Hawthorne School Parent-Student Handbook 2016-2017
HOMEWORK POLICY Homework is an important part of Hawthorne School ' s programming.
What are the purposes of homework? * to help foster a positive attitude toward learning * to promote independent study and develop good work and study habits * to encourage children to utilize outside resources which aid in current learning * to provide for the extra practice needed to perfect basic skills * to extend and enrich children ' s learning and broaden their interests
What are the criteria for homework? * to put school learning to a practical use * to be simple and clear to the student * to be varied in kind, purpose and procedure * to take into account children ' s individual abilities, interests, needs and resources * to be completed by the student without undue attention or help from the parent * to be used as a review of what the student has already learned, not new content
Approximately how much homework will your child be assigned each day?
* Grade l: 10- l5 minutes * Grade 2: l5- 20 minutes PLUS an additional l0- l5 minutes of independent / parent reading with the student
* Grade 3: 20- 30 minutes * Grade 4: 30- 40 minutes PLUS an additional l0-l5 minutes spent in independent or partner reading
* Parents can be encouraged to supplement this time with other activities, i. e. reading, reviewing math facts.
How can a parent help children do their homework properly? * Provide a study area * Plan a specific time * Encourage their child * Review homework that has been completed and assist them in correcting errors * Be persistent in their daily attention to the child ' s school work * The parent can sign the child‘ s homework to verify they have checked it.
When should homework be assigned? Homework is assigned on a regular basis. One homework assignment for every student is independent reading of a book selected by the student( on their independent reading level) from either the school library or classroom library. This should be accompanied by a reading log that will be checked regularly by the classroom teacher. A specific homework assignment other than independent reading( in mathematics, language arts literacy, science, social studies) is not a necessity each evening, however, at the beginning of the school year and many times thereafter, you must encourage children to be involved in a learning experience each evening, such as reading, journal writing, or practicing math facts.
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