Homework Habits in Middle School Can Make or Break Students

The word "homework" conjures up feelings of dread and anxiety in many boys and girls. It gets tougher in middle school with six or seven teachers expecting their homework assignments to be successfully completed. When a student enters middle school, he establishes homework habits -- good or bad -- that carry through to high school and beyond. Although the ultimate goal is for the child to independently complete homework, if you're the parent of a middle-school student, you should provide modeling and guidance for a few weeks -- starting on day one.

Explain the Effect

As a math teacher, I demonstrated the law of averages to my students very quickly. They understood that they could score 100 percent on the first three homework assignments, which resulted in an A average to that point. They also learned that if they blew off the fourth assignment, the zero caused that stellar average to drop to a 75 percent, C.

Schedule Carefully

Decide when homework time will happen in your household and stick to it. Parents always asked if I thought it was better for a child to do homework right after school or later in the evening. There's no clear-cut answer. Try to schedule it when you're going to be home and your child won't be rushed. Consider sports or other activities that might occur throughout the year. Don't mention homework until it's time to really do it. Kids don't want to hear "Do you have any homework?" as soon as they come through the doors any more than you want a "to-do list" right after work.

Create a Productive Environment

Turn off the TV and all other distractions. While your son or daughter is doing homework, you could use that time to catch up on some reading. A child needs room to spread out his materials comfortably -- perhaps at a desk or table. The same spot should be used every day.

Enforce Best Effort

At the beginning of the year, look at your daughter's completed work. If it is shoddy and shows little effort, don't be afraid to tell her that she needs to redo it. She will soon learn that doing it correctly the first time actually saves time.

Check the Daily Planner

Schools generally sell planners or agenda books in which students are to record class objectives and homework assignments. Even if there is no homework, the student should write "no homework" in the planner for that subject. Check this every night for the first few weeks to make sure your son is writing in it and completing the required work. He'll feel good highlighting an assignment once he's finished it. When you believe your child is on the right track, bow out -- except for occasional random checks.

Monitor the Binder

Middle-school aged kids tend to toss their papers into a backpack, thinking they'll organize them later. However, "later" never comes. Help your child set up a binder that includes each subject. I actually prefer two binders: one for morning classes and one for afternoon classes. Insist that they immediately file completed homework papers into the binder -- this will become an important organizational habit that carries over to other areas.

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