Back from school: 5 expert tips to make homework no longer a nightmare

Every evening it’s the same story: your children have homework, which sometimes (often) turns into a chore. But how can you help them as a parent? What place to take in this stage and how to motivate them? Etienne Porche, co-founder of the educational support platform Les Sherpas, recalls the 5 imperatives that can change your evenings.

Create an environment conducive to homework

The first way you can help your child complete their school work is to create or provide an environment conducive to learning. That is to say, a quiet place, without distractions, and well lit, which will allow your child to concentrate on his homework. “Make sure your child has all the materials they need to do their homework, such as books, notebooks, pens and pencils, as well as a small snack on hand: the goal is to reduce as much as possible the possibilities of loss of attention, while creating a welcoming environment conducive to concentration”, advises the expert. By creating an environment conducive to homework, you can help your child feel more comfortable and be more efficient. If your room is not suitable for studying, supervised study, your establishment’s CDI or the municipal library can also offer interesting alternatives.

Encourage their autonomy

As they age, it becomes important to help your child establish a routine for individual study at home. It would be illusory to set a precise age: it all depends on the level of maturity of your child, the amount of homework he receives, and the difficulties he encounters in certain subjects, among other factors. But emphasize this aspect and value his work alone: ​​autonomy and the fact of understanding that he works for him are essential skills to develop as early as possible.

Learn about their difficulties

To help and support your child, you still need to understand precisely the difficulties they are going through. Above all, this will give you an eye on the subjects to focus your attention on. “Simply start by asking him what his main challenge is at the moment, as well as the subject and the chapter where he is having the most difficulty? Then help him to work on these subjects precisely, by questioning him about his course, or by doing exercises with him, by being more attentive on certain points.

Also observe their behavior regarding their homework: stress, procrastination or discouragement can be revealing signs of deeper difficulties. “This diagnostic phase will allow you to better understand your child’s needs.

Don’t do his homework for him

Yes, it’s sometimes tempting! Especially when you see that your child is struggling with an assignment (and you realize that he or she is wrong!) but doing the homework for your child will not help him or her learn. On the contrary, value his mistakes as a learning opportunity: “making mistakes is completely normal and contributes to progress”. On the other hand, it is important to systematically understand the error in order to learn from it and not repeat it again.

“The right approach therefore consists rather of guiding towards the solution. Ask questions, propose a step-by-step solution method. The objective is to make your child think in order to develop his autonomy and his trust in him“,ssupports Etienne Porche.

Please feel free to provide additional assistance if necessary.

Sometimes, external academic support may be necessary, when a difficulty arises, or in preparation for an exam. In this case, it is not always necessary to persist in solving the problem as a parent (especially if time or understanding is lacking).

“A specialist in academic support has the advantage of perfectly mastering the programs and will be able to clear up any misunderstandings”, underlines the expert. “It is suitable for resolving gaps, as well as for consolidating knowledge already acquired. A one-off step that can get you out of an impasse, knowing that one hour of academic support is equivalent to 2 or 3 hours of personal work for a student: “CIt’s a real boost!” Let us also remember that academic support can also pacify relationships at home when homework time becomes a source of tension. “A role model phenomenon often occurs between the student and his mentor, which also increases motivation. An option to consider on a case-by-case basis.

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