How to Get Your Kids To Do Their Schoolwork: A Proven Strategy in 5 Simple Steps

Let’s talk about one of the biggest challenges in homeschooling: getting our kids to actually do their schoolwork. If you’re tired of the daily battles and endless bribes, I have some good news. There’s a better way to motivate kids to learn, and it doesn’t involve sticker charts or constant entertainment.

It’s no surprise our kids sometimes resist doing schoolwork. We live in a world that often tells us that play is good and work is bad – that work is just something we have to do but don’t want to do. When you believe these messages, it becomes really hard to figure out how to get your kids to do their schoolwork, because it feels like you’re burdening them.

But here’s the truth: work isn’t bad and it doesn’t have to be a burden. Most work involves using our brains to make life better. Real work gives our lives meaning and purpose. When we give our kids schoolwork, we’re teaching them the basic skills they’ll need to do important work in the future. That’s not a burden – it’s a gift! Let’s look at some simple ways we can help our kids feel good about doing school.

Make Sure the Work is Worth Doing

Think of each subject as a path you walk down with your child. They start as preschoolers knowing nothing about that subject. By the time they finish high school, they’ll know enough to use it in daily life or maybe even in a career. Every bit of real work moves them further down that path. The trick is walking at the right pace – not too fast, not too slow.

What Makes Something Busywork?

In regular schools, busywork often shows up when teachers need to keep some kids busy while others catch up, or when they need to fill seven hours of the school day. But here’s the good news: in homeschooling, we don’t need busywork at all! We can move at exactly the right pace for our own children.

Understanding Foundational Learning

I focus on six basic subjects that form the foundation of a strong education:

• Math
• Language
• Writing
• Literature
• Science
• History

For each of these, I ask myself: Does this new concept build on what my child already knows? Will it help them understand more complex ideas later? If the answer is yes, it’s probably worth doing.

Real-Life Example: Handwriting Practice

Let me give you a real example from our homeschool. Right now, my kids practice cursive handwriting every day. They copy famous quotations that they get to choose themselves. This isn’t busywork because they’re still developing their skills – they enjoy seeing their handwriting improve, and they learn interesting quotes along the way. But once their handwriting reaches a level we’re all happy with, continuing these daily sheets would become busywork. That’s when we’ll stop and move on to something new.

Using Curriculum as Your Guide

You might be thinking, “But how can I know enough about each subject to make these decisions?” Don’t worry – this is exactly why we use curriculum. Good curriculum designers have already figured out the logical order of concepts in each subject. They can explain why each lesson matters and how it fits into the bigger picture. Your job is to understand that bigger picture well enough to know when your child needs more practice and when they’re ready to move on.

Making Practice Meaningful

When it comes to practicing skills, look for these signs to know if it’s worthwhile:

• Your child is making progress, even if it’s slow
• The skill isn’t solid yet, but you see improvement
• Practice sessions lead to better understanding
• Your child can see their own improvement

If you’re not sure whether some of your current schoolwork might be busywork, start by looking at your curriculum’s parent guide. Try to understand how each lesson fits into the bigger picture of what you’re teaching. You might find that the work is more important than you realized, or you might discover that you can teach the same concept in a way that works better for your child.

Show Them Why It Matters

Kids are smart. They can tell when something is truly valuable versus when we’re just making them jump through hoops. But here’s something important to remember: while it helps when kids can see the value in their work, we don’t need to convince them before deciding something is worth learning. What we need is to be completely confident ourselves that what we’re teaching matters.

Making Real Connections

The best way to help kids see the value in their work isn’t through long explanations. Instead, point out moments when they’re actually using what they’ve learned. Let me share a real example from our homeschool about Shakespeare. I could have lectured my kids about Shakespeare’s importance to English literature. Instead, I started pointing out Shakespeare references in their favorite shows – from The Thundermans to DogMan! Once they saw these connections, they were much more interested in giving Shakespeare a try.

