Homework, focus & learning

Talk with your child about where they work best. Some kids need quiet; others do better with a parent nearby. Stock the spot with pencils, paper and a calendar for long projects. Earlier is usually better, since kids get slower as they get tired.

Sitting down to review assignments and estimate time helps kids learn planning. Kids who struggle with attention often underestimate how long things take, so writing times down is useful.

• Break big tasks into small chunks
• Use a timer for each chunk
• Plan short breaks between chunks
• Check off each part when done

The simplest incentive is a fun activity once homework is done. For bigger struggles, a points chart can help: points for the behavior you want, traded for rewards. Letting kids choose the order of tasks can reduce power struggles.

Tips for a reward chart

• Describe the goal in clear terms (“writes down every assignment”)
• Offer small daily rewards and a bigger weekly one
• Let your child help pick the rewards
• If penalties outweigh rewards, redesign the plan

Check in and offer help without taking over. Open questions like “What’s the first step?” teach more than giving the answer. Praise effort: “You kept going even when it got hard.”

• A basket or hook for the backpack, shoes and coat
• A checklist on the door: lunch, homework folder, gym clothes
• Pack the bag the night before, not in the morning rush
• Keep spare supplies for things that often get lost

A single planner or app where every assignment and due date goes helps kids see what’s coming. Check it together for a few minutes each day at first, then less as they get the hang of it.

Simple systems beat complicated ones. A folder for each subject and one clear “homework to hand in” folder cuts down on lost work.

1. Write the due date on a calendar.
2. List the steps together: pick a topic, research, draft, final copy.
3. Give each step its own mini due date.
4. Check one step off at a time.

• Empty the backpack and toss old papers
• Look at the week ahead in the planner
• Note tests and big due dates on the family calendar
• Check the school portal together, once a week rather than every hour

A fidget is a small object a child can squeeze, roll or press with their hands, like a stress ball, putty or a textured keychain. It can give restless hands something to do so the brain can listen.

Not all fidgets are equal. In a classroom study of young children with ADHD, spinning toys were linked to poorer attention. Quiet, simple fidgets that stay in the hand and out of sight are usually the better bet.

Making fidgets work

• Explain it’s a tool for focus or calming down, not a toy
• Choose fidgets together and try a few
• Agree on when it’s used: homework, class, long car rides
• Switch it if it distracts your child or others
• Some families use a simple “fidget agreement” with the teacher

Textured or sensory strips are stickers with a bumpy, ridged or soft surface. Stuck on the edge or underside of a desk, they let a child rub their fingers quietly without anything to drop or throw.

• Silent and stays put, so it rarely bothers classmates
• Easy to try at the homework spot first
• Ask the teacher before sticking anything on a school desk

A wiggle cushion is a round, air-filled disc with bumps that sits on a chair. It lets a child rock and shift without getting up. In a randomized study of second graders with attention difficulties, students using these cushions showed better attention to tasks than those on regular chairs.

• Try it for homework at home first
• Give it a few weeks; the novelty wears off
• Some kids find it more distracting; that’s OK

Some children concentrate better standing up. A review of classroom standing desks found they were practical and not harmful to learning, but the studies were small and didn’t clearly show better attention.

Easy ways to try it

• Let your child do homework standing at a kitchen counter
• Ask the teacher if they can stand at the back or at a high table
• Allow switching between sitting and standing

A resistance band looped around the front legs of a chair lets a child bounce or push with their feet quietly while they work. Child mental health experts mention a bouncy chair band or wiggle seat as an option for kids with attention struggles.

• Silent, and stays under the desk
• Good for kids who swing or tap their legs
• Check with the teacher before using one at school

Building bricks, blocks and magnetic tiles can make a great brain break or reward. Five minutes of building between homework chunks gives the mind a rest and something to look forward to.

How to use them

• As a reward: “Finish these 5 problems, then 5 minutes of building”
• As a calm-down activity after a hard day
• Keep them away from the work spot so they don’t become a distraction
• Use a timer so breaks have a clear end

Breaks and chances to move are among the supports recommended for kids with ADHD. Movement breaks should be active and screen-free.

Quick ideas

• 10 jumping jacks or wall push-ups
• Walk a message to the office (a teacher favorite)
• Carry books or help hand out papers
• Stretch, shake out arms, or march in place
• A lap around the yard between homework chunks

Many kids with attention struggles have trouble sensing how much time has passed. Task timers help them judge how long things take and signal when it’s time to switch.

