Parent's Guide To Solving Homework Problems - Part 7

Determining the Problem - FOCUS/LACK OF ATTENTION

If the problem is FOCUS (your child cannot spend more than a few minutes before she loses concentration) then you will need to break the work up into 10 or 15 minutes chunks.

Place a timer on your child’s desk and ask her to come and show you what she has accomplished when it rings.

Look carefully at the amount of work completed, its neatness and quality. Comment on each aspect. Let the child know what is good and what needs to be improved.

Continue this practise until all three aspects of the work reach a level that you feel is acceptable (this could take days or weeks!). Once you have reached this goal, set the timer for a longer period of time and go through the process a second time.

Do NOT sit with your child. Do not monitor them while they are supposed to be working. Remember your goal is to develop independent work skills in your child.

NOTE: An inability to focus may be symptomatic of a bigger problem. If your child exhibits this inability with other subjects or other aspects of daily life then you need to seek the help of a specialist. The school should be the first place to begin your search.