What parent hasn’t asked, after seeing a phone or video controller in their child’s hands just before or after dinner, “Don’t you have homework?” The telltale answer is often no answer at all, just silence. Getting kids to stay on top of take-home assignments can feel like a daily tug-of-war. Procrastination, distractions, anxiety, and boredom. These are just a few of the culprits behind homework avoidance.
Granted, homework, like many other tasks in life that need to be done, isn’t skateboarding in the park, but it’s possible to crank up the fun factor. Turning after-school learning into a playful routine can boost motivation and follow-through.
For homework hacks and after-school learning tools that make getting it done a lot more fun, read on.
Why after-school learning matters
A structured and regular, yet flexible, homework routine for kids is essential. However, it also helps to remember that homework:
• Reinforces school day concepts – practice and review help lock in lessons and increase retention.
• Develops study skills and independence –kids must take ownership of their learning and develop problem-solving and time management skills.
• Prevents learning gaps – review of homework helps teachers assess their students’ comprehension and identify areas for review.
• Builds confidence when kids feel prepared – gradual mastery after persisting helps kids be able to mentally say, “No problem. I got this!” Getting assignments done on time also nurtures agency—a sense of control over outcomes.
It’s natural and necessary for kids to be focused on what’s due in this or that class tomorrow or the next day, but there is a bigger picture at play, with longer-term implications: developing good habits and practices now prepares them for responsibilities later down the road.
Homework help hacks every parent should know
If we put ourselves in our child’s shoes, we can empathize. We all know the feeling of wanting to be “done” after putting in a day’s work but then having more things to do. That’s why homework help for kids has multiple parts and pieces. For example, small details related to where and how kids work can make a big difference.
Create a homework-ready environment
• Establish a quiet, organized, well-lit study space – Clutter creates a lot of “noise” that interferes with our thinking. It tends to increase anxiety and reduce focus and productivity. Paring down frees up mental bandwidth. Appropriate lighting makes a space more cheerful and makes work more visible.
• Use bins, timers, and checklists – Bins for separate classes or projects and checklists for what needs to be done make for easy access and save time. Setting timers can help with time management and remind when a break would be a good idea.
• Include fun supplies, such as colorful pencils, stickers, and funky stationery, folders, and notebooks – Every child is different, but a sparkly pencil vs. a plain old one can make the job more fun. Try using folders and notebooks with characters from a favorite film or series. Additionally, stickers can serve as decorations or rewards.
A great space can boost enthusiasm and productivity!
Use games as study tools
Educational games for homework? It’s a real thing! Have you ever psyched yourself up for doing something you don’t want to do by making a game of it? You know, like for every room you dust, you give yourself a reward? Cueing up after-school learning activities that are fun and something children look forward to, rather than dread, can help boost homework motivation. Here are a few activities to try:
• Card games or dice challenges for spelling and math review – The Math Engaged website says, “A simple deck of traditional cards can yield countless math games for students at varying skill levels. Every game offers the flexibility to make the play easier, harder, or more complex – you get to decide!” It also points out that you can take a deck of cards pretty much anywhere. The Homeschool Compass posted “16 Math Games You Can Play with Cards or Dice.” Searching online for “spelling card games” brings up a wide variety.
• School Zone’s Math War Game Cards or Three-Letter Words Cards – Math War Addition & Subtraction Game Cards and Math War Multiplication Game Cards add a little fun competition to building foundational math skills. On the word side of the equation, beginning readers will get game-like sight word practice with Three-Letter Words Puzzle Cards or Three-Letter Words Write & Reuse Learning Cards.
• Apps that reinforce learning through play – With School Zone’s Spelling 1-2 Windows Download kids can practice more than 2,000 first- and second-grade level words. A built-in tutor adjusts the level of difficulty to support growing spelling proficiency, and parents or teachers can add custom word lists that automatically appear in the program’s games. These spelling games are also part of School Zone’s Anywhere Teacher online learning program for ages 2-8, where they appear as stand-alone games with names like Galley Gab, Musical Maritime Mix-up, and Deep Sea Scramble. Anywhere Teacher offers more than 3,000 activities, including hundreds of games, interactive worksheets, and digital books that build math, spelling, and vocabulary skills.
