Glen Ridge Public Schools
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Forest Avenue Primary
School Homework
Guide
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Revised: August, 2010 Deborah Fitzpatrick
Principal
INTRODUCTION
This guide is intended to provide parents with a better understanding of our school’s philosophy about homework. Reading this should provide information about homework expectations for each grade, as well as helpful hints designed to assist parents as they work with or monitor their child’s homework.
Homework for young children should help them develop good study habits, foster positive attitudes toward school, and communicate to students the idea that learning takes place at home, as well as at school. Homework can have a positive effect on character development and serve as a vital link between the school and family.
Small amounts of homework, gradually increased each year, may support improved academic achievement. The difference in test scores and grades between students who do more homework and those who do less increases as children move up through the grades. Homework assignments also keep parents informed about what children are learning in school. Individual teachers make decisions regarding homework based on their class activities and needs.
At Forest Avenue, it is our expectation that all children acquire a strong sense of responsibility and study skills through regular homework assignments. Homework expectations vary by grade level based on the developmental needs of the children. For example, homework for an early primary student (K-2) may involve a child-chosen activity such as reading a picture book or playing a board game with a parent. It may occasionally involve a teacher-assigned activity for a child and a parent to complete together. As children progress through the grades, teacher-assigned tasks will be more frequent and will take precedence over student-chosen activities. Whether homework is teacher-assigned or student-chosen, the benefit is building responsibility for learning.
Through the elementary years, homework enhances learning when assignments are meaningful and related to the curriculum. Homework assignments can offer children opportunities they may have had in school or expose them to new experiences.
FIVE PURPOSES OF HOMEWORK
Homework has different purposes. Those purposes are:
1. Practice
Children often require practice with concepts taught in the classroom in order to internalize new learning. (Daily homework.)
2. Preparation
Teachers often ask children to prepare for a classroom activity by gathering information outside of school or by bringing materials to the classroom for projects in class.
3. Extension
These assignments are designed to extend or enhance concepts taught during the classroom instruction. These assignments may require a child to apply knowledge taught in the classroom to a new situation.
4. Creative (higher order thinking skills)
Teachers often ask students to demonstrate their understanding of concepts in a variety of ways. At the conclusion of a unit of study, a teacher may provide a list of possible activities and ask students to select one (long-term projects, book reports, etc).
5. Developing responsibility
Some homework assignments are designed to be returned to school the next day, while others require an extended period of time to complete. Homework helps children develop a sense of responsibility. Please remember, it is your child’s responsibility to bring their homework home, complete it, and return it to their teacher--not Mom’s or Dad’s.
TIME EXPECTATIONS
Based on research studies, the following guidelines are developmentally appropriate and reflect a recommended amount of time to be spent on homework. Time requirements increase with maturity, reflecting the changing needs and abilities of students as they progress through school. Homework time may vary based on factors such as events at school, time of year, and teacher discretion.
Approximate
Grade Level Amount of Time per Evening*
Kindergarten 5-10 minutes
First Grade 20 minutes
Second Grade 30 minutes
(plus periodic long-term projects)
* Should your child complete assigned homework in less time than indicated, encourage activities such as independent reading, art projects, puzzles, card and board games.
Should your child consistently need an excessive amount of time (more than expected), notify your child’s teacher to discuss the situation.
Budgeting homework time is an important skill. Actual sit-down time should reflect the above approximate times.
PARENTAL ROLE IN HOMEWORK
Parents can establish good homework habits through praise, encouragement, and routine. In turn, students will develop positive attitudes about themselves and school.
The following guidelines will assist parents in helping children establish a homework routine:
• Show an interest in what your child is learning by discussing daily homework assignment and activities.
• Keep the tone positive during homework time.
• Listen attentively and show enthusiasm.
• Provide encouragement; focus on your child’s progress.
• Foster independent learning.
• Diffuse competition between siblings.
• Emphasize successes and compliment effort.
• Avoid anger or punishment. Focus on what your child learned from mistakes, not the mistakes themselves.
• Take the pressure off by asking questions that show you are interested, and not testing your child.
• Establish routines and a consistent homework time and place. This study area should be well lit, comfortable, quiet, and a place where your child can concentrate.
• Help by keeping telephone calls and other interruptions to a minimum during homework time.
• Organize necessary supplies (paper, pens, pencils, markers, crayons, scissors, tape, dictionary, wastebasket, etc.), to keep distractions to a minimum.
DEALING WITH HOMEWORK ISSUES
• Students who will be absent from school for prolonged periods due to a family vacation may request teacher suggestions no later than three (3) days before the start of the absence for activities to be completed during the student’s absence; although we strongly discourage this practice.
