TIMING IS EVERYTHING: THE IMPORTANCE OF SETTING A SCHEDULE, GRADES K-3 Developing good study habits early will help your child manage his time as his workload grows. Consistency is a key to success. Your child should have a designated homework area, such as his bedroom, the kitchen or the dining room table. Eliminate as many distractions as possible in the homework area—make sure your child knows that homework time is “No TV” time. Another way to keep things consistent is to try and set a regular dinner time. Once dinner and family discussions are over, it’s time to settle down and start homework. Because younger students don’t have as many after-school activities as older students, setting up a homework time right after school could work for your child. Younger children cannot focus for long periods of time. First-graders, for example, struggle with concentrating for more than 15 minutes on a single task. Allow your child to take breaks and consider offering rewards for finished work. Every 15 minutes of homework could be good for an extra 10 minutes of TV or play time. It is also beneficial for your child to have a long-range schedule to organize study and homework projects. You can use a large calendar to record assignments big projects. Separate each month on the wall for you and your child to see. Let your child mark down the dates of tests in one color, homework assignments in a different color and projects in another. This system will remind your child what assignments are approaching so he doesn’t leave his work for the last moment. Encouraging younger children to do their homework can be a challenge, but these tips should help lessen the struggle. A set schedule and a designated homework area will help your child stay focused and organized.