4 Ways to Help Older Kids with Homework

Encourage your older children to assume greater responsibility for homework.

by Stephen Soffer, Ph.D. , Thomas Power, Ph.D.

• Check with teachers and friends to make sure that he accurately records assignments and due dates.

• Develop work plans on a daily and weekly basis to include study times and deadlines for projects and papers.

• Identify places that promote good study habits. Depending on how your child works, it could be a noisy coffee shop or a quiet library.

• Name his own goals and rewards—hanging out with friends, time on the Internet, or video games.