For a child, enrolling in a school is not only an important step towards knowledge but also a meeting with the first duties, including homework. It is difficult to get used to the new schedule of the day for a yesterday’s preschoolers – they cannot understand why they should learn uninteresting things at an uncomfortable time for them.
On average, the adaptation period for first-graders lasts about 6 months. Some pupils manage to get used to tasks earlier, while others may take a whole year. Usually, the school is ready to take this factor into account, so after the first lessons the schoolchildren leave home with new impressions and without a pile of homework assignments. At home, they can train their thinking and memory with the help of exciting “IQClub” games and not think about the challenges of a new day.
Often children cannot switch over to a new way of life, therefore they do their homework reluctantly and slowly. There is also the inclusion of manipulation – entering into the struggle with incomprehensible tasks, the first-grader tearfully calls on a compassionate mother or a busy dad to help. In turn, the parent often performs homework for the child. This makes the problem more serious – the child does not understand the meaning of the homework and does not fulfil it, whereas the struggle for excellent grades in the school diary falls on the shoulders of the parents. At best, later the child will be able to master the subject with the help of expensive tutor services.
At first, the help of the parent consists in indicating the way to solve the problem. In this case, the exclamations “you do it wrong”, “I’ll show you how” can only prevent the child from independently coping with the task arisen in front of him.
Role of homework
Both children and their parents are often interested in the role of homework. This type of independent work does not force the child to learn new material, however, it allows to consolidate the knowledge gained during the lesson. Spontaneous memorization in a quiet home environment occurs, even if the topic seemed uninteresting and unnecessary to the student during the lesson.
In the elementary school, homework has one more hidden function. The pupil bears personal responsibility for this independent work. Therefore, the homework will allow the child to become independent and serious. The basis of the homework assignment is the practical use of the gained knowledge. Therefore, it is not worth abandoning the performance of this work, even with an excellent understanding of the topic in the lesson.
Many people still remember how they scared us with the job of a janitor. However, the “IQClub” team insists: if you want to use this method now with your child, it is worthwhile to explain in detail the essence of things. Chiefs have to face complex independent tasks on a daily basis, while janitors and loaders are those who did their best to avoid complicated and independent decisions when being a child.
Completion time
Before we study the approaches to doing homework, we advise you to determine the time when the child will do the homework. Night time is suitable only for rest and relaxed viewing of evening cartoons, so the time about 2-3 hours before the child sleeps should be free of any homework.
A pupil who attends school in the first half of the day should do homework after 1-1.5 hours after school. A pupil, studying in the second shift may delay the process of doing homework for the morning.
When a child does his homework, he should be completely distracted from other duties. Both the pupil and the parent should be aware: the study is the main occupation, and you can maintain order on the table and in the closet later.
Not a minute later: restrictions for studying
Many psychologists and educators assure, basing on their professional experience: while the child is doing homework, the parent should not be urged to speed it up. Haste can result in the incorrect, incomplete and inaccurate performance of the task, and, as a result, unnecessary concern for parents. For first-graders, the concept of “fast” does not exist in a simple and understandable formulation – the pupil will master the technique of fast homework only in high school.
It is fair to remember that it is also not worth to delay with homework too much since the child will only create the appearance of intellectual activity. That’s why parents should introduce light and natural restrictions: for pupils of the first shift, the time to bed may be a limiting factor. If the child is not tired, he will hurry to deal with his homework more quickly in order to go to friends. Interesting activities – it’s a great incentive to leave behind boring homework. Creative homework can take a long time. In this case, it is worthwhile to arrange a mini-break every 25 minutes for the child.
Pupil relates more careless to the homework – he does not hurry to sit down for lessons, he is not afraid to get a “poor” grade from his mother, does not fear of his mistakes and even can look up into the “Key to exercises book” for a clue. On the one hand, such liberty allows the child to feel calm and relaxed, and on the other – the lack of strict control leads to a reduction in responsibility and concentration. If a child is often distracted from homework, he does not have time for proper rest and other things. That’s why you need to monitor how and when the child is doing homework.
Berate impossible to praise
More often, moms and dads are convinced that the upbringing of a child should be built on the principle of ” Berate impossible to praise.” Especially those who are interested in this are mothers who want to bring up a perfect and irreproachable child in all affairs. In fact, serious penalties for poor grade or error cause the pupil to feel crushed. While the team “IQClub” helps the child to train memory and copes with complex tasks more quickly, parents should prove to their pupils that a mistake is not a verdict, but a normal course of things.
In the learning process, the child should feel the full support of the parents and their willingness to help. That is why the pupil cannot be left alone with a pile of incomprehensible tasks – parents should control the time of the assignment, check the accuracy and correctness of the work.
Good grades deserve joy and sincere praise, and for bad grades, one should not crumble in accusations and insults. Parental obsession with the grades will lead the child to the idea that it is necessary to study only because of the digits, and for the sake of knowledge. A bad evaluation does not at all mean a child’s inattention and inability. The teacher can lower the grade because of poor writing, as well as inaccuracy or haste. The parent should talk with the pupil, find out the reason for the lowered grade and think about ways to improve academic performance in the future.
Planning of work
Homework should not become an unbearable task for a child or a daily torture. The parent should explain that all tasks help to learn the knowledge that will help the pupil in the future.
Every subject might be either loved or not loved, simple or complex, oral or written. It is necessary to form its own approach to the fulfilment of tasks on the basis of this classification.
We advise starting with simple, written and favourite assignments, in the course of which the child enjoys and gains strength in the fight against other, more complex work. Learning poems and reading prose should be left for later. Initially, tasks should be sorted by parents.
Difficulties in the fulfilment of individual homework tasks
Serious obstacles can prevent a child from doing homework on his own and in a timely manner.
Difficulties in the fulfilment of individual homework tasks:
- Complex multi-stage task. All students can be divided into two groups: “meteors” – choleric and sanguine persons, who grasp on the go and easily cope with any mathematical problems; unhurried – melancholic and phlegmatic persons, it is difficult to understand everything new. Both groups of students have an equal intellectual development, however, different reactions to new knowledge. If a long multi-stage task scares the child, he needs the help of the parent. In the future, the pupil will certainly master the topic and will cope with it without any problems.
- Inattention – if at some stage of the study of a topic some detail escaped the attention of the child, it is difficult for him to find a solution to the problem. Without the help of an adult, finding a lost puzzle will be very difficult for a child. Simulators for the development of memory “IQClub” will allow the child to learn the necessary information and reproduce it if necessary.
The competent influence of an adult will help a pupil get out victorious from any fight with complex and unpleasant homework.
