5 Homework Tips to Support Staying on Task
Simplicity is underrated. When it comes to homework (and innumerable other tasks), I keep it simple. Honestly, simple strategies are the kind that I like the most. I love to take something that I already have on hand or on file, or something easy to find and then use it to help my students feel successful. It feels like multiple wins!
When you have a student who has difficulty attending to a task, or one who experiences visual challenges, small shifts can often make a big difference!
For my child, having too much text, too many bright colors, or too many images on a page can make it challenging. It can make lining up numbers for solving problems and writing answers quite difficult. This often leads the student to make errors that could have been related to a spacing challenge or becoming distracted with where to place an answer on a page. [Aside, this is why a lot of the materials that I create may look “plain.”]
I have found using these simple strategies gives just enough support to help my students focus on one step at a time and not become overwhelmed with all of the text and graphics on a page.
So here we go!
Cut out a “window” in a sheet of white or light-colored paper.
I try to select colors in soft blue, green, or lavender colors, because they tend to be less harsh to look at while working.
2. Use graph paper to help the student organize numbers for easier problem solving. I begin with larger grids and move to smaller grids as the student feels successful. Some students can move away from it while other may still prefer to use it as a guide.
3. Use large sticky notes to move down the page as the student moves from one problem to the next. This helps them attend to the problem that they are on, and allows them to filter out other distractions on the page. It also helps with recording an answer in the correct place when moving it from scratch paper to homework paper.
4. Use a highlighting strip. These can help the learner attend to a small portion of the page rather than taking in and worrying about tackling the entire problem or page.
5. Use highlight symbols or punctuation on homework.
One of the simplest things that you can do, until the student has enough practice to recognize and apply the correct steps or punctuation, is to highlight them within problems or text. The highlighting acts as a simple reminder to pause while reading or pause and think what is needed to solve. It supports the learner in attending to the symbol in order to know how to complete the problem. It is also a gentle reminder for the learner to take a gentle pause and think about what they are reading - or perhaps to read at a pace that will help them improve their comprehension of what they are reading.
Simple steps often give big rewards. These are all strategies and ideas that I have used with my children and my own students. I hope these tips will make homework and classwork a bit easier for everyone!
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