10 Tips to Help Your Student With Homework and Studying The 2020-2021 school year might be the most diverse yet in terms of how kids and teens will be learning. Whether you’re doing online classes, homeschooling, in-person learning or some hybrid mix, we’ve got some tips to help your student with homework and studying. 1. Encourage your study to keep a planner with assignments, quizzes and tests, as well as long-term project deadlines. As a general rule, aim to complete work 3-5 day in advance so they’ll have extra time if something unexpected goes wrong (like a power outage). 2. Rather than cramming for a test the night before, encourage your student to study daily in small chunks of time; 15-20 minutes should be plenty if it’s done regularly. 3. Index cards or flash cards can help with vocabulary or math formulas. Use different colors to help your brain make connections by association for each fact. 4. Don’t allow your student to stay up all night to study. You’re better off encouraging them to get a full night’s sleep and then studying a bit more in the morning. 5. Focus on nutrition, including a mix of protein and carbs with every snack or meal. The brain needs fuel to work properly and sugar, caffeine and saturated fats can hinder learning and memory. 6. If you’re not strong enough in a particular subject to help older students, consider pairing up with another parent who is or ask for extra help from teachers during scheduled online office hours. 7. Remove all distractions during school-related sessions, including homework. This includes TVs, laptops and cell phones. Some students perform fine (or better!) with music, while others need complete silence. 8. Set smaller goals for students to help them create a sense of achievement. As a general rule, the younger the child, the smaller the goal should be. 9. Celebrate milestones. Finishing a book or project, wrapping up a semester or completing a particularly difficult chapter in a book may feel like an insurmountable task to some students. Mark the occasion with accolades! 10. Review your student’s homework nightly. Rushing through homework in order to watch a movie or get to soccer practice doesn’t indicate learning or comprehension; their focus should be on understanding the material—not just completing it.