We asked readers to give us their best homework tips for parents and kids

About Time

If homework takes an unreasonable amount of time, I’ll write a note. If it happens consistently, then I’ll arrange a time limit with the teacher — my child can work on homework for a certain amount of time, and then we will stop.

In Focus

Some of my kids concentrate better when using noise-canceling headphones and listening to music. It helps them filter out distractions and creates white noise for them to focus.

In the Kitchen

I let the kids work on homework at the kitchen table while I’m making dinner. I can help without interrupting my routine, and I’m on top of what they’re doing in school while also leaving the responsibility up to them. Plus, I find that when I’m around and in motion, it creates a kind of productive atmosphere in the room that keeps them moving.

On Board

We make studying a little more fun by using a whiteboard for everything. My daughter loves writing answers directly onto it instead of answering verbally and it helps her conceptualize what she knows well and what she only sort of knows.

Homework Kit

We keep a box in the family room that has everything that the kids might need for their homework: pencils, sharpeners, extra lead, markers, glue, scissors, etc. That way, they don’t spend half their homework time hunting for supplies.

Study with Savta

I have my mother do homework with the kids. She’s often bored at home, anyway, and she’s excited that the grandchildren now call her nightly. It’s a throwback to her glory years and I don’t have to deal with it. They love it, too.

You Be the Teacher

My daughter has to review Chumash every night. Instead of having her go over it on her own, I’ll ask her to teach it to me. That way, she reviews the material and we get to spend quality time together. It only takes her five minutes, so it isn’t a full-night commitment.

On Your Marks, Get Set...Go!

Homework used to feel endless, and it would be schlepped out for ages. Now, we’ve turned it into a race. I set a timer and we try to finish everything before it beeps. It keeps my first grader more focused and it makes the workload feel more doable.

On Call

For nightly Chumash review, I let my daughter do it on the phone with a friend. It makes it a lot more fun, of course, and something that she looks forward to instead of dreading. I sometimes hear them reminding each other of how the teacher explained something in class. Other times, they add commentaries they learned that they might not have remembered without learning together.

(Originally featured in Family First, Issue 933)