Have you ever found yourself or your kid sitting in front of a page of homework for quite some time with no progress? In the year 2022, distractions abound…especially with phones and social media.
You may find yourself or your kid struggling to keep their mind from wandering during homework assignments. Luckily, there are ways to help resist distractions and increase one’s ability to focus. We compiled tips to improve homework productivity below.
How Can I Help My Child Focus?
“My son can't focus on homework.”
Parents, worry not, for your child's developing mind can still learn how to concentrate. Concentration is similar to a muscle; it needs to be continually worked on to build strength.
All kids can learn strategies and engage in practices that will help them to focus better. Even struggling students can turn it around! Here's some tips on how to focus on homework.
Set Aside a Reasonable Amount of Time for Homework
To help with distractions throughout the school year, make sure to set aside a consistent time for homework to be done. Maybe it is right after school, maybe it’s about 1 hour after arriving home from school. To take this to the next level, designate a room or table that homework will be done on.
Make sure that the TV is off and put the student’s phone in another room. This will make a big difference when it comes to them staying productive and completing their homework.
Have Planned Homework Breaks
Sometimes there are nights where students have a lot of homework. This means that time spent on homework can accumulate fast. Most kids struggle to sit down and do their homework assignments all in one sitting. Many students need to get up and move around after sitting in the same place for an hour or longer.
So after students spend an hour on homework, for example, let your kid take a study break to stretch, eat, use the bathroom, use their phone, etc. Younger children may choose to have a snack break or run around outside while older kids may just want to spend some time on their phone.
How to Finish Homework Faster?
“Work expands to fill the time available for its completion.” This is Parkinson's Law. In other words, if you give yourself all night to memorize math formulas for your quiz tomorrow, you’ll find that a 30 minute task has somehow taken your entire night to complete.
This may have students struggling to finish and turn homework in on time. Thankfully, there are good homework tips to help combat this. Here's how to get homework done quickly:
Make a List. This is an easy one! Just make a list of everything that needs to get done.
Estimate the Time Needed to Complete Each Task. Take the time to estimate the amount of time needed to finish each task on your list. Then, try shaving off 5 to 10 minutes. Keep it realistic when it comes to time management. No one becomes a speed reader overnight!
Unplug. Keep cell phones and other devices away while doing homework. The beeps and dings break concentration and slow you down.
Time Yourself. Keep an eye on the time and note how long it takes you to complete a task. Compare that to your estimated time list and make adjustments for future assignments accordingly.
Music To Help You Focus On Your Homework
Music strengthens the visual, auditory, and motor cortices of the brain. These areas are linked to language and speech skills, reading comprehension, math, problem-solving, brain organization, focus, and attention challenges. Not any song or album will do the trick though. Only certain classical music builds a bigger and better brain.
Tunes with a strong repetitive beat and no (or minimal) lyrics work best. Music can be used to improve understanding of specific subjects, such as science, the alphabet, numbers, literature, math, and U.S. history. The ABC song is a great example of this. There are many educational songs you can find online to remember a wide variety of concepts.
The following list of composers & songs were scientifically studied by renowned psychiatrist and educator Dr. Georgi Lozanov. These were found to help both adults and children concentrate and focus better.
Johann Sebastion Bach.
● Brandenburg Concertos
● Fantasia for Organ in G Major
● Fantasia in C Minor
● Prelude and Fugue in G Major
Ludwig van Beethoven
● “Emperor” Concerto for Piano, No. 5
Antonio Vivaldi
● The Four Seasons
Johannes Brahms
● Concerto for Violin, D Major, Op. 77
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
● Concerto for Violin No. 5 in A Major
● Symphony No. 29 in A Major
● Symphony No. 40 in G Minor
● Symphony No. 35 in D Major
● A Little Night Music
Joseph Haydn
● Concerto No. 1 for Violin
● Concerto No. 2 for Violin
● Symphony No. 101 (The Clock)
● Symphony No. 94 in G Major
We hope you found these homework tips and tricks helpful! Give them a try and see if it helps you or your child focus better, finish homework faster, and memorize material more easily.