Helping children with their homework!

Children with ADHD often have trouble starting or finishing their homework. It’s important to treat these problems as early as possible, as they can have a detrimental effect on their school performance. Researchers have observed that, often, children with ADHD :

• forget to enter their homework
• forget to bring home the materials they need
• postpone the start of homework
• get distracted
• don’t finish their homework
• do their homework carelessly
• forget to return completed homework

In younger children, these shortcomings are commonly linked to language, memory or organization problems. As children get older, they have more and more complex homework that they have to do individually, which inevitably increases the difficulty.

To help your child with homework, try the following strategies:

• Adopt schedules and routines. Make sure your child does homework at the same time every night.
• Post visual reminders of what your child is expected to do, including checklists, a notepad and a calendar.
• Help your child record all homework assignments and due dates in a notepad or diary.
• Help your child break down important homework into simpler tasks and set deadlines for each.
• Help your child chart what he or she accomplishes each day, or find another way to monitor progress.
• Establish a reward system for completed homework, to provide your child with positive reinforcement.
• Help your child organize his or her desk or workspace. Keep school supplies in one place. Label important items.
• If your child forgets to take completed homework to school, make a scarlet file folder that he can keep in his schoolbag for his homework.

At school, your child’s teacher can apply similar strategies.

• Always distribute homework at the same time and place.
• Teach children to write down their homework in a diary.
• Give clear, appropriate instructions.
• Provide positive reinforcement for homework.

Collaboration between home and school is important. Agree on effective strategies with your child’s teacher and help your child apply them. As your child improves with these strategies and learns to complete homework, nuance the direct support you provide.