child studying
IN PHOTO. In a survey conducted in 2008 by the Education Sector, 69 percent of teachers agreed with the statement that tenure is "just a formality — it has very little to do with whether a teacher is good or not." Reuters/ Jim Young

Many parents can successfully train their children to become self-sufficient with schoolwork. Your lessons can start at an early age and should begin in your own home. Showing examples and having a positive attitude will help encourage your child to gain independence. Here are some tried-and-proven tips on how to teach your child self-sufficiency in school.

1. Assign tasks. AcademicInnovations.com recommends that you assign tasks that suit your child’s age. Assign minor tasks at home will help hone your child’s developmental skills and also inspire him to exercise responsibility at a young age. For example, teach your child how to pack his things for school the next day or to arrange his books in his room. These small tasks will encourage him to be more responsible in his schoolwork.

2. Let him do things himself. Let your child do his own homework and projects but offer some help when needed. Also review your child’s work every now and then. Your objective as a parent is to monitor your child’s schoolwork and not to do it yourself. Be patient and allow your child to explore his creative skills and intelligence by letting him do the tasks independently.

3. Set up study time. You should teach your child to study independently at a young age. Provide a few pages for him to read or leave him alone on his study desk so he can do schoolwork on his own. Tell your child that you will be letting him do the schoolwork himself for a fixed number of minutes. Return afterwards to offer help or review your kid’s progress.

4. Make it interesting. Scilearn.com suggests that you use games and offer rewards to motivate your child to do schoolwork independently. You may also offer game breaks or a snack period after several minutes. Your child can learn the difference between study time and playtime and focus more on his schoolwork independently when necessary.

Prepare a quiet space for your child to do his schoolwork and study on his own. Provide him with the necessary materials and offer guidance throughout. Praise your child for being self-sufficient and add more tasks as he progresses. Not all parents have the time to sit with their kids to do schoolwork. By teaching kids to become accountable for their own work, with regular monitoring, of course, households raise decisive, independent and strong-willed individuals.