Homework is an important part of speech therapy! Unfortunately some children are a little relunctant to do homework.....
Here are a few suggestions to make homework fun and enjoyable for you both.
Here are a few suggestions to make homework fun and enjoyable for you both.
- Use games. Homework needs to be fun for you both. Put some fun games aside just for therapy time. Allow your child to choose a game. Explain to your child that first you will do some 'good talking' or whatever you are working on and then play the game. With young children you may need to play a game after every 10-15 minutes but with older children you can play the game at the end of the homework. Remember to keep the games short, simple but highly motivating!
- Set up a reward system. Everyone needs incentives. Perhaps use a star/sticker chart. Place it on the fridge. With your child, decide what the reward will be and how many stars/stickers they will need to get the reward. For young children you will need to ensure the rewards come quickly otherwise they will lose confidence in the reward system. Be creative with the rewards eg. chose their favourite dinner, choose a DVD to watch, go to the park to play.
- Use token and praise. Some children, especially young children, may become frustrated when they have to do homework first before playing a game. They don't know 'when' they will get to play the game and may feel frustrated that their parent gets to choose when to play it. Instead use some tokens (eg. a peg board, blocks in a box). Explain to your child that when they get all the tokens, they then get to play the game. It is up to them to get the tokens! Explain what they need to do to get the tokens (eg. Every time you do great listening I will put a peg in). Occasionally you may even pull out a token if the child shows undesirable behaviour! Your child will learn that it is up to them as to how quickly they can play the game.
- Be Positive! Remember to talk about homework being fun! Tell family members and friends how well your child does their homework and what great work they are doing. This may not always be true but your child will hear these positive comments and may try to live up to them. Homework should be a time when you can spend time with your child and have some fun. By establishing this at a young age it may help your child to have a good attitude towards homework for school.
- Choose a good time and place to do homework. It is best to do homework in a room that has few distractions. Try to choose a time of day that suits you both. Perhaps make it part of your routine so that your child knows what to expect each day eg. carry out homework 1/2 hour before their favourite tv show or perhaps after breakfast each morning.
- Be active! Some children have difficulty sitting still for very long. Instead of using board games, perhaps use some active games as a reward. Reward your child for sitting still for 5-10 minutes by jumping on the trampoline or throwing balls in a bucket.
- Use a homework book. Put stickers in the book and encourage your child to take pride in their book. They can show their book to family, friends and even take it to preschool. Use part of the homework book as a sticker book.