by CHARLOTTE WINKEIRMANN
Does your child put off starting a paper or assignment until the last minute? Do you often find him (or her) up late, slaving away to finish an assignment the night before it’s due? You may feel helpless watching your child endure the pangs of looming deadlines. Unfortunately, there is no easy solution. You can’t do the work for him, but your support, encouragement and understanding is important. There are steps you can start now to guide him towards success and ease some of your anxiety.
Step one: Build good study habits and make study time a priority
Step two: Start with familiar assignments
Most assignments your child is given probably resemble work he’s done before. He can estimate how long it will take, based on past experience. It can be helpful to break assignments down into small pieces. Assist in creating a concrete plan of when he will work on what. Set up a timeline. It’s a good idea to give them more time than he thinks he needs in case something unexpectedly takes longer.
Step three: New Assignments
In the case of a new or unusual assignment, your child should try to compare it to other assignments. For example, if he’s never written a lengthy essay before, he can assume each five pages of his 20-page paper will require about the same time. He should schedule in extra time to tie each part of the essay together. If your child just doesn’t know how to get started, above all, do not allow him to put it off until later. He should start early and try not to judge himself. The laws of physics apply to tackling schoolwork as well: a body that’s in motion tends to stay in motion. If a child just begins writing anything, something will happen.
Step four: Take Short Breaks
Periodic breaks will keep him going. It’s important for to rest him eyes, keep his blood flowing, and relax mentally. Sometimes a quick break will get those “creative juices” flowing again.
Step five: Learn from Experience
If some part of the assignment takes longer than he expected, your child should be sure to schedule more time to accomplish it when the next assignment rolls around. If he finds a particular book, person, or idea helps him complete an assignment once, he should keep that resource for future. If your child is having trouble, he should be sure to talk to his teacher about tutorial sessions and when they are offered. Your child’s teacher or school counselor may also be able to recommend tutors to help him with tough subjects or assignments.
Step six: Beyond School-Work Stress
When students are going through difficult times outside the classroom, it can affect their powers of concentration and motivation to work. If your child is having problems that may be affecting his performance in school, be sure to seek help. Your school counselor is a good place to start.