• Kindergarten homework activities should be part of the day’s discussion about school. Encourage your child to share activities from the kindergarten day and discuss what they have learned. Make a special time for reading and sharing books.
• Children in primary grades (Grades 1-2) may need more adult support and guidance to complete homework assignments. However, in the upper elementary grades (grades 3-4) children should be more independent. Wait until your child asks for help before providing assistance. When parents become too involved, the message is that children are not capable and that their effort is not important. It should not be necessary for you to teach any new academic concepts. Homework is a reinforcement of what has already been taught in school.
• Check to see that work has been completed. Remembering to complete homework and bringing homework assignments back to school is an important responsibility children must learn. Let children experience the consequences at school if they choose not to complete assignments. Children are made aware of consequences by their classroom teacher.
• If children are having difficulty completing an assignment, contact the teacher for suggestions.
• Expecting your child’s best effort does not hinder the development of self-esteem. In fact, if students are required to produce quality work, they develop good study habits while improving self-esteem.
• It is helpful to children who live with joint-custody parents for the parents to come to agreement about homework routines. Routines should be as similar as possible in both households.
STUDENT ABSENCE
Much of the classroom learning today occurs in a hands-on, workshop format. These experiences enable students to be actively engaged in the learning process. Given this method of teaching, it may not be possible to duplicate lessons outside of the classroom. When your child is absent for an extended period, you may contact the office or the classroom teacher directly by voicemail or e-mail to request assignments or suggestions for work to be reviewed at home. Please contact your child’s teacher to discuss your child’s absence upon their return.
GUIDELINES OR WORKING WITH YOUR CHILD ON READING SKILLS
It is important that your child experience reading every day at home. This can happen in numerous ways:
• Read aloud to your child (important in upper grades, too).
• Have your child read aloud to you.
• Take turns reading aloud.
• Have your child read alone.
• Take advantage of everyday reading opportunities other than books (e.g. signs, cereal boxes, and newspapers).
Whether children are reading aloud or independently, it is important that they read materials that are appropriate for their level of reading. If your child has difficulty reading five or more words on a given page of text, then the text may be too difficult. That book might be a great book for you to read aloud to your child.
Once you have made reading a part of your daily routine, you can help your child in developmental reading skills in two ways:
1. Reinforce strategies so your child can figure out tricky words independently.
In school children are taught strategies to help figure out tricky words independently. These strategies are important for developing independent and confident readers. You can encourage independent reading by using one or two of these strategies when your child gets stuck on a tricky word.
– Read that sentence again.
– Look at the pictures for clues.
– What would make sense?
– Does that look right?
– Read through to the period to get more clues.
– Do you see a part of the word you know?
– Skip over that word and read the rest of the sentence.
Please notice that “sound-it-out” is not one of these strategies. After unsuccessful prompts, tell the child the word.
2. Ask questions and stimulate discussion about what has been read.
Sometimes a child can read fluently and correctly, but may not comprehend the material. To encourage your child to develop good comprehension, use some of these questions to stimulate discussion and understanding:
– Why did you choose this book?
– Was there something that surprised you?
– What did you find interesting?
– What did you like or dislike about this book?
– Tell about an interesting or important character.
– Did the character learn something or change during the book?
– What did you find puzzling about the book?
– How is this book like other books you have read by that author?
– What was the author’s message?
– Was the book easy, just right, or challenging for you to read?
– Why did the author write this book?
– Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why?
– What was good about the author’s writing?
– How did the author capture your interest and pull you into the book?
– Did the book teach a lesson?
Other Helpful Ways to Encourage Good Reading at Home
• Praise your child’s attempts to figure out tricky words.
• Praise good approximations.
• Praise successes (“I liked the way you read that.” “I liked the way you fixed what was wrong by yourself.” “I liked the way you tried to work that out.” “I liked the way you went back and reread to see if you were right.”
• Read aloud to children so they can hear fluent reading.
• Stop once in a while and talk about the text.
• Point out unusual features about words (telephone: the “ph” makes an “f” sound.)
• Model good reading for your child. Read a book, read a magazine, read the newspaper.
• Make reading a fun and enjoyable experience.
GUIDELINES FOR WORKING WITH YOUR CHILD ON SPELLING SKILLS
During the early years of school, students are encouraged to express their thoughts in speaking and writing long before they know the exact mechanics of speaking or writing. In writing, this means that a child is encouraged to express his thoughts by using his knowledge of letter sounds. He is expected to record words with spelling approximations. This is called developmental “inventive” or “temporary” spelling. Meanwhile, 1st and 2nd grade classroom teachers begin guiding students towards conventional spelling by teaching spelling patterns and word families. In 2nd grade, students work on a weekly spelling list that incorporates a specific spelling pattern. Students are expected to learn to spell the words on weekly spelling lists. But more importantly, students are expected to transfer these patterns and conventional spellings to their everyday writing.
