Homework anxiety is the most difficult issue for many families. Not only do the kids have anxiety about doing the homework but the parents and other adults have anxiety about having the kids get it done. What a mess! There are some things that can be done to make this issue easier.
Make sure the student really knows what the assignments are. Sometimes, students write assignments in their planners and then forget what the instructions were on how to do the work. Check to see if the teacher has left a posting on a school website or other one. If the student cannot really get started on an assignment, email or text the teacher and explain the difficulty. Tell the teacher that this assignment cannot be completed for lack of information and ask for the due date to be extended.
It helps for students to have “study buddies”. The student should have two friends in a class that can be contacted for additional information on an assignment. Encourage the student to make these contacts. The parents should connect with each other so they understand the mutual help being done. This is also extremely helpful for absences.
If the tension in the homework situation is very high, consider the option of limiting what homework and study work gets done or taking a “mental health” pass and not doing the homework at all. This is a bold step, but sometimes there is just no way the work is going to get done.
For more suggestions and information about learning look at Beth Silver’s website or contact her. Website: educationsage.net Email: bethcarolsilver@gmail.com. Phone: 310-720-0390.
Brain Based Learning 