While most teenagers and adults understand the importance of education, homework for a child is simply not very high on the priority list. A child who is not motivated is more likely to give up, put in minimal effort and develop a negative attitude toward his schoolwork. By encouraging your child and providing a good study environment for him, you can guide him to having a motivational attitude toward his homework.

Involve yourself in your child's school life and spend some time with him while he does homework. Not only can you help him with homework questions, you can compliment and encourage him on things he accomplishes and other areas that need improvement. Although most parents believe praising and encouragement is the same, research has shown that encouragement has a bigger effect for a child's motivation, according to the Parent Institute. Words of encouragement such as, "Great job, Tommy! I can tell you spent a lot of time on the paper. It must feel good knowing you worked so hard!" has a more motivational effect with children than simply saying, "Great job."

Teach your child to set both short- and long-term goals and set a meeting time on a weekly or monthly basis to review the goals. The goals should be specific and realistic, such as, "Tim will raise his grade from a B to an A on his next report card," rather than, "Tim will do better in math next report card." Write the goals down and post them in places that your child can see them. Once he has met his goals, devise a reward system to keep him motivated.

Reward your child for doing her homework. For children, nothing is more motivating than being able to play their favorite computer game or watching their favorite television shows. Find out what your child is passionate about and use it as a motivational reward tool to get her to do her homework daily and on time.

Provide your child with a clean, studious environment in which he can do his homework. Remove any distractions, such as computers, TVs and video games. The less your child is distracted with his surroundings, the more concentrated and motivated he will be to do his homework. You can also set up a small shelf or basket on or next to the table so your child does not lose his concentration to find necessary items. Losing concentration can lead to a loss in motivation as well.