At home you can help your child with spelling skills in several ways:
1. Provide meaningful practice on weekly spelling tests.
Practice suggestions for child with parent include:
• Write the spelling words, leaving out at least one letter in each word. Give list to your child to fill in the blanks. Check answers.
• Scramble the letters in the words; then let your child unscramble them.
• Give a practice spelling test.
Practice suggestions for child include:
• Silently write the spelling words in the air using one of your fingers as a pencil.
• Type your spelling words.
• Write your words in reverse alphabetical order. Example: zebra, yellow, watch…
• Make a set of flash cards for studying words.
• Use Scrabble tiles to spell words.
• Use the following code: a red marker and a blue marker to write spelling words. Code red = vowels; blue = consonants.
2. Promote the transfer of good spelling to home writing tasks.
When your child completes a writing assignment at home, guide him through these steps to ensure the transfer of good spelling strategies to writing assignments.
• Direct your child to reread the assignment and to circle lightly each word that isn’t spelled correctly. On a separate piece of paper your child should try spelling the word three different ways. Then he will circle the one that looks the closest to the correct spelling.
• On a separate piece of paper your child should try spelling the word three different ways. Then he will circle the one that looks the closest to the correct spelling.
• For kindergartners, first graders, or second graders, you can confirm or correct your child’s best guess. Third and fourth grade students should be encouraged to check the “best guess” spelling with a dictionary.
• Direct your child to erase the misspelled word and replace it with the correct spelling. In 1st and 2nd grade, encourage developmental spelling. Children are expected to correctly spell Word Wall Words and other previously practiced phonetic skills.
• Praise your child for rereading his writing and for improving his writing by making it clearer with better spelling. For younger students it is not important every word is spelled perfectly, but certainly they should be held accountable for previously learned spelling patterns. Third and fourth graders should be writing with few spelling errors.
• Review homework and assist children editing sentences.
GUIDELINES FOR WORKING WITH YOUR CHILD ON MATH FACTS
• Assess which facts your child can rapidly answer, and then remove those from the pile. Separate the remaining facts into smaller, manageable groups, working with each smaller group repeatedly until mastery. Periodically review all mastered facts to maintain skills.
• Write facts that are difficult to remember on a post-it note and post them on the refrigerator, mirror, closet or other commonly viewed spots. Answering the posted fact can be the key or password to opening the refrigerator.
• When driving the car, drill basic facts orally every time you come to a red light. Stop the practice when the light turns green.
• Set up a fact or facts of the day. Repeat it, dance it, sing it, cheer it, drum it, shout it, and whisper it. Practice saying it in a voice that your cat or dog would use, or in as many different voices as you can.
• Pick a number and think of as many different ways that you can to make the number. For example, for 10, there is 6+4, 5+5, etc. For 24, there is 3x8, 2x12, etc.
• Play a game of War with cards. Each player turns over two cards and adds the number on the cards. The player with the greatest sum keeps all the cards played that round. You can vary the rules to have the lowest sum win, or the person who says the sum first wins.
• Play a game of dice. Add the sum of the numbers, and the greatest or least gets a point.
• Have your child pick a “study buddy” from the same grade. They can practice the facts together after school, in person or on the phone. Remember the fact families. If 8+2=10, then 2+___=10. If 3x8=24, then 8x___=24 and 24 divided by ___=8.
• The computer is a fun way to practice facts. Games like Number Munchers can be enjoyable and a great way to practice.
The Internet also offers a wide range of websites that are helpful for practicing. Several sites to check out are:
(This site has several games like Addition Concentration, Hidden Picture, and Bingo, but practices all addition facts combined.)
Great math site, and great for facts.
aweb/tools/math
(This site enables you to create your own practice worksheets, after putting in number parameters that you want to practice. They’ll even print out answer pages.)
Study Island
Families will have access to Study Island, a web-based program designed to assist students in mastering age-appropriate concepts and skills. Each student has been assigned a user name and password, which will enable each teacher to measure their students’ progress and offer a program that will enrich and challenge students at their independent level. Study Island is designed to reinforce classroom learning simultaneously offering immediate feedback and remediation as necessary. Through interactive games or “test mode,” students will use and apply learned skills in a learning environment that best matches their learning style.
(TumbleBookLibrary is an online collection of animated, talking picture books which teach young children the joys of reading in a format they’ll love. Access the TumbleBookLibrary collection from home online any time – username: forestavenue, password: books.)
We hope this guide will help you provide appropriate assistance to your child to make homework a more meaningful and successful experience. As always, if your child is experiencing difficulty with homework, contact the teacher.
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