3 Simple Homework Tips for Parents

Some ABA tips for promoting independence during homework and other structured learning times

Below are some quick tips to help you navigate homework time and create a space within your home that promotes independence and learning for your kids.

Setting the learner up for success 

Manipulating the environment around you can create different learning opportunities. If we expect the kids to stay focused (for at least 10 minutes!) it’s helpful to rearrange your designated learning space. Have a specific place or spot for each learner, that way no one is invading one another’s learning space. Nobody likes a space invader! An idea to consider is sectioning off a piece of your kitchen table. You can tape off areas of the table and have a set spot for each child to work. You might want to consider temporarily removing any items in the environment that might be too distracting or overwhelming. If your kiddo loves their toy trucks and they are always in the living room area, you might want to move those fun little toys to their room or behind a barrier that they can’t see while they are expected to complete their homework. Don’t worry, as soon as they complete their assignments, they can earn those fun little trucks right back! If you have the space, you can create individual learning stations all throughout your house, and this can be the space each child goes to in order to complete their daily homework. Do your kids like being crafty? Another fun idea to make their learning station more welcoming is to have the kids decorate a special name poster for their learning station. You can also put out their favorite snack or juice box while they are completing their work. In ABA we refer to this as a pairing!        

Create a visual schedule

Creating a visual schedule of tasks to be completed each day is an easy to implement trick that works for kids of all ages-works great for adults too! Get the kids involved and have them help you come up with what their schedule will look like. This is especially helpful for the older kiddos as it gives them an opportunity to have some “control” over the sequence of events. Choice is a powerful reinforcer! The visual schedules can be made on white boards, construction paper and crayons, or if you're feeling fancy you can print out pictures and make one on the computer. We want these schedules to be as easy as possible to implement-not to add any more unnecessary stress to your plate! You can design the schedules for the kiddos to check off their tasks, cross the tasks off the list, or put a star or smiley face next to the task once it is completed. It’s always FUN to visually see things checked off your list. Then once their tasks are complete, make sure they get a reinforcer/break time for working so hard! Let the kiddos choose what they want to earn for being a rock star and getting their tasks completed independently.

Visual schedules are a great trick for everyone to keep in their tool kit! Since the expectations are visually laid out, you can simply point them towards their schedule whenever they ask you the same question for the 100th time that day. Just remember in the beginning you will need to teach them how to follow the schedule, and this will probably take a few days to learn. The pay off in the end when they can complete it all independently is worth the initial teaching steps!

Token boards

Token boards are another fun trick to help keep the kids engaged and motivated to get their school work complete. This is also something you will need to spend a few days initially teaching how to use it, but like the visual schedule, the pay off in the end, is worth it. Token boards can be used to help your child know they are doing a great job and working hard. Make it fun and have the kiddos create the token board with you. They can add in their favorite colors and things they love to the board to make it more individualized. The idea behind the token board is that when you catch them staying on task and getting work completed you reward them with a token. Once they get to a certain number of tokens earned (you decide - do you want it to be 3, 5, or 10) then they have some reinforcement time. Examples include a break to play a fun game or activity of their choice, time outside, or a special snack. You can also use this in between each task to help build stamina and motivation to get the work done.  For example, if they have math, reading, and science work to complete, make sure they are earning tokens in between each learning activity.    

Always remember to give yourself some grace and a pat on the back for doing a great job! If everyone is having a rough day, switch up the routine and don’t feel bad about not getting all the work done. Get everyone outside for some movement, fresh air, and to reset - you can always try again later in the day. Take it one day at a time!