Teachers and therapists can scaffold improved performance by co-creating a homework plan with the child that is detailed, time-bound, and encourages parent feedback, collaboration, and accountability. Homework plans are evidenced based and highly effective. Homework plans teach the skills needed for the homework completion process by explicitly planning and reviewing performance.

An effective homework plan needs to include six components :

1. What time will you do your homework?

Some children need to take a break after school, while others work best while still in school mode. Various after-school activities, different caregivers, and shift-working parents may make a regular schedule difficult. Help develop the students’ time management and self-awareness by having them choose a homework start and end time each day until they find one that works.

2. Where will you do your homework?

Creating a homework spot can help. Talking about a distraction-free spot and trying a spot and requesting feedback the next day can improve self-awareness and self-efficacy and help the child discover what works best for them. Do they need silence, music, or some background noise? Do they need a body double ie. a parent or an adult working alongside them.

3. How long will the assignment take?

Having the child estimate the amount of time it will take to check and see if their estimate is correct helps improve task initiation and time management. Children with ADHD have substantial difficulty with time awareness. Non-preferred tasks feel like they will take much longer than they actually take. Homework can feel like it will take forever! This very concrete form of reality testing eventually wires together, reducing the perceived workload. Many adults with ADHD use this strategy.

4.What does “Done” Look Like?

Define what “done” looks like in the homework plan. When the child completes the assignment, what does done look like? Do parents check it? Do parents initial the planner? Where does the completed work go? All can make or break the homework completion cycle. In my home, homework is not done until the assignment is placed back into the folder and in the backpack by the door. Create a what does “done” look like image with the student and check the done box when it is DONE.

5. Parent Feedback

Teachers are in charge of teaching 20-30 students. When the teacher receives a completed math sheet, the child is assumed to be doing fine. Very often, that math sheet would tell a different story. We often do not find out about homework problems until a major problem has begun. A major problem that could have been solved weeks earlier.

Evidence supports that parent/ teacher collaboration increases accountability. Having the parent initial and provide feedback on the homework assignment is a quick and effective collaboration tool that can prevent serious problems. Teachers can invite feedback by asking to know how long it took, what the child needed help with, and how the parent helped the child. When children are aware that teachers and parents are partners, stress is reduced for everyone.

6. System for Review

Finally, systematically reviewing and revising the homework plan according to the child’s feedback is the key to sustainably improving performance. This will teach the child where, when, and how they learn best at home.

Homeschool Curricula

Homework Plan to Support Executive Function ADHD