<!–

–><!–

–>

What We Need To Know | Resources

All Stories

<!–

–>

Comment

Print this Story | E-Mail this Story

<!–a href="#" target="_blank"></a–>

For teenagers, there’s a lot going on after school: e-mails, instant messaging, blogs, television, iPods and talking on the phone… all while they’re trying to do their homework. The question is: does multi-tasking really work, or are teens fooling themselves?

Some kids apparently can’t just sit down and do their homework – and focus on nothing else.

“Well, I’m writing an essay about the American and French revolutions,” says 15-year-old Luke Leavitt, “and I’m checking my e-mail and my MySpace [account] at the same time – and listening to my music.”

And while some kids like Luke say they can handle all these things at once, experts disagree.

“Studies have shown that, when the children are watching TV while doing their homework, and they pick up their heads to watch a part of the program, they lose their focus on their homework and they start paying more attention to the television set,” says Bonnie Cohen-Greenberg, director of BCG Learning Center.

And, she says, losing focus means kids won’t remember what they’ve studied.

“Well the problem is, if you’re not really paying attention to something, you’re not really learning it,” she says. “So it’s not going to stay in your long-term memory. Many times, children can describe what they see on TV while they’re doing their homework much easier than they can describe the type of homework assignment they had – because the TV show is a lot more engaging to them.”

In fact, many kids get so absorbed in e-mails, Internet chatting and games, they end up procrastinating on their schoolwork.

That’s often the case for 16-year-old Myles Grier.

“I think, well, I’m gonna do it later, after I get off the computer,” he admits, “but after I’m done with everything I’m so tired. So I end up going to sleep and I forget my homework. So I have to rush and do it in the morning, before class starts.”

Experts say train teens early and hold the line, even if they argue – because schoolwork is their most important job.

“Realize that homework is a priority,” says Cohen-Greenberg, “and when they are doing their homework, to only do their homework. They can certainly have breaks. And when they have breaks, take a quick break – relax, do something fun – and then get right back to it.”

What We Need To Know

• Teach good study habits at an early age. This will get your children into a routine, and will prevent many arguments down the road. (Bonnie Cohen-Greenberg, M.Ed.)




• If you need to, take away the computer, television, cell-phone or any other distractions while your kids are doing homework. (Bonnie Cohen-Greenberg, M.Ed.)




• Provide an area for your child to do their homework. Make sure that it is well lit, and with minimal distractions. (America’s Career Resource Network)




• Let your children know what is expected of them – and that schoolwork is their top priority. They will be more inclined to complete assignments and do better in school. (America’s Career Resource Network)

Resources

• National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education




• Sylvan Learning Center




• Kaiser Family Foundation: Media Multi-tasking: Changing the Amount and Nature of Young People’s Media Use

Top ˆ