In most homes around South Africa, where there are school-going kids, the routine is the same: supper and homework. The average 15-year-old can expect between 1 and 2 hours of homework every weekday, with some weekend tasks too. While it may not be the most in the world, there is a perception that it does not really influence academic performance much.
Today’s article takes a look at how much time children should devote to homework, some homework rules for students, techniques that can help them get the most out of homework and how parents can assist.
Should there be homework rules for students? Let’s take a look!
The Amount of Time Children Should Spend Doing Homework
Almost every school-going child gets assigned homework. From the earliest grade, Grade R, learners will be taught to read, count and write. At this tender age, their homework will consist of practising those skills and doing sums.
As they progress through the grades, children will face more homework and tasks that become increasingly more complicated.
To help kids get the most out of homework, they should, in the first instance, not be allocated too much! Here are some guidelines:
In some cases, learners may get the opportunity to complete homework before they leave school.
10 Ways to Get the Most out of Homework
So, how can students ensure that they’re getting the most out of homework?
Tackling homework can be tricky, irrespective of the level you’re at, be it primary, high school or college.
Here are some guidelines to help kids get the most out of homework:
- Get organised: secure all your materials – exercise books, pencils/ pens, a maths set, textbooks, etc.
- Have some water available, as you don’t to leave your workspace in the middle of an exercise. If it’s for the sake of exercise, then sure!
- Work in a quiet space, free from distraction: no TV, computer games, cell-phone or siblings to disturb you.
- Plan to do a small amount of work every day, which will make sure that that particular day’s work is fresh in your thoughts.
- Rank your tasks: deal with the urgent, most difficult or important tasks first.
- Schedule regular, short breaks, especially when you’re having a hard time focussing. A 15 to 20-minute break after an hour of work, will help you feeling refreshed.
- Take a break between subjects. Don’t simple plough through. Your brain will be stimulated by the new topics, aiding your focus and concentration.
- Do one thing at a time: while you study for an exam, don’t simultaneously attempt homework from another subject.
- Prepare for and do longer projects over a weekend, if time allows.
- Set out all your work, in writing, to be completed for the week, as well as the weekend.
- Also, plan rewards for yourself: play a computer game or watch your favourite TV show or an episode of a series. Plan it as a treat for all the hard work you’ll put in.
Your Time Outside of School: Optimise It!
Make doing your homework and studying a habit! It’s not that easy, though. However, if you follow the steps below, you will get more out of your time and negotiate your way through your homework tasks pretty effectively.
Divide your time into three groups:
Duties
Things that you have to do: chores, shower, eat, sleep. etc.
Work
The time for doing your homework and dedicated to lessons.
Free time
Leisure, relaxation, etc. Other things that you are learning, that you can include, are dance, sport, musical instruments, etc. Watching TV, reading and playing games can also be included.
There are 168 hours in a week, of which 70 are devoted to primary duties and needs. Between 25 and 30 hours are spent at school. If you devote 2 hours per weekday and 3 hours on weekends doing homework and studying (this is quite a lot!), this will add up to about 48 hours of your week. The rest of the time is all yours.
Getting the most out of homework does not have to be a schlep. All you have to do is get organised and plan how best to utilise the time available to you. Once you have started out planning your work and time, and made a habit of it, it will start to become a routine that you start to follow, without much thought.
Too Much Homework? Here’s What to do
It really is a nightmare for kids when they come home with stacks of homework and can even become overwhelming. In many cases, it just really a matter of getting organised and deciding where to start.
- Plan ahead: Set aside 10 to 15 minutes every day to review your lessons of that day. This will help you in a massive way to remember topics covered in class.
- At the weekend: attempt to complete all of the homework assigned for the upcoming week. If you do, you won’t have anything to worry about during the week.
- Think about catch-up lessons: if you find yourself struggling, academic support can help you pick up the slack.
- Chat to your parents or teacher about what to do: If you child is battling, do not hesitate to let a teacher know. There may be a challenge in the way that they are trying to learn.
If you child is facing a serious challenge, do not hesitate to get them the assistance of a private tutor.
How to Assist Your Child with Their Schoolwork and Homework
Parents can make all the difference in terms of their child’s academic success, but helping with homework is not always easy.
Did you have to leave school in your teens to start working? Did you learn English and Afrikaans but your child is learning isiXhosa or French? Were you the one who was the problem child at school?
You may not be in a position to help them, because you do not know the subject. Every evening is the same: strange exercises that you can’t make sense of or complete. This can make trying to assist them a bit of a nightmare.
Just know that you are not alone! We have some advice to set you on a winning path:
- Organisation: Provide a space for your child to work and make sure that they have all that they need – pencils, pens, exercise books, textbooks, maths set, etc.
- Be calm and supportive: Don’t jump in and offer support, if it’s not necessary. You want to be supportive, but not an irritation.
- Provide measured support: Your function is to help your off-spring understand their lesson. Assist them to understand the instructions and what is expected of them. You must not do the homework for them!
- If it’s too difficult, get help: A parent, even one who studied a subject at high school, may not be equipped to help their child with homework. A private tutor will definitely be in a far better position to assist your child, as they may currently be teaching the specific subject themselves.
And there you go folks! These are out tips to get the most out of homework and make it easier on your child.
If you ever get to the point where you need help with schoolwork or homework, get help from one of the experienced and talented private tutors on Superprof. There you will find tutors for homework help and academic support in a host of subjects in South Africa and around the globe.
Consider carefully the way you would like to interact with a tutor. You could work with a tutor in a group, one-on-one or remotely, each option having distinct advantages and disadvantages.
One-on-one interaction, involving only the tutor and the student, will see tutorials designed to match the student’s learning style and the level at which he or she is currently learning. These tutorials are, thus, highly effective since 100% of the time is invested in assisting the learner. On the other hand, this type of interaction, generally, tends to be the most expensive, as the tutor puts in a lot of time and effort into adapting and designing lessons to suit the learner.
Online tutorials are less expensive, because tutors do not have to travel to each learner. While these kinds of sessions might not be as effective for some hands-on subjects, they are brilliant for academic subjects, revision, study skills and assistance with homework.
Great for families on a tight budget are group tutorials. With a number of students attending each lesson, the tutor won’t be able to adapt lessons to one individual, but costs will be shared amongst all in the class, making this type of tutorial more affordable for all in the group.
So, why not contact Superprof for great, professional assistance. Do your homework first, though!
Enjoyed this article? Leave a rating!
Loading...
