Breaking it Down: Big Homework Projects
Did you or your child ever get overwhelmed by their homework or a big project? Today I'm talking about those big projects and how to break them down.
Projects, or a lot of homework, can be overwhelming for anyone. One of the best skills my son learned through his special education program is how to break down his homework into manageable chunks. I was amazed his first week of college as he listed off all his homework and broke down what he was going to do which day based on when it was due. I was so impressed!
So how do you do that? Let's use a research paper as an example.
Identify Steps of the Project.
The first step is to identify all the steps. Identifying the steps can work with multiple subjects as well. Breaking down each part makes it less scary. You can help your child do this. Get them to try to identify what they need to do. Ask questions to help them fill in missing pieces. Be sure your child (or you) follows the rubric or instructions provided by the teacher or professor.
Using our research paper as the example, you might identify the following steps:
Identify the general topic. This may be assigned by the teacher or professor, or you may have to pick your own. Ideally you want to pick something you care about or are interested in learning more about.
Find articles or books on the topic. The teacher or professor may have specific requirements on the types of articles or books you must use. Follow the requirements.
Finalize the topic, if needed. Sometimes the topic you picked is too narrow or too wide. You many need to better identify your topic based on your initial research. Be sure any adjustments are fine with your instructor!
Create an outline. With a research paper, or any project, create an outline. An outline provides you a map to the paper or project. Be sure to refer to the rubric so you have everything required by the teacher or professor.
Write a draft. A draft does not have to be perfect. You will edit this multiple times. It is a great starting point for the final product.
Edit the draft (I recommend at least three times). Any project or paper needs refinement and editing. Again, make sure you are following the rubric provided. Verify you are citing your sources in the way required by the instructor.
Finalize the paper or project. Finalizing the project includes completing the draft and making put all the finishing touches on it. Double check the rubric and formatting.
Hand it in! Yeah, you are done! Celebrate and hand it in!
Backward Plan.
Now that you have identified each task, you can backward plan to make the due date. Assign yourself due dates for each step. If your paper is due in six weeks you can start with the final product and estimate how much each step will take and go backwards. It may look something like this with our research project:
Week six. Review one more time, turn in final project.
Week five. Work on final edits, verifying rubric, formatting, and citations.
Week four. Edit two times, have it checked by writing center or tutor.com/military (providing rubric to those reviewing) by Friday.
Week three. Write outline and create first draft.
Week two. Read sources, finalize the topic if needed and run it by the instructor for approval.
Week one. Identify topic, find articles/sources.
Verify the Plan is Working.
On long-term projects, you want to check in that you are meeting your plan at least once a week, maybe more. Adjust it as necessary. If it is taking longer to identify the research you can adjust the timing of writing and editing the drafts. If the research is faster, move up the timeline!
Tips and Tricks.
There are lots of tips and tricks to keep organized. Find out what works for you or your child. Everyone is different. My organizational techniques did not work for any of my three children and each had their own system that worked for them!
Start with the rubric. The rubric or assignment description provided by the teacher or professor is so important as your grade is based on this rubric or description of the project. The rubric provides you exactly what you need to do!
Create calendar reminders. One way to keep on track is to create calendar reminders. This can be on a physical or electronic calendar. I tend to use both for big projects.
Create a color-coded project tracker. If you are very visual a color-coded project tracker can really help. You can color code each subject or project or step. It can help to see what needs to be done when. Again, use physical or electronic as it works for you.
Create a checklist. A checklist can be satisfying as you can physically (or electronically) check off items. It is also a quick reminder of what needs to be done.
Use your resources! Be sure to use the resources available to you. School or department tutoring or writing centers, tutor.com/military, your instructor, etc. (see that list I provided last week).
With group projects, create clear deadlines, expectations, and built-in check-ins. Group projects can be the bane of a student's existence, but by creating written expectations and deadlines as well as check-in points you can ease that pain.
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Rose Holland has served the military community for over 30 years in a variety of roles as a volunteer and family program staff. Through this work, she has seen many inequities imposed upon military families. Her passion to assist military families is driven by her own experience as a military spouse of almost 33 years and has shaped the service she provides. Rose became an activist for military families in the area of career and employment, serving as a career counselor and providing corporate and local organizations insights into the military world and helping the community understand the hidden talent pool of military families.
Rose has a BBA in Finance from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, a Master’s in Theological Studies with a focus on pastoral care from Saint Norbert College in DePere Wisconsin, and a Doctorate in Education with a focus in Educational Sustainability at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. Her dissertation project focused on military spouses in federal employment and their perceptions of perceptions of federal position during the pandemic.