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Going to school means doing homework. Hardly anyone likes them. I didn't like it ???? And it is probably not a favorite activity for most of your children, so there are various difficult behaviors, such as whining, throwing pencils, or even cheating that nothing is being asked. Also, lots of children have a hard time concentrating, distracting them from many things, and it can take forever to complete a simple task.

 

How to help a child who has difficulty focusing on homework?

 

The first and most important thing - do not make your child do their homework immediately after returning from school. Let him have some time to rest - preferably outdoors - play on the playground, ride a bike or scooter.

 

Secondly, keep the child's room in order, especially on the desk - remove any objects that may distract them - put the toys in boxes so that nothing distracts the child. It is best to put only what the child needs to do homework on the desk. You should also remember to remove hearing distractions, so do not turn on the radio or TV, even in the next room.


Thirdly - make sure that the workplace is properly lit and that a comfortable chair is adapted to your child's height. Some children fidget a lot while sitting at the desk, rocking in the chair, and even falling off the chair while sitting. A good solution is then to put a sensory disk on the chair - it is a round inflatable pillow that provides a minimum dose of movement through balancing, but also "forces" the correct posture.
 

Another important point - if your child has a lot of work to do - don't make them do everything at once. Divide the material into smaller parts and take short (several minutes) breaks after each part. It can be jumping on the bed, rolling on the floor, pushing the wall, swinging (if you have a swing at home), or hanging from the bar. Any kind of movement will be good. It is important that you set a break for the break to avoid frustration and agree to go back to your homework after the break. It may seem that such breaks will only extend our homework time, but in practice it is often shorter. Thanks to the division of the material into smaller parts and the appropriate dose of movement, it is easier for the child to focus, and thus - works faster and more efficiently

 

While doing homework, a few more gadgets may be useful - if your child bites pencils or strings from sweatshirts or sleeves - instead of forbidding him (which is ineffective), buy special silicone pencil covers that the child will be able to bite "with impunity" or a speech therapist teether that can be hung around the neck. Biting usually results from the need to stimulate the oral area and provides proprioceptive stimuli that help regulate arousal levels. So biting can be a way for your children to calm down. Crushing or stretching of various objects also has a calming effect - so another useful gadget can be various types of crushers and stretching toys that we can give the child to play during the break between tasks.

 

 
I hope these few tricks will make it easier for some of you to do your homework with your child. Good luck and a lot of patience ????
 
 
Anna Chacińska
special educator, specialist in sensory integration