Where I Got the Homework Blues!

Stewart Pisecco, Ph.D.,Department of Educational Psychology University of Houston

The start of a new school year brings with it the familiar sounds of fall. You know what I am talking about:

Are you sure you don’t have homework tonight?

You know you needed your book, why didn’t you bring it home?

You don’t need to sharpen your pencil again!

You just went to the bathroom; now finish your math worksheet!

Just one more assignment…

It’s probably all coming back to you now, the familiar lyrics from that time honored family favorite, the Homework Blues. In my clinical practice, homework time is consistently identified as a source of great parental stress and family frustration. As parents, you rationally understand that students with ADHD require more academic instruction, practice, and organization than other students. Nonetheless, homework time is still likely to push your parenting buttons! Fortunately, researchers have identified a number of helpful strategies that seem to be effective in promoting homework success.

First, it is important to identify a location that is to be consistently used during homework time. This location should be negotiated with your child, have as few distractions as possible, and allow you the opportunity to supervise the student’s work. It is also recommended that students not do their homework in their rooms, since that may be a location that is difficult to supervise and sometimes full of distractions. When there are siblings, the locations should be distant enough to promote on-task behavior.

Next, develop a homework schedule and be consistent. When developing a schedule, be sure to allow for free time after school and at the end of homework time. You may also want to consult with your physician to set a time that takes advantage of prescribed medication. Also found effective in promoting homework success are time limits. That’s right, time limits. Odd concept, huh? Before doing this I recommend that you consult with your student’s teacher since they can help you to break up the homework assignments into smaller sub-units. Each sub-unit can then be assigned a specific time limit. The general rule of thumb is 3 minutes for each grade level. So a fifth grader may have time limits of 15 minutes for each sub-unit. At the end of the time limit the student moves on to the next sub-unit. This technique also provides you with an opportunity to reward your student for completing specific sub-units. Although you may worry that your child will fall behind, researchers have found that structured time limits result in students becoming more productive. It may also be wise to make this a part of the student’s educational plan. Additionally, breaks are important and should be agreed upon in advance. However, the breaks should be limited to a minute or two and scheduled to occur after the completion of specific homework sub-units.

Timers can also be used in a variety of ways. For instance, they can be helpful when keeping track of how much time is left before a break or during a break.  Although timers can be effective, it is important that they not become a distraction. If so, then place the timers outside of the student’s field of sight. Also found to be effective is the creation of a homework kit. Indeed, one of the most frequently endorsed symptoms of the ADHD diagnostic criterion is “often loses things necessary for tasks or activities”. No wonder students with ADHD have a tough time keeping track of their academic materials (e.g., pencils, paper, scissors, etc…). Consequently, by developing a homework kit, you may be able to solve the “where is my…” puzzle. Typical items in a homework kit include: pencils, paper, calculator, pencil sharpener, scissors, pens, eraser, tape, and a timer. 

Finally, use a homework assignment sheet. The homework assignment sheet lists the night’s homework for each class or the absence of homework and includes appropriate teachers’ signatures.

While the strategies described in this article may not solve all of your homework blues, they may reduce some of the chaos and stress that is all too often associated with homework time.

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