Starting the New Year Off Right: Homework Tips to Keep On Track

It’s a new year and everywhere we look, we’re inundated with resolutions! What a perfect time to take a quick assessment of your student’s education and make a plan to start the new year off right. If you got off track before the holiday, have no fear. A few keys can help you get back on track and stay there.

First key: make a plan! To start the year off right, a parent, caregiver, or tutor can work together with a student to make a plan. Discuss the upcoming semester and months to anticipate what challenges might arise. Do you know that a science fair project or research paper is due in a month or two? It’s never too early to start planning. What assistance might the student need? Are there supplies that need to be purchased?

Second key: organization! Organization and homework are a dynamic duo. Keep a calendar at all times at school for writing important dates or meetings. At home, be sure to have a designated workspace that is free of clutter and distraction. This workspace should have the items the student will use almost every day including basic schoolwork supplies like pens and paper but also a calendar. Sometimes significant decluttering is helpful but often an afternoon of organizing and setting up a workstation suffices.

Last key: time mapping! Not every assignment is completed in one day. Break larger assignments down into smaller parts. Some students may need assistance with this task, so be ready. Once you have these more manageable tasks, assign a “due date” for them so that the student can stay on track. Then when the large assignment is due to a teacher or professor, the student can take the pieces he or she has already completed and put them together. This takes a good deal of stress out of large assignments.

If your student could benefit from a one-on-one tutor session to help get notebooks and planners organized or help with executive function or study skills, Fick Educational Services can help. A quick phone call to 610-457-2199 is all it takes to be paired with the best tutor and help your student start 2019 with a fresh, clean slate!