome study zones, homework won’t seem so overwhelming for your child…or for you!

Photos of girl at desk and father and son courtesy of Shutterstock.