Sept. 9, 2002

All About Homework

Here is information about the homework policy for class 3-301. First of all, students will bring home a homework packet weekly. This will minimize the learning time lost to copying and collecting homework. Students will receive the homework packet each Monday and it is due the next Monday. Please check your child’s reading log, writing, and math homework and sign the log and assignment sheet each evening. The homework takes most kids about an hour. If your child is finishing quickly and is doing quality work, then your child should read for up to 45 minutes each evening.

In the Planner: The front of your child’s Student Planner there is information about our school. Please also check your child’s planner each day for news about special items or events. Also, I will occasionally write notes in children’s planners. All notices and homework packets will be placed in the pocket in the back of the planner.

Reading: How do we become better readers? We read, read, read! To this end, students should read for 30 minutes each evening. Students write the title and author of one of the books they read on their Reading Log. If the student is reading a long book, they can indicate the pages that they read or the chapter that they read. Repeated readings help students develop their fluency and comprehension. Thus, students can read the same book two days in a row. Sometimes, students will be assigned a story in their Signatures textbook. I encourage all families to use their local libraries and bookstores to expand the books available for reading homework. Our class also participates in a Scholastic book club, a great source for inexpensive books.

Writing: Students write a great deal while in class. Our writing homework focuses on responding to stories in our Signatures textbook or practicing grammar skills. These assignments help students answer the types of questions that will be on the EPAL and Citywide Reading tests. (Don’t worry if you’ve never heard of those tests. I’ll explain them during Orientation!)

Math: When I was growing up, we mostly did number problems and then we did a few story problems. However, today the situation is reversed because math instruction is more demanding. Thus, our math homework is story problems. Most of these problems require students to figure out the number problem and figure out the answer. I am teaching students strategies for solving story problems. If your child is having difficulty, please do not hesitate to show your child how you would figure out the problem. The more strategies the children learn, the better. As the year goes on, I will also be asking families to help their children practice math facts with flashcards.

Homework vs. Classwork:

Our homework is general, our classwork is individualized. For example, for homework everyone reads the same story from our textbook. In class, however, students will be divided into different reading groups and each group will read different stories. Our homework is review, our classwork is new. For example, I choose math homework that all students should be able to do with minimal difficulty and minimal help. I choose math classwork that is challenging and fun and that targets areas of student weakness.

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This page was updated: August, 2005.