Homework- It Shouldn’t Be Painful
The
homework that I assign is intended to reinforce or extend what has happened
in class. Occasionally homework will be designed to preview something we
will be working on in the future.
All students are expected to neatly record assignments
in the school’s assignment notebook. As a rule, homework can be assigned
4-5 times per week, for 30-40 minutes each time. However, the amount of
time spent on homework will vary from student to student. After all, we are
all individuals. If your child becomes frustrated with a certain
assignment, please stop them! A note from
your child to me explaining the circumstances in this situation
will be greatly appreciated. I will then clarify the assignment in class.
Should a child fail to hand in the homework or forget
an assignment at home, one of two things could happen. First, I may allow
them to hand in the assignment the next day. This is usually a satisfactory
option unless it becomes a frequent problem. Second, I may ask them to
complete the assignment during recess. However, this is not an option if
the assignment required working with a workbook that was left at home. In
this case, the child may miss a portion of recess.
There may be occasions when a child’s effort on the
homework does not reflect his or her ability. In this instance, I will
point out where I was expecting more and ask the child to redo the
assignment in school or at home.
Students should be completing the daily assignments
independently. I expect that the work they pass in will be their own work.
There may be occasions when you will have to assist them in starting an
assignment, by clarifying directions or showing them some sample answers.
You may find it helpful to make use of a
large wall calendar to keep track of tests and long-term assignments.
This will assist your child in knowing when assignments are due.
Studying for tests is a perfect way to
keep involved with your child’s homework. We will be covering strategies
for successful studying in class.
Studies have documented the benefits of reading for
pleasure. In addition to the time spent on daily and long-term assignments,
I expect students to be reading independently for 20 minutes each night.