How to motivate your child to study: homework routines, praise and school refusal

Making study time easy to start gets you further than pushing harder. To motivate your child to study, keep the same time and place each day, work in short blocks, and praise the effort more than the marks. If homework keeps running long or your child starts refusing to go to school, talk to the form teacher early.

How to motivate your child to study, step by step

1. Pick one time and one place for homework, and keep both the same every school day. The Raising Children Network says a routine helps, whether that's straight after school or after a break.
2. Switch off the TV before your child sits down, and send younger siblings to play in another room, as the Raising Children Network suggests.
3. Start with an easy task so your child gets a quick win before the harder work. The Raising Children Network says this builds confidence.
4. Work in short blocks with a stretch in between. Young children can concentrate for only about 15 minutes before they need a brief break, the Raising Children Network says.
5. Split big projects into small parts, and plan one part for each night.
6. Praise the effort and name what you saw: "You kept going on that hard sum." HPB's Parenting for Wellness advises against praising only good results.
7. Let your child own the work while you sit nearby as a coach. If you do the homework for them, the Raising Children Network says, they won't build the skills.
8. Agree together on what comes after homework, like time at the playground. HPB suggests a mix of rewards that you and your child choose.
9. Tell the form teacher early if homework often takes much longer than the school's policy, or your child doesn't understand the work.

Why praising effort works better than pressure

MOE wants children to want to learn. In a reply on mid-year exams, it said students should be driven by the value of learning and self-improvement, not narrowly by assessment outcomes. What you praise at home pushes the same way.

HPB's Parenting for Wellness says to celebrate your child's efforts, however small, rather than the final result. Praise that only comes with good marks can leave a child feeling their best isn't good enough. HPB also warns that comparing your child with others can lower their morale and make them less eager to try. MOE dropped class and level positions from the report book for a similar reason, to cut down peer comparison.

So swap "Why is this wrong?" for "Show me how you worked it out." Instead of "Your cousin got full marks", try "This one's tricky. What's your first step?" More lines to drop are in phrases not to say to kids, and how to avoid spoiling your child covers keeping rewards in proportion.

What MOE has changed about exams and homework

• There are no exams in P1 and P2. MOE removed all weighted assessments and examinations at these levels from 2019, and schools report learning with qualitative descriptors instead of marks.
• Mid-year exams are gone. MOE removed them at all remaining primary and secondary levels by 2023, though schools still run regular assessments so children can track their progress.
• The report book no longer shows class or level positions.
• Every school has its own homework policy. MOE doesn't set a national split between schoolwork and homework. Each school's policy covers how the load is monitored, and schools review it regularly.

Ask the form teacher for the policy and how long homework should take each day; our parent-teacher meeting tips have questions for that chat. Starting P1 soon? See the Primary 1 preparation checklist.

When homework becomes a fight: what may be behind it

A child who stalls day after day usually has a reason. The Raising Children Network lists the homework problems a teacher should hear about, and NUH's psychologists note that trouble with school tasks can come from developmental delays or learning difficulties.

If reading or spelling stays hard even with practice, read dyslexia signs in preschool. When focus is a problem at school as well as at home, see ADHD in children. Thinking about tuition? Our English tuition guide covers how to choose.

If your child is refusing to go to school

School refusal isn't the same as skipping school. NUH's Child Development Unit, in a guide shared by Families for Life, describes it as refusing to go or struggling to stay for the full day, usually for anxiety-based reasons. The causes it lists include separation anxiety, fear of a teacher, bullying, worry about tests, changes in the family, and preferring to stay home with the TV.

• Keep your own voice calm, because the Raising Children Network says your worry or frustration can make your child's anxiety worse.
• Find out why by asking your child to rate each part of the school day, from the school bus to recess. Younger children can point to a happy or sad face.
• Talk to the form teacher, and ask whether the school counsellor can help. NUH's guide says to keep in touch with the teacher about your child's behaviour and progress.
• Keep your child going to school while you sort out the cause. The Raising Children Network says going builds confidence, and it's easier to return after a short time away.
• Say "when" rather than "if": "When you get to school, you can show Miss Tan your drawing."
• Keep home boring in school hours, with little or no TV or video games, so a day at home isn't a treat.
• Say yes to small requests on school days, like a favourite breakfast, as NUH suggests. Children often cope better saying goodbye at home than at the school gate, so a helper, grandparent or partner could do the drop-off.

For signs of stress and worry, our child mental health guide picks up from here. Is a classmate part of the problem? Our guide to bullying in preschool covers what to say and how to escalate.

Making it work with helpers, grandparents and a small flat

Often the adult at the table after school is a helper, a grandparent or a student care teacher. The routine holds only when every adult runs it the same way. Write down the order (snack, homework, break, play), the start time and the lines you use, and ask everyone to coach rather than give answers.

A quiet corner is rare in an HDB flat, and you don't need one. The Raising Children Network says younger children often work better at the kitchen table, where you can help. Keep the tablet out of reach until homework is done, and use our screen time guide to set limits. The kids bedtime calculator shows how much sleep your child needs, and daily routine for preschoolers has sample schedules.

When to get help

Talk to the form teacher first. Book your GP or polyclinic doctor if you notice any of these:

• Homework often takes longer than your school's guideline, which the Raising Children Network says can point to a learning difficulty.
• The teacher is worried about your child's learning or concentration in class too. The Raising Children Network suggests seeing your GP, a paediatrician or a psychologist.
• Your child has struggled to attend school for at least 2 weeks, or has missed at least 25% of school over 2 weeks or more (NUH).
• School refusal disrupts your child's routines or the family's, or carries on after you've tried the steps above (NUH).
• Your child has aches and pains before school that ease once they stay home. The Raising Children Network says to get your GP to check.
• Your child threatens to hurt themselves. The Raising Children Network lists this among the signs of school refusal, so get help the same day; our child mental health guide lists who to call.

Your GP or polyclinic doctor can refer you to a paediatrician or psychologist, and the paediatrician map shows clinics near you. For school worries, start with the form teacher and school counsellor. NHG Health says school counsellors may consult and refer students to IMH's REACH team, a community mental health service for students with emotional, social or behavioural issues.

Frequently asked questions

How do I motivate my child to study in Singapore?

Keep one time and place for homework, work in short blocks, and praise the effort over the marks. MOE says removing mid-year exams moves schools towards the joy of learning and away from an over-emphasis on results. Your praise at home can do the same.

My child hates homework. What can I do?

Find the reason first. The work may be too hard or too long, or your child may be tired. Start with an easy task, take short breaks and stay nearby without taking over. If it still ends in tears, ask the form teacher where your child gets stuck.

What should I do if my child is refusing to go to school?

Stay calm, find out why, and talk to the form teacher and the school counsellor. The Raising Children Network advises keeping your child going to school while you work on the cause. If it lasts 2 weeks or more, NUH's guide says to get professional help, so see your GP or polyclinic doctor.

How much homework is normal in primary school?

MOE leaves it to each school. Every school has a homework policy and reviews the load regularly, so ask the form teacher for yours. The Raising Children Network says more homework doesn't always mean better results in primary school.

Should I reward my child for studying?

Yes, if you agree on the rewards together and they aren't only for marks. HPB suggests a mix, from your child sharing what they're proud of to points towards an outing. Keep praising the effort too.

Does my preschooler need to study at home?

MOE says preschools may send home activities, such as take-home kits, so families can extend learning and bond. Reading together builds language and communication skills, the Raising Children Network says. For more ideas, see learning activities for preschoolers and how to get your child to love reading.