Cheryl Raper from Sylvan Learning Centre has these tips to make homework less of a chore:
Know your child. Learners are either visual (seeing), auditory (hearing), or haptic (doing). If you help your child work within his personal style, he'll work more effectively.
Divide homework into sections so your child can take several breaks. This can either take the form of the number of questions completed before the break (better for children who get distracted easily) or how much time the child works before a break is taken. Work together with your child to discover what's manageable. Remember, everyone is individual. Decide with your child what activity will happen during the breaks to make this a desired goal to help motivate your child.
Motivate your child by setting up a reward system. For example, deposit change in a jar when homework is complete. As soon as the jar is full, treat your child to something enjoyable.
Encourage your child to choose a classmate with whom he can study and swap reading books.
Set goals. Help your child set attainable goals for each class and help her identify what will need to be done to reach each goal.