The simple secret to homework done faster and better

If I told you that your child could complete homework in less time with a higher level of accuracy, would you be interested in learning how? Interested? Keep reading and then get ready to have a sit-down talk with your child.

UTS students do so much: planning and preparing for numerous extracurriculars, exploring their own learning interests outside of school, and completing the homework required for the academically challenging UTS curriculum. With all that going on, you might think they are naturally excellent multitaskers, seamlessly shifting from one task to the next with ease or even doing multiple tasks simultaneously.  

Unfortunately, that’s not true, because multitasking is a myth. No one is good at it, because there is no such thing. We fool ourselves into thinking we can do two things at once but what we are actually doing is splitting our attention across multiple tasks without realizing that the cognitive and efficiency costs are high. Not only do our attempts to multitask lead to less productivity, they also create stress and even burnout when we try to do too much. Decades of research compiled by the American Psychological Association shows multitasking behaviour exacts such a toll that it makes everything we do actually take longer. Vital productivity is lost every time we switch tasks or try to do two things at once, and that loss compounds throughout the day, or in the case of high school students, throughout the evening when they are trying to get their homework done. 

The problem we face as parents is the highly addictive nature of smartphones and social media. A 2017 study found that even the mere presence of a smartphone reduces a person’s cognitive capability. But asking our child to put their phone away often results in pushback or vehement rationalizations as to why the phone is essential to the task at hand. It is always easier in the moment to give in, particularly when faced with the persuasive arguments of our highly capable children. But understanding that intelligence and neurodevelopment are distinct helps us recognize that the still-developing brain of our adolescents means their judgement in this matter is not particularly sound. They need us, as parents, to help them make wise decisions.

The best way for students to get more done with a higher level of accuracy is to devote their focus purely to the task at hand. Find a quiet workplace, turn off the phones, the chats and the YouTube channels. Remove all distractions. 

My daughter, Olivia, switches her iPhone into “work mode” when she needs to focus. For adolescents, an immature prefrontal cortex means that impulse control is not yet fully developed. Apps that allow them to block certain sites while studying can be helpful tools to improve focus and reduce the time spent on homework.  

I know it’s hard to ask children to disconnect when they’ve become dependent, but it’s essential that we as parents help them understand the negative impact their habit of virtual connection is having on their learning and their overall wellness. Let’s focus on the benefits of disconnecting during work periods: higher levels of accuracy, more time to do other things, less stress and the strengthening of self-control that will benefit them throughout their lives.

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