Reference: National Education Association and National PTA Organization article: Help Your Student Get the Most Out of Homework http://www.nea.org/parents/homework.html
Philosophy
Statement:
The staff at McNair Elementary
School believes that the use of appropriate homework will benefit students
as it reinforces student learning, develops good study habits, prepares
each student for later years in school and promotes lifelong learning.
Guidelines
• We recommend that all
students read or be read to at home each day (This is in addition to any
assigned homework).
• We recommend that parents
provide their child with a quiet study area and maintain a scheduled homework
time.
• The amount of homework
varies by grade level
Kindergarten - Occasional
Grades 1 & 2
- Ten to twenty minutes, three to four times per week
Grades 3, 4, 5 -
Thirty to sixty minutes, three to five times per week
• If your child consistently
takes longer than the recommended time to complete homework, please contact
your child's teacher.
• Homework will reinforce
concepts already presented in class.
• Students should generally
be able to complete the assignments independently.
• On occasion, opportunities
may be provided for family projects.
• Each grade will communicate
with parents on a bi-weekly basis about their children's homework assignments,
via an assignment sheet, homework folder, or other reporting method.
Homework. Many students
try to avoid it, but teaching and learning research indicates that children
who spend more time on regularly assigned, meaningful homework, on average,
do better in school, and that the academic benefits of homework increase
as children move into the upper grades.
Parents and families play
an important role in the process. Together, families and teachers can help
children develop good study habits and attitudes to become lifelong learners.
Why
do teachers give homework?
Teachers use homework:
• to help students understand
and review the work that has been covered in class.
• to see whether students
understand the lesson.
• to help students learn
how to find and use more information on a subject.
Homework is also the link
between school and home that shows what children are studying.
Research shows that when
homework is turned in to the teacher, graded, and discussed with students,
it can improve students' grades and understanding of their schoolwork.
How much time should my
children spend each night on homework?
Most educators agree that:
• for children in grades
K-2, homework is more effective when it does not exceed 10-20 minutes each
school day
• older children, in grades
3-4, can handle 30-60 minutes a day
Your children's teachers
can tell you how much time they expect students to spend on homework. Place
most concern on whether the homework is meaningful and whether over a period
homework is assigned in all of the student's subjects.
How can I help with homework?
There are several ways
in which you can help:
• Children thrive on a
schedule. Make sure you have a schedule for homework, mealtime, and
bedtime. Make it a routine!
• Send your children to
school each day, well-rested, fed and with a positive outlook.
• Take an active interest
in your children's schooling. Ask specific questions about what happens
at school each day and how your children feel about it.
• Try not to let any of
your own negative experiences keep you from supporting and encouraging
your children's learning. Let them know how much you care about education
by continuing your own learning both informally and formally, to impress
its importance upon them.
• If possible, set up a
quiet, comfortable study area with good lighting and the school supplies
that your children need. This can be almost anyplace in your home; you
don't need a special room.
• Set a family "quiet time"
where you and your children can work together on homework, reading, letter
writing and playing games.
• Allow your children to
study in the way each of them learns best. For example, some children work
best when they're lying on the floor with background music playing.
• Make homework a daily
activity and help your children develop good homework habits.
How
much help should I give?
This depends on each child's
grade level and study habits. Younger students often need extra homework
help. First, make sure the child understands the directions. Do a few problems
together, then watch your child do a few. When your child is finished,
check the work. Praise right answers, and show how to correct mistakes.
Avoid doing your children's
homework for them. Teachers need to see where your children are having
trouble.
One of the most helpful
things you can do is to show your children that you think homework is important.
Many children today do their homework while their parents are at work.
When you are at home, ask to see your children's homework and discuss it
with them. Ask questions and be supportive.
Do teachers really want
me to ask them questions about homework?
Teachers want children
to learn and want parents and families to be involved in their children's
education. When you stay in touch with your children's teachers, they can
ease your worries and offer their own homework tips and ideas on how you
can help your children learn. Meet each of your children's teachers and
ask what kind of homework will be given. This is very important, even if
you have children in junior or senior high school.
Early in the school year
and on occasion, ask teachers about your children's subjects and about
homework policies. For example, ask what books your children will be using,
what kinds of assignments will be given, and when the teacher is available
to answer questions.
One of my children tries
hard but still has problems with homework. What can I do to help?
There could be a number
of reasons for your child's trouble. Suggest that the child ask the teacher
for extra help before or after school. Tell your child it's good to ask
the teacher about homework or anything else he or she doesn't understand.
Set a time to meet with the teacher to discuss the problem. You may need
to meet again during the year to check on how your child is doing.
If your child understands
the work but is still having trouble, ask for a meeting with the teacher.
The two of you should work out a plan to meet your child's needs.
My child seems bored by
homework. Is this normal?
It's normal for students
not to want to do their homework. But if your child always seems bored
or unhappy, you need to try to find out the reason by talking with your
child. Then talk with the teacher to come up with a solution.
Teachers want students
to learn from homework. Tell the teacher if your child thinks the homework
is too easy or too hard. This will help the teacher match homework with
student ability and maturity levels.
When I ask my children if
they have homework, they say that it's finished or that they don't have
any. How do I make sure they're really doing their work?
Make studying, not just
homework, a daily habit. Students can always review lessons, read a book,
or work on practice exercises during quiet time, even if they don't have
homework. Ask younger children to show you their homework so that you can
check it, sign it, and date it. Teachers like to see that adults have checked
children's homework. If your children's school has a homework hotline,
call it to check for the day's assignments. If your children often have
no homework to do, you should let their teachers know.
Don't ask your children
if they have homework each night — assume that they always have homework
or studying to do.
What if my child still isn't
turning homework in?
State clearly and assertively
to your child that you expect homework to be done and turned in to the
teacher. Let your child know you will not tolerate irresponsible behavior
about homework.
Don't wait until grades
come out to find out if the problem has been solved. You may need weekly
contact with the teacher until the student develops new habits.
Should I reward my children
for doing homework or for getting good grades?
Children like to know when
they've done a good job. Your approval means a lot. Praise your children's
work often. Show pride when your children do their best, no matter what
grades they get.
Be careful about giving
money or gifts as rewards. Most teachers want parents to reward students'
work in other ways. The next time your child does a good job on a school
project, plan a special family activity as a reward.
Homework
Hints
• Assume that your children
will have studying to do every night.
• Ask your children if
they understand their homework. If they do not, work a few examples together.
• Ask your children to
show you their homework after the teacher returns it, to learn where they're
having trouble and where they're doing well. See if your children did the
work correctly.
• Stay in touch with your
children's teachers. Ask about their classes and what they are studying.
Ask their teachers how you can support what they are studying (flash cards,
spelling, etc.).
• Remember, you and their
teachers want the same thing — to help your children learn.
• Don't be afraid to get
in touch with the teacher if you and your child don't understand an assignment
or if your child is having a great deal of trouble. Almost all parents
run into these problems, and teachers are glad to help.
• Don't do your children's
work for them. Help them learn how to do it themselves.
• Show your children that
you think homework is important. If you are at work during homework time,
ask to see their work when you get home.
• Praise your children
for doing well. Make praise a habit.
• Maintain a portfolio
of "best pieces."
• Ask your school about
tips or guides for helping your children develop good study habits.
• Help older students organize
their assignments by recording them on calendars or planners, along with
due dates, dates turned in, etc.
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page updated 2-27-07