• Use a timer that shows time shrinking, like a colored disc or a sand timer
• Short bursts work well: 10 to 20 minutes, then a break
• Use it for getting ready in the morning too
• Give a warning before switching tasks: “5 minutes left”

Some kids are easily pulled off task by noise. Ear defenders, noise-reducing headphones or steady white or brown noise can block distractions during homework or tests. For other children, background sound gets in the way.

• Great for homework in a busy house
• Ask if they can be used during tests or quiet work at school
• Make sure your child can still hear instructions and alarms

Teachers can watch what helps or distracts each student. Clear rules, quick praise and daily notes between home and school (sometimes called a daily report card) are among the supports with the most backing for ADHD.

• Share what works at home
• Ask if tools can be written into a 504 plan or IEP
• Ask about an OT assessment if sensory or movement needs seem big
• Review every few weeks: keep what helps, drop what doesn’t

What can help

• Ear defenders or headphones for loud places
• Tag-free, soft clothes for school days
• A quiet corner or pass to step out when it gets too much
• Warning before fire drills or assemblies when possible
• Arriving a bit early, before halls get crowded

Some kids who look hyperactive are really searching for sensory input. Giving them safe, planned ways to get it can help them settle.

Ideas

• Heavy work: carrying books, pushing a cart, wall push-ups
• A wiggle cushion or chair band
• Crunchy snacks or a chewy item if the school allows
• Active play before homework

Occupational therapists are often the first people called when sensory or motor skills seem to be getting in the way. Schools can include OT in an IEP when a child qualifies.

An evaluation may include observations, interviews, school reports, educational tests and a psychological assessment. Schools identify learning disabilities under IDEA, and parents can formally request testing.

Kids who struggle with learning often feel ashamed or “dumb”. Naming their strengths, praising effort and explaining that many people learn differently helps protect their self-esteem.

• Find one thing they shine at and make room for it
• Read aloud to them, even when they’re older
• Celebrate small progress, not just test scores
• Share stories of adults who learned differently

Early support, school accommodations and a team that may include teachers, psychologists and therapists can help children adapt and make progress, even though learning differences are lifelong.

In tiered support, all students get good teaching, some get extra help in small groups, and a few get more intensive help. Ask what tier your child is in, what the help looks like and how progress is measured.

• Breaks and chances to move
• Clear expectations and quick praise
• Extra warnings before changes in routine
• Fewer distractions nearby
• Shorter assignments, checked so your child understands them
• Choices in how to show what they know, like an oral report instead of an essay

A daily report card, a short note on two or three goals sent home each day, is among the classroom supports with the most backing for children with ADHD. Small rewards at home for good days make it work.

If your child keeps struggling despite extra help, write to the school asking for an evaluation. Keep work samples and notes on what you see at home.

Praise their work and effort, and celebrate success by displaying good work at home or sharing it with relatives.

Things to say

• “I can see you worked really hard on this.”
• “That was a smart way to figure it out.”
• “You can do hard things. Let’s find the first step.”
• “You didn’t give up, even when it was frustrating.”

Learning differences have nothing to do with intelligence. The brain simply works differently, and the right help lets many kids learn as well as their peers.

Words you might use

• “Everyone’s brain learns in its own way. Yours is great at ___ and needs a bit of help with ___.”
• “Getting help is like wearing glasses. It helps you show what you know.”

Kids learn by thinking for themselves and making mistakes. Let them see you get things wrong, stay calm and try again.

• Say out loud how you fix your own mistakes
• Avoid comparing them with siblings or classmates
• Celebrate small progress, not just test scores

A child who struggles in class still needs places to feel capable: sport, art, music, building, caring for animals. Don’t take these away as a punishment for poor grades.

Groups for parents of children with ADHD, learning differences or special education needs can help you learn your child’s rights and feel less alone. CHADD has local groups and education-rights resources.

Nearly 100 Parent Training and Information Centers and Community Parent Resource Centers help families of children with disabilities, from birth to age 26, across the U.S. and its territories.

• Ask how others handled the same struggle
• Bring a parent friend to school meetings for support
• Form a small homework group with a few classmates
• Share tools that worked, and ones that didn’t

Many public libraries offer quiet study spaces, audiobooks and homework help. Ask the school counselor about free tutoring or after-school programs.