Homework routine for primary school kids
A homework routine turns "do your homework" into small steps a child can start on their own: get your books out, do the work, practise spelling and maths, check it, and pack your bag. Doing it at the same time and place each day means less arguing about when.
It suits primary school kids, roughly 6 to 10. Reading every day works well as a routine of its own, so there's one for that too.
What are the steps of a homework routine?
Homework
- Get Your Books OutStarting is the hardest part, and this step is easy.
- Do Your Homework
- Practise Spelling
- Practise Maths
- Check Your WorkA quick look back before it's put away.
- Pack Your BagHomework goes straight back in the bag, so it gets to school tomorrow.
Why break homework into steps?
"Do your homework" is one big, vague job. A list of small steps tells a child where to start and when they're done. The first step, getting the books out, is deliberately easy: once the books are on the table, the rest tends to follow.
Checking the work and packing the bag at the end stop the two most common problems: unfinished homework and homework left at home.
What about reading every day?
Many schools ask for daily reading. A separate routine keeps it from being squeezed out by everything else:
Reading Time
- Choose a Book
- Find a Quiet Spot
- Read for 20 Minutes
- Talk About the StoryA couple of questions about what happened, with a grown-up.
If your child's school asks for a different amount of reading, change the time in the task.
How do you adapt it by age?
- Younger kids (about 5–6): Keep only the steps that apply, like Get Your Books Out, Do Your Homework and Pack Your Bag. For reading, a grown-up can read with them, and Talk About the Story becomes the main event.
- Older kids (about 8–10): Swap Practise Spelling or Practise Maths for whatever they're working on, like times tables or a project.
- Days without homework: Use Reading Time on its own, or keep the routine and make Do Your Homework a short practice task.
How do I get my child to start their homework?
Make the first step easy: Get Your Books Out. Once the books are on the table, the rest tends to follow. Doing homework at the same time and place each day also means less arguing about when.
How long should primary school kids read each day?
Follow what your child's school asks for. The Reading Time routine in Little Streaks uses 20 minutes, and you can change it to match.
Does the routine work for younger kids?
Yes, with fewer steps. Keep only the ones that apply, like getting books out, doing the homework and packing the bag.
How does it work in Little Streaks?
Homework and Reading Time are both ready-made routines in Little Streaks. Homework starts in outer space with a rocket celebration, and Reading Time in a forest, and you can change either. Your child holds each task to tick it off, with a celebration every time, and each finished routine earns a star towards a reward you choose.
Little Streaks is a routines and rewards app for kids, for iPhone and iPad. Free to start, with up to two routines.
