Printable Homework Charts

* Keep track of daily assignments.
This seems like a no-brainer, but having already raised 3 kids and still working on the 4th, I am amazed at the amount of times my kids will say to me, "I forgot that was due."

Well, a tool like a homework chart changes all that. By the way, if your school offers planners for your student to use, USE IT. Show your child how to use it and encourage its use every day. A planner is an excellent replacement for printable homework charts and makes many kids feel very adult, too.

* Keep track of longterm assignments.
Projects, reports, book reports...how well does your child keep up with these longterm assignments? Frankly, most kids don't and understandably so. Part of our kids' education is to learn the HOW of academics as well as the WHAT. If they don't learn this valuable lesson, YOU are the one who ends up taking ownership of the crucial project. Sound familiar?

Take your child's printable homework chart or planner and divide the longterm assignment into multiple pieces. Assign each 'piece' to a particular day, fitting in all the pieces before the assignment is due. Pay attention to other items on your child's schedule, such as busy homework days or sports' practices, so as not to overload your student on a particular day.

You may have to adjust the schedule as you go along (we often do), but nonetheless, this is an excellent way to show your student how to get the job done without having to cram it all in the night before. Works well with upcoming tests, too.

* Monitoring progress.
If you feel your student is having a difficult time with a particular subject or spending too much time (or not enough) on homework, simply jot down daily notes on your homework chart and in a short time you'll have a valuable log that will tell you the facts, not just speculation.