Real-Life Examples in Every Subject

Here’s how schoolwork shows up in daily life:

• Math: Calculating what they can buy with a $5 gift card at Dollarama, including sales tax
• Reading: Following directions to make something new
• Writing: Chatting with friends in Minecraft
• History: Understanding why Grandma is worried about current events

When Kids Aren’t Convinced

What if your kids still say they don’t care or there’s another way? Sometimes they’re right! With Shakespeare, for example, we have lots of options:

• Read children’s versions of the plays
• Try just one act instead of the whole play
• Watch a performance instead of reading
• Choose a different play they’re more interested in
• Wait and try again when they’re ready

Finding Value in Every Subject

If you’re struggling to show your kids why something matters, that might be a sign to pause and think deeper. All six foundational subjects (math, language, writing, literature, science, and history) are genuinely useful in real life – no exceptions! If making connections feels forced, you might need to understand the subject better yourself first. That’s okay! Another one of the big benefits of homeschooling is that we have a chance to fix gaps in our own education.

Building Trust Over Time

I make a point of showing these connections regularly, but without overdoing it. Once kids start to trust that their schoolwork has real value, they often begin spotting connections on their own. The key is building that initial trust that you won’t waste their time with pointless busy work.

Remember: motivation comes from seeing real value in the work. When kids understand how their learning connects to things they care about, they’re much more likely to engage with it willingly.

Match the Work to Their Level

Understanding “Easy+1”

Nothing kills motivation faster than work that’s too easy or too hard. I use something called the “Easy+1” rule that I learned from IEW. Think of each subject as a path you’re walking with your child. You want to take one step at a time – not giant leaps, and not tiny shuffles. Each new concept should build naturally on what they already know well. You’ll know they’re ready for the next step when they’ve got a good grasp of the current material – not perfect mastery, but enough understanding to build on.

When Kids Get “Stuck”

If your child seems stuck, try breaking down the problem to find exactly where they’re struggling. Real “stuckness” usually gets better with some help and effort. But if your child appears to “just not want to try,” consider two possibilities:

Hidden Obstacles

Sometimes resistance to work can signal:

• An undiagnosed learning difference like dyslexia or ADHD
• Physical issues with vision or hearing
• Need for specialized teaching techniques
• Need for a break from formal learning

If you’ve tried everything else and your child is still struggling, consider getting an evaluation. Kids don’t always know how to tell us what’s wrong, but their behavior often gives us clues.

Working at Different Levels

Here’s something that surprises many new homeschoolers: it’s completely normal for kids to be at different levels in different subjects! In our home, my daughter started kindergarten way ahead in math (thanks, Numberblocks!) but gradually moved to working at grade level. That’s perfectly fine – being ahead early gave us flexibility when we needed it, and being on grade level now works great for her.

Making Your Curriculum Work

Before switching to a new curriculum, try these adjustments:

• Spread lessons over more days to slow down
• Combine lessons to speed up
• Skip parts that aren’t adding value right now
• Add supplementary materials for more practice or different perspectives
• Find videos that explain concepts differently
• Take breaks when needed

Remember: no curriculum is perfect! Pick something reasonable and adapt it to fit your child. It’s better to make small adjustments to what you have than to constantly switch programs looking for the perfect fit.

When Progress Suddenly Stops

Sometimes kids hit a wall with a subject they were doing fine in before. That’s okay! You might:

• Try a different approach
• Take a break and play educational games instead
• Focus on other subjects for a while
• Come back to it when they’re ready

The beauty of homeschooling is its flexibility. You can always adjust your approach based on what your child needs right now. As long as they’re making progress over time in each subject, don’t worry too much about temporary setbacks or varying levels of achievement across different subjects.

Set Up For Success

Think about all the signals that tell kids at regular school it’s time to learn: the alarm clock, the bus ride, the school building itself, even different adults in charge. At home, we don’t naturally have these cues – a regular Tuesday morning looks just like a Saturday morning! That’s why we need to deliberately create signals that tell our kids (and ourselves) it’s time to learn.

