Tau

My experience has been that poor grades are generally a result of one of two things - not understanding the material, and not doing the homework.

In our home, our kids return from school, put away their belongings and change, do their chores, do their homework, and get prepped for the next day. They can usually get all of that done in about an hour - and they aren't allowed any privileges until they complete everything.

They have a laminated checklist on a wipe board, so that they can mark their tasks off as they go.

I'm always on "standby" during that hour (or two or three, depending on how long they drag their feet) to help keep them on track, to help with homework, and to keep them from bickering with one another. Its a good time for me to indulge online - because its easy to switch from focusing on them to keeping busy during the down times while they are properly focused.

Being accessible during a structured time for homework help keeps me abreast of what troubles my kids are having in certain subjects. We can then supplement at home, do other related neat projects, and so on.

Our middle school publishes the individual grade books online - and updates it every friday. They also have a homework hotline that I can phone into when there is any confusion about what assignments there are, or what they consist of. Those have been an immeasurable help and I would find out what similar resources your school offers.

Our policy has been that as soon as a missing assignment is published on the gradebook - all privileges are removed until I get a note from the teacher that its been turned in, or the updated gradebook reflects the change. This has been a great incentive - and inspires dialogue between our kids and their teachers. (while getting those notes!)

Two of my three children are ADHD, and forgetting to bring work home, complete it, and turn it in are frequent problems. They like school, are capable of the material, but often get stuck during one step of the process - staying closely in tune with homework times has made all the difference, and as a result they are all A/B students!

Make it a family endeavor, and homework loses its sting. Put work before play, and its something to complete efficiently so that they can forge ahead with activities they are passionate about. It requires a little more of your time, but the results are fast and really positive!