Get your children ready for back-to-school by working out a homework routine that works. After a long school break, getting the children back into a homework routine may be challenging. Here are some tips to make this task a bit easier:

• Find an area in the house and designate it as the ‘Go to School Spot’. Everything that needs to return to school should go there: books, bags and completed homework.

• After Grade II, children should use a a daybook to keep track of assignments. Teach your child to use a symbol which can be checked off when assignments are complete.

• Each item should go into their bag as soon as it’s completed. This helps your child feel a sense of accomplishment and ensures homework will return to school. It also gives them a physical separation between homework tasks.

• Create a special study spot. The designated spot doesn’t have to be a desk. It could be a sofa, the kitchen table, or their bed. The two keys are: all needed items are at arm’s reach and it’s not too close to any temptations (television, computer games, etc).

• Keep the homework area well-equipped: tape, stapler, staple remover, hole puncher, pens, pencils, markers, rulers, extra paper, plain and lined, and adequate lighting for night work, if your child will work after dinner.

• If your child has trouble with attention span and constantly asks for breaks, say “Yes, you can go as soon as you finish...,” instead of saying “No, you can’t go until...is finished.”

• Dedicate a specific time each day to do homework. For stress reduction and buffer time, it’s better to start earlier rather than later.