Establishing good homework habits in Mathematics

Introduction

Why is Maths homework important for effective learning in Mathematics? It may be up to 4 or more days between lessons. Drop off occurs so that by the time they return to the classroom, there is nothing left in the short term memory and if there has been no practice, then there is nothing in long term memory either. We are effectively starting from scratch. The more practice, the deeper into long term memory the learning goes.

So how do you help your child/adolescent establish good homework habits for Mathematics?

Start small.

The most important thing to start with is routine, not what is done. Different teachers will give different types, frequency and amounts of homework. Different teachers have different routines for checking homework. Some won’t check at all and others will require proof at the start of every lesson. Don’t rely on what the teacher is doing to be the prompt for homework. If there is no communication from your child’s teacher and your child is saying they have no homework, CHECK in with the teacher by email. If the answer is vague, then set your own routine.

Use the planner for the term or semester as the basis or work from what you know of your child’s strengths and weaknesses. At the beginning, as I said, it is not as important what they are doing – more that they are doing something and establishing the routines. The earlier you can get this to start, the better.

Use the guide for the amount of time in the blog …

However, if your child/adolescent is not in a good routine already, start small. As little as 5 minutes can be effective if it is focussed and targeted.