A few after-school activities that go beyond crossing things off a to-do list can make homework assignments feel more doable.
Break tasks into bite-sized chunks
Another thing that can make homework less formidable is to look at the next step on the path instead of the distance to the finish line. Here are two ideas:
• Give The Pomodoro Technique a try – “Pomodoro” is the Italian word for tomato, and for effective time management, this technique urges “thinking in tomatoes rather than hours.” What? It urges us to “alternate pomodoros — focused work sessions — with frequent short breaks to promote sustained concentration and stave off mental fatigue.” The website has a video, too.
• Turn long assignments into mini-goals – Even grown-ups know how overwhelming projects can feel when we don’t focus on taking them one step at a time. There’s great wisdom in the saying, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Very few things are! Charting progress and completion deadlines or goals on a calendar and crossing things off one by one can be both a tangible reminder and a gratifying progress tracker.
Break it down to keep things rolling!
Incorporate movement and breaks
Another way to boost homework motivation is to “give it a break.” Kids need breaks from their work to help refresh and reset, and kids of different ages need breaks at different intervals for different durations. They should include “brain breaks” or short activities like taking a stretch or playing a quick game. In general, preschoolers need a break or change in activity about every 10-15 minutes, while older kids can work for 20-30 minutes. Here are a few more tips:
• Give them nutritious after-school or during-homework snacks to reach for – Fresh fruits and raw veggies are good picks that fuel both body and mind.
• Take brain breaks between subjects – A few jumping jacks or stretches get the blood flowing and reset focus; a quick game or peek at a zoo or nature website to see what’s happening with the hippo (or other critter) can feel like a reward.
• Walk-and-talk review or backyard Q&A games – Go for a walk around the block or backyard or to the mailbox; work in a mini review of what your child was just working on by asking some questions. A change of scenery serves as a different kind of mental reset.
Take regular breaks to refresh and refocus.
Make homework fun by age and learning style
Everyone learns a little differently and “leans” in one direction. Three primary learning styles are visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. And using multiple senses forms more pathways in the brain for processing and storing information.
Visual Learners learn and remember best through visual aids such as pictures, diagrams, charts, and videos. For them:
• Use color-coded flash cards, diagrams, and sticky notes
• Draw vocabulary pictures or create comics
• School Zone’s Big Workbooks with 320 pages are great for hands-on learners
Auditory Learners learn best through listening and hearing information. For them:
• Read instructions or word problems aloud
• Record and replay study notes
• Use rhyming songs or memory chants
Kinesthetic Learners learn best through physical activity, movement, and hands-on experiences. For them:
• Use letter tiles, manipulatives, and move-and-spell games
• Do educational crafts or hands-on project reviews
• Turn review into a scavenger hunt
Southern New Hampshire University says, “…most people learn in different ways, and those ways can change throughout their lives. While having a general understanding of the types of learning styles that exist and how you learn best as an individual can be helpful…”, they note that taking a holistic approach is key.
School Zone products, including workbooks, flash cards, and apps and digital games, provide creative, colorful options for every learning style.
Maintain motivation without meltdowns
How to help kids engage without constant nagging is the million-dollar question, right? Here are a few tips to help make it happen:
• Celebrate effort, not just the end result
• Use “when-then” phrase (“When you finish, then we’ll play…”)
• End on a fun task or game
• Make sure to use positive language
Homework does involve work, but it doesn’t have to be a battle. It helps build study skills for elementary students but also develops specific academic skills, persistence, and responsibility. But kids will be kids, and remembering that everyone learns differently, and everyone needs rewards, breaks, and positivity can go a long way. Playing games and taking breaks are actually part of fun study tips for kids! Mixing structure with creativity leads to more independent, enthusiastic learners. Explore School Zone resources to help make homework something to look forward to.
