Do you also fall under the group of parents who cannot afford their children the nest education money can buy? Well, the good news is that schooling is only part of the equation – plenty of research suggests that the secret to students’ achievement isn’t necessarily income or social status, but rather a spirit of learning, discipline and curiosity that is cultivated at home. This means that you’re in a good position to help your child thrive academically, without incurring any additional expense, purely by knowing how to encourage this.
The art of homework management
A study by Duke University in the US that reviewed more than 60 research studies on homework found that students who did their homework – especially from grades 7–12 – were far more likely to achieve. “With only rare exceptions, the relationship between the amount of homework students do and their achievement outcomes was found to be positive and statistically signi cant,” the researchers reported. So, here’s what you can do to help your children:
Get your kids to keep a homework diary
Organisational skills are critical for school performance, and a homework diary is a great asset in helping them manage their time and keep track of assignment deadlines plus test dates. It would also help to keep tabs on their academic obligations. Failing to be organised can affect performance by as much as a whole letter grade, so make sure that your child understands the importance of recording homework or assignment dates as soon as they get them. US academic adviser Grace Fleming even advises students to give their diary a name, perhaps something goofy or sentimental. Bizarre as it sounds, “you’re less likely to neglect something with a name and a strong identity”, she says.
