Getting your child to do their homework can be a challenge, but being armed with the right information can help you win the battle and make sure your child is on track for success.
Children can be categorized into one of five homework personality traits, according to Ruth Rumack, an academic support specialist with twenty years of experience under her belt.
According to Rumack, the five categories are: the procrastinator, the perfectionist, the disorganized, the minimalist and, most concerning of all, the unmotivated.
Identifying which group your child falls into can help you ensure your child succeeds in school and ultimately gets their work done, she said.
THE PROCRASTINATOR
The procrastinator can be characterized as the child who keeps putting off their homework.
“Often procrastinators have a bit of anxiety, they’re not sure they can actually do the work,” Rumack explained to CTV’s Your Morning.
To help a procrastinator, she recommended parents set up a larger schedule so the child knows what’s coming up. That way they can prepare and break down their work into manageable pieces.
She added: “If they don’t know how to start, a good way is to set a little timer.” She explained that getting them started on something even if it’s just for 10 minutes can help give them the confidence to continue with the project.
THE PERFECTIONIST
The archetype of perfectionist is often someone who gets bogged down in the little details.
This type is also grounded in anxiety, according to Rumack. “They have very high expectations of themselves,” she explained.
To help a perfectionist with their homework, Rumack finds it helpful to have an “80 per cent rule”.
For example if they have a writing assignment they can write it out to the best of their ability immediately and then later revisit the smaller areas such as spelling and grammar.
“It’s also helpful to ‘scribe’ for your child,” said Rumack, explaining that getting them to talk about their ideas while you write it down can help boost their confidence.
THE DISORGANIZED
Being chaotic and forgetful are often characteristics of the disorganized child.
“If you have a disorganized child it’s good to be in touch with the teacher,” she suggested, adding that calendars are good for time management. She also suggested if the child is older they can take pictures of the homework board – if the teacher allows— at school, as it can be helpful for remembering everything that needs to be done.
THE MINIMALIST
The minimalist child is one who races to get their homework done and does the bare minimum.
Rumack suggested a checklist to help review their assignment and make sure they met the criteria. For example, for writing assignments, consider a checklist encouraging them to remember double-checking their work for capital letters and periods.
She also advised encouraging them to take a second pass at their work. For example: “I really like your idea here. Can we expand it a little?”
THE UNMOTIVATED
The unmotivated child is one who simply doesn’t have the will to do their homework.
“It’s important to get at the bottom of it,” said Rumack. “Usually a child will do well if they can do well, and if there’s something else going on it’s important for the parent to know.”
Characteristics don’t remain static over a child’s life but Rumack told CTV’s Your Morning that “it’s something that we want to encourage growth [in].”
