Are you looking for ways to encourage students to be prepared for learning experiences? If so, keep reading.
1. Find a tutor (e.g., peer, volunteer, etc.) to work with the student at home.
2. Chart homework tasks finished.
3. Connect with parents to disseminate information about the student’s progress. The parents may reinforce the student at home for being prepared for designated learning activities at school.
4. Connect with parents or guardians to inform them of the student’s homework tasks and what they can do to help them prepare for designated learning activities.
5. Take into account the student’s capacity and ability level when expecting them to be able to study for a specific amount of time.
6. Create a learning center at school, open the last hour of each school day, where professional educators are available to help with homework.
7. Provide instructions orally and in written format to increase the likelihood of the student’s comprehension of school tasks.
8. Let logical consequences happen when the student is unprepared for designated learning activities (e.g., the student will fail a test or quiz, work not done during work time must be finished during leisure time, etc.).
9. Reinforce all measures of improvement.
10. Create an agreement with the student and their parents requiring that homework be done before more desirable learning activities at home (e.g., playing, watching television, going out for the evening, etc.).
11. Do not use homework as a punishment (i.e., homework should not be designated as a consequence of unacceptable behavior at school).
12. Designate a peer to help the student review information needed to successfully finish a school task.
13. Urge the parents to give the student a quiet, comfortable space and sufficient time to study and prepare for school tasks.
14. Urge the parents to set aside quiet time each night when the family turns off the TV, radio, etc. to read, do homework, write letters, etc.
15. Urge the student to put finished homework tasks in a designated place to be taken to school (e.g., near the door, at the bottom of the stairs, etc.).
16. Create a timeline for finishing a school task. Expect the student to meet each deadline to finish the project on time.
17. Get the student to leave appropriate learning materials at specific learning experience areas.
18. Create school task rules: • Remain on-task. • Complete assignments quietly. • Finish tasks. • Meet task expectations. • Turn in tasks. Examine rules often. Praise students for following the rules.
19. Make sure the student has learned the ideas presented at school. All homework should be a form of practice for what has been learned at school.
20. Assess the appropriateness of the task to ascertain (a) if the task is too easy, (b) if the task is too complicated, and (c) if the duration of time scheduled to finish the task is sufficient.
21. Consider using an education app to help the student sharpen their organizational skills. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.
