25 WAYS TO MAKE HOMEWORK EASIER ON YOU AND YOUR PARENTS FROM THE SPECIAL PROGRAMS OFFICE
-
Do
the most important homework first. Try doing your work between the
hours of 3 PM and 6 PM. Then, you can have a full evening of free time
to yourself.
- Put papers into the proper folders or binders while you are in school.
- Reread any notes you took in school earlier that day.
- As
you reread your notes, put a question mark next to the things that you
do not understand and that you have to ask questions about tomorrow.
- When
reviewing notes, read them aloud to yourself. The brain remembers
things better if it sees it, your mouth says it, and your ears hear it.
- Try to create potential test questions out of your notes.
- Get up and walk around while reviewing your notes. This increases circulation and helps you focus better.
- Get involved in a club or sport in school. This helps you build friendships and a positive attitude about school.
- Remove distractions from your study area. No ipod, TV, or computer until you have reached your goal.
- Have supplies at hand like pencils, pens, markers, calculator, etc. Running for them is only a distracter.
- Time how long you think it should take you to complete an assignment and try to beat the timer.
- As you do homework, ask yourself, “ How can this help me learn the information?”
- If you come to something and do not understand it, skip it, and try to come back to it later.
- Have a drink or snack at a study area to stay hydrated and at optimum energy levels.
- Do not forget to stretch, get up, and take a break about every 30 to 40 minutes.
- Make
a goal every night and reward yourself for reaching it. Go play some
basketball, talk on the phone for 20 minutes, IM a friend on the
computer, or watch a favorite TV show.
- Look ahead in the text to the words, pictures, captions, and summary to get an idea of what maybe coming next.
- Once
you finish your homework in a course, take the time to immediately put
it in a folder or binder so it is not lost and you know exactly where it
is to hand it to the teacher.
- If you need parental or sibling help with something, don’t be afraid to ask and don’t procrastinate about it. If a 5-week project is due tomorrow, then tonight is not the time to start to work on it.
- Use your school planner to write down work and when it is due.
- Cross
off assignments completed in the planner. Check it before you go to bed
to make sure you did everything for the next day. You get a sense of
accomplishment each time you can cross something off your list.
- Put school supplies in the book bag before you go to bed so it is ready in the morning.
- Lay out clothes and shoes the night before so you can start the day off organized.
- Get to sleep. Your brain needs to rest to work efficiently.
- School
is your most important job you have so be prepared every day to go to
your job and do well. If 25 steps is too overwhelming than try 1 or 2 at
a time for 7 to 21 days and see how it impacts your performance in
school and then try another 1 or 2 steps.