5 Homework Tips for Your High Schooler

High school is an important time for your child—not only because she’s preparing for the next phase of her education, but also because she’s developing important skills for her future career and life in general.

While your student might think homework is tedious, the skills and work ethic she develops now will serve her well in the future. Here are five homework tips to keep your high schooler on top of her homework.

1. Discuss Strategy

At the beginning of high school, have a discussion with your student, addressing work ethic and how homework and organization will help her achieve her goals. Read 6 Questions to Get Your High Schooler Thinking About the Future for ideas for how to approach and discuss important issues.

You should also discuss how she’ll ensure she has time for everything, develop a homework routine, study space, and other aspects of her homework plan. Check out Handling Your Homework Time-Saving Tips for more ideas.

Work together to come up with a plan for how she can juggle multiple commitments and fit homework in as well. For instance, she might want to create a to-do list each night and map out how she’ll accomplish her assignments at the beginning of each week.

2. Develop an Organization Plan

How will your child stay organized? She’ll be very busy juggling multiple commitments. Working on organization skills can help. For instance, she might use planners, calendars, and to-do lists to map out her commitments.

Homework and studying are important, but equally important is staying well and healthy. Remember to go over how your student needs sleep, exercise, and a healthy eating plan in addition to completing schoolwork as part of her organization strategy.

3. Encourage Your Student to Use Apps

Apps can make studying more fun. Here are some great tools to get your child started.

Khan Academy

This app includes tips, videos, and assignments to help your child with her schoolwork. It also has lessons for adults, so you can learn new material along with your child.

myHomework

myHomework keeps students organized, allowing them to access assignments, schedules across devices.

Socratic

Socratic scans the internet for solutions to complex problems and shows students the explanations. Keep in mind that using this app may require some oversight from parents to make sure students are actually reading the explanations and doing the work, not just looking for answers.

There are also many apps that provide reference tools to aid in homework completion, including:

• iTranslate
• Dictionary.com
• National Geographic World Atlas HD
• CalcMadeEasyFree

4. Identify Your Student’s Learning Style

Your child might be a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learner. She could also learn through a combination of these learning styles and others. However your child learns best, it’s a good idea to figure it out early on. You might take note of assignments on which she performs particularly well or discuss how she approaches studying and other homework with your student and her teachers.

Figuring how your child’s best learning styles will help guide and inform her homework and studying. For instance, flash cards might work for a visual learner, but an auditory learner might want to listen to lessons.

5. Use a Mentor or Tutor

Many students use mentors to help them get into college. Mentors can also guide them through high school and help them prioritize and develop goals. If your child needs help understanding how homework relates to their future and aspirations, a mentor can help.

In our mentorship program, mentees develop personal projects, which will help them make connections between their schoolwork and the real world and their future careers.

Preparing Your Child for the Future

Homework may feel tedious to your child, but it’s an important aspect of her high school journey. Not only will working hard and honing studying habits improve your student’s GPA, but it will also allow her to develop a strong work ethic and skills that will support her in both college and her future career.

For more advice on preparing your child for the future, read:

5 Tips to Help Your Teen Get the Most Out of High School

Essential Advice for New High School Parents

8 Important Skills to Develop Before College

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