Homework - a Key to Keeping Up and Moving Ahead
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Even if specific homework hasn't been assigned, reviewing the day's classwork regularly after school enhances retention of the learning. Retention of learning leads to a strong foundational knowledge base upon which the student builds as he advances in his studies.
It's in the doing of the math problems as homework that steps are practiced to be recalled again and again and to be built upon as learning progresses. Mind-wandering can occur while doing math problems and that often leads to unnecessary errors. Homework checking is always a good idea. Also, if a student isn't able to do the homework correctly, he will be aware of his confusion early. He will be able to ask questions about it during the next class session in order to stay on track. The sooner that the student can find out what he was doing wrong and learn the correct method, the sooner he will be ready to keep up with the next day's lesson.
It's in the reviewing of class notes and the completion of reading assignments that students more fully understand and retain the learning about historical events, geographical concepts, scientific principles and much more. Being familiar with the material under discussion in class leads to increased attention and participation. Your student might complete assigned reading without remembering what he or she read. Sometimes it’s difficult to concentrate. Writing down key ideas from each paragraph will help the student to stay on track as to what he or she is learning and the writing itself will reinforce the knowledge as well. This is also a good exercise for note taking and can prove to be a study guide too.
Since a due date of ‘a few weeks from now’ might seem like ‘forever away’ to your student, it’s a good idea to inquire regularly about projects or lengthy assignments which your student might not think to mention because they are not due immediately and he or she doesn’t consider them ‘homework’.
Talk with your student about the project and the steps which will need to be taken in order to complete it, including library visits and gathering supplies. The individual steps can then be scheduled so that the student will feel comfortable with having the assignment rather than feeling overwhelmed or avoiding the thinking about it altogether.
It’s easier to pay attention, to focus upon an individual step and to complete that step well, knowing that plans have been made for the next steps and that the project is going to be completed on time. He or she will have the satisfaction of moving along in achievable and meaningful stages, making progress toward the outcome. The ability to plan, organize and complete a long-term goal is an important skill for a student to learn. The ability to focus, to pay attention, is a time-saver and an achievement maker.
Homework problems? We’re here to help!
Lear Educational Center provides one-to-one tutoring designed to meet the individual needs of students. We interface with schools, working with the curriculum appropriate for each student. We accommodate and compensate for learning differences, helping students meet IEP and remediation goals. We also teach study skills, learning strategies and techniques which help students meet the classroom challenges of today and those of tomorrow.
