Parenting: Keep kids on task as school year ends

June 1, 2012 (WPVI) -- It's not easy to motivate your kids to do homework anytime, but it gets harder as the weather warms up and the end of school year draws near.

This is usually one of the most important times to keep your children on task. There are exams, assessment tests, year-end projects and much more that determine their grade for the whole year.

If you need a few ideas to help your school-aged child stay on point, check out Wikihow for 19 great tips to help your kids. Below are just a few:

1. Plan ahead. Do the hardest homework first and try to knock some of it out during study halls or at lunch. Don't waste the spare time you have at school.
2. Promise yourself a reward after you finish. Enjoy a special magazine, talk to a friend on the phone or go on your favorite website. Try not to make it food oriented.
3. Avoid procrastination. Do it now - don't delay or you'll get lazy.
4. Work smarter, not harder. If you're exhausted, take a break, stretch, drink water and eat fruit, go to sleep and wake up early to finish.
5. Think of the consequences: What will happen if you don't do your homework: bad grades, teachers will be disappointed in you and your parents will punish you.
6. Find a place that's not distracting. Set up a quiet area with no T.V., noisy siblings, no iPhones/iPads, plenty of light and no friends or other distractions. You'll need a table to write on or a computer.
7. Find a homework partner. Make sure this isn't one of your most fun friends who will distract you. Find someone who is quiet, focused and comfortable to work with.
8. Create your own learning method. Some students find walking helpful, others like pictures and colorful diagrams to illustrate the concepts.
9. Listen to quiet music in the background if that helps. It can be soothing and enjoyable.
10. Get teachers or others to help you if you're stumped. Don't' get really stressed. It's counterproductive.
11. Break your homework up into 15-minute chunks so that it's not overwhelming.
12. Memorize poems, lines in a play or other items right before bedtime. Your brain automatically replays what it saw last, so you will know it more quickly the next day if you "sleep on it."

Good luck keeping your children's heads in the books!
Monica

Read more Parenting Perspective blogs by visiting the Parenting Channel on 6abc.com.

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