Creating Your Learning Space

Good news: you don’t need a fancy homeschool room! While some families have dedicated school spaces, many of us successfully homeschool at the dining room table. What matters most is:

• Having one consistent place for learning
• Keeping your materials organized and accessible
• Creating a comfortable but not distracting environment
• Keeping toys in a separate space
• Having options to separate siblings when needed

Building Strong Routines

Your routine doesn’t have to mirror traditional school hours. You might start:

• Right after breakfast
• After morning chores
• In the afternoon or evening
• Whatever time works for your family

The key isn’t when you start, but that you start the same way each day. These consistent routines become powerful cues that help transition kids into a learning mindset.

Solving Common Obstacles

In our home, one simple obstacle we had to solve was sibling distraction. It turns out that bickering is more entertaining than multiplication! Our solution? A separate desk where one child can work while the other stays at the table. They’re still in the same room, but just not facing each other makes a huge difference.

Making Adjustments

Take your children’s feedback seriously when setting up your routine. If they complain about something – even if it seems minor to you – work together to find solutions. Expect to spend a few weeks figuring out what works best, especially when you’re just starting out. Then, try to stay consistent with what works.

Handling Interruptions

Life happens! Appointments, illness, and holidays will interrupt your routine. That’s okay – it’s one of the benefits of homeschooling that we can be flexible. Just pick up where you left off when you can. If you have a child who struggles with changes to routine, try to plan regular interruptions (like appointments) for specific times, like Friday afternoons.

Remember: The goal isn’t to recreate school at home. Instead, we’re creating an environment where learning is natural, enjoyable, and clearly distinct from playtime. When we get these routines right, kids start to see learning as something valuable that happens throughout their day, not just during “school time.”

Make It Fun (But Don’t Chase Entertainment!)

Here’s a truth that might surprise you: fun shouldn’t be our top priority in learning. Think of it like food – a little sugar is nice, but if our kids need everything coated in sugar to eat it, we have a problem. The same goes for learning. While we want our kids to enjoy education, we shouldn’t feel pressured to turn every lesson into entertainment.

The Real Reward

Learning that is foundational, sequential, and at the right pace is naturally engaging. Knowledge and competence are deeply rewarding on their own! When kids master a new skill or understand a new concept, that sense of achievement is more satisfying than any game we could create.

Finding the Right Balance

In our homeschool, we do enjoy plenty of games, movies, and crafts. We love wordplay and jokes too. Here’s how we balance fun with focus:

• Use humor naturally, but don’t force it
• Save games for practice and review
• Let fun support learning, not overshadow it
• Know what your kids can handle without losing focus

A Word About Social Media

Let’s be really clear about something: you should NOT feel bad if your homeschool doesn’t look Pinterest-worthy or Instagram-perfect. It’s 2025 – we’re done letting social media make us feel inadequate! Your kids don’t care about perfectly staged learning activities, and neither should you.

When Games and Songs Work Best

Games and songs are especially great for memorization, where you need lots of repetition. That’s one area where you really can’t overdo the fun factor. But not everything needs to be memorized, and not everything needs to be turned into a game.

Beyond “Fun vs. Chore”

Here’s a common misconception: that schoolwork must either be super fun or it’s automatically a chore. That’s simply not true! Work can be valuable, rewarding, and worth doing without being entertaining. When you find yourself thinking this way, try to dig deeper. What messages about work and learning are you carrying from your own past? What are you unknowingly passing on to your kids?

How to Get Your Kids to Do Their Schoolwork: The Bottom Line

Fun is great! It’s like the cherry on top of a well-planned learning experience. But don’t let the pressure to entertain distract from what really matters – giving your kids the foundational knowledge and skills they need to succeed. When learning is meaningful and connected to real life, that’s will motivate kids to learn more than any game could ever be.

What strategies have you found helpful to motivate kids to learn? Share your experiences in the comments below!