SBCEO - From the Desk of Bill Cirone

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From the Desk of Bill Cirone

From the Desk of Bill Cirone...

February 11, 1999

Motivating teens to do homework

There are no magic wands that help a parent motivate a teen to do homework, but several practices have helped other parents in this challenging area.

First, find ways to help your teen create internal motivation. Find out what your teen's goals are, and then ask the following questions to help the teen determine how he can meet those goals:

How much time do you think you'll need to study each day?

What should your study space look like? What conditions and materials do you need to study most effectively?

What do you want the quality of your work to look like?

How can I best help you?

What method do you want to use to monitor your daily or weekly progress?

What planning help do you need? Would a calendar help?

Where will you keep completed homework?

Have your teen determine his own consequences for the following situations:

forgetting homework

deviating from the study schedule

creating careless work

obtaining homework assignments when absent

not meeting goals

With teens, encouragement is always important, so find ways to provide it whenever possible. Other techniques help with the homework issue as well:

For example, it's important to make learning a family value.

Don't argue or bargain about homework time. Simply state: I understand. It is homework time." Restate that as often as necessary.

Make yourself available for help

Don't do homework for your teen.

Make it fun whenever you can.

Help your teen organize projects with a planner

Teach time management skills

Make the teacher part of your team for success

Make sure your teen is getting enough sleep.

All these items have proved to help motivate teens to do their homework. Common sense and strong support are the keys. But remember that it is quite common for these issues to arise during the teenage years and every child is different when it comes to motivation for success. Listen with your head and your heart.

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