Reading Assignments: Homework Help for Kids

Reading Homework Help

Minimize Distractions

When you sit down to do any homework, especially homework that involves heavy reading, you'll do better if you avoid being around anything that draws your attention away from your work. When you're distracted, you don't concentrate on the task at hand, which will often lead to mistakes. So, try to find a quiet area away from others and noises to complete your reading assignment. Reading requires you to focus, and you'll have an easier time focusing if you work in a location that's free from distractions.

Understand the Purpose of the Reading Assignment

Many students will take homework assignments home without really knowing what they're required to do. Don't let this happen to you. If you're confused about the assignment, before you leave school ask your teacher to explain it better to you. Be sure you understand not only what you need to do, but also what you're supposed to learn from doing the work. If you're unable to ask your teacher, go over the assignment with your parents or another responsible person to get help.

Take Your Time and Read to Understand

When you're doing any reading for an assignment, it's a good idea to take your time and make sure you really understand what you're reading. You'll typically read faster when you're reading for enjoyment, but you'll want to slow down when you have work to do based on the material you're reading. So, give your brain enough time to process the information, and you'll find that you're able to comprehend better.

Use a Dictionary

It's a good strategy to always try to use context clues to figure out the meaning of unfamiliar words. Another positive suggestion is to skip challenging words and read on to see if you're still able to understand the material. However, when doing homework, it's also a good idea to actually take out the dictionary and look up the definitions for new and difficult words. Since it's good practice to take your time on reading homework assignments anyway, stopping to use a dictionary shouldn't hinder your work. In fact, using the dictionary will strengthen your skills using this reference book as a research and reading tool, which will help you with future assignments.