How to Concentrate on Your Homework

Any task that is supposed to be completed at home can be termed as homework. There are a few students who are excellent in their classwork, but face difficulty while doing their homework. This is because of a lack of concentration which also includes distractions present in the house. There are a few adjustments to be done to improve your focus on homework and obtain good grades. Let us try to find out appropriate techniques to concentrate while doing homework in order to get it done faster.

I believe once we have determined what not to do, it is easier to decide on what to do. Following are a few things you can avoid while doing homework...

• Don't sit anywhere near a television, computer or any other source of distraction. Even if they are switched off, you might just feel like switching on the television and watching it for sometime. So it's better to keep them out of sight until you are done with your homework.

• Don't get distracted by a knock at the door; it can be attended by someone else.
• Don't ever procrastinate. It will make you even more tired and stressed out which is bad. Furthermore, you won't like doing it at all and will end up wasting valuable time. Ultimately, you will regret not doing it when you had time for it.

• Never save the difficult part of your homework till the end, finish it off as early as possible. It may require more time, hence you may not be able to finish it on time. On the other hand, even if you manage to do it, you are likely to make mistakes and run into a risk of bad grades.

• Likewise, never try to do the incomplete homework between two periods or lunch break, reason being the same that you might end up doing it incorrectly, which will again affect your grades.

• Never copy stuff from others as you might get caught, and apart from that it is in no way beneficial to you.
• Lastly, do not ponder too much looking for different ways to concentrate on homework; just get it done.

Now that you are sure about what not to do, focus on what you shall do to concentrate on your homework.

• Firstly, find a quiet place free of distractions. It is said that nature increases your productivity & concentration, so arrange your desk at the side of a window that offers you the backyard view. However, make sure that there are no distractions outside.

• Secondly, keep the required materials handy so that you won't have to get up often and lose the link of whatever you are doing.

• Your posture is very important while doing homework. You should sit upright in a chair with the desk in front to allow proper blood flow throughout the body. Avoid being too comfortable (like sitting on the bed or wearing a night suit) as you can feel sleepy.
• Try to speak aloud if you are reciting anything. It will keep you focused and unaffected by the disturbance in the surroundings.

• You should plan a homework schedule and follow it honestly. If you feel stressed-out at some point and want to take an unplanned break, make a note of it in your schedule. This will help you be along the time-table, however do not overdo it. Set deadlines which will help you complete not only the work at school or college level, but throughout life too.

• Take a break in between for at least 10 minutes. This will refresh your mind and make you feel relaxed mentally as well as physically. Avoid watching television or playing games during the break, instead, listen to a few soothing music tracks. This will enhance your concentration level for the remaining homework activity.

• Eat before you begin again. Eating healthy snacks during a task will give you energy and sharpen your memory.
• Request your family members to give you privacy until the work is done.

• Finally, do not hesitate to reward yourself after completing the work because rewards are meant for appreciation of good work and motivation to continue the effort. Either do things you were longing for during the work or treat yourself at your favorite restaurant.

Parents' role comes into the picture when we consider children ranging from 1st to the 5th grade. These children need proper guidance in their homework because they are not yet capable of planning out their schedule. Apart from their ability, they live in a world of gadgets; they surf, play games, listen to music on their iPods, and what not.

With so many potential distractions, it becomes difficult for children to get away and concentrate on homework. What can parents do to deal with such a situation? I am sure all parents have some or the other way to make their children focus, however, the ways sometimes can be too rigid and your child might get frustrated.

He/she then won't feel like doing the task anymore which might bring in complications regarding his/her academic progress.

That is why here are a few tips that can be effective to make your child stay focused while doing not only homework but also any other task in life

• Firstly, if you think your child is mature enough to understand the benefits of homework, go ahead and explain it to him. This will make your task easier and your child will do the task willingly.

• Plan out a homework schedule for your child. The important thing in the schedule should be the time. Set rules for homework time to avoid disturbances during the task. Matters can be even worse in summer when other children begin their vacation at different times. It is better to be flexible in the planning, and adjust according to the changes.

• Next important thing is to do away with the distractions. As I have said earlier, the distractions have enough potential to make the child lose focus on his/her task and spend time in other less important things. You should not allow the child to get distracted by television, computer, or video games. 

• In fact, you can promise to play along once the homework is finished. However, you can allow him/her to listen to music because for some people, music is a good way to concentrate. Playing some instrumental or classical music tracks in the background can be effective.

• A reward can make a lot of difference in motivating your child to concentrate on his homework. However, it should not turn into bribing because the child may get into the habit of expecting returns for every task, which is not at all a good thing. 

• Try to avoid material rewards as they can easily turn into bribes. Instead, you can assure them of spending some quality time together. You can also make them come up with stuff they would like to do after completing their homework in the given time.

• Motivation is another important factor that can do a lot to improve your child's concentration, and praise will do the job of motivation for you. Appreciate even the smallest effort made by the child which will reinforce the motivational spirit.

These are some guidelines, which will help concentrate on your homework. Find ways to make your assignments more interesting. If you have a choice, select topics that interest you. For some more tips, you can always talk to your teacher, a counselor, or even your parents as they are capable of guiding and supporting you.