Lower School Homework Explained
In an effort to assist each family in supporting your child after school during homework time, the Lower School Faculty and I are providing you with information and guidelines that we will follow in the Lower School for the 2019-2020 school year. Our goal is to support your child in organizing, completing, and returning homework to school.
What is the Lower School’s philosophy about homework?
Homework is an out-of-class task that a student is assigned as a preview for future learning or as an extension of classroom work. An additional focus of homework is to support the development of time management skills as well as independence at home.
In Kindergarten, homework is assigned periodically, but not on a nightly basis. Homework is assigned Monday through Thursday on a regular basis in grades 1-5. Students may receive homework that includes a long-term project that requires work over a period of several days or weeks, and a family may elect to complete this work over the weekend or as it fits into their schedule. A grade level may also provide the homework for the week and a child may elect to complete it throughout the week, scheduling a little work each night.
What are the types of homework?
- Previewing/Exploring (pre-reading, introductory activity)
- Drill and Practice (math facts, spelling)
- Application of Concepts (vocabulary, grammar)
- Reading (oral, silent, partner)
- Test/Assessment Preparation
- Long-term Projects (culminating activity)
Students may also bring home work that was not completed throughout the school day. This is not considered to be the assigned homework. Instead, it is work that must be completed by the student in order to prepare for the next day’s lesson.
How long should it take my child to complete his/her homework?
It is important to know that each student is different and that the exact time varies with the student. This is a guideline that the Lower School faculty uses when thinking about how much or what to assign, and our estimation of how long it may take for a student to complete the work.
Average Expectation:
Kindergarten: 10 minutes
1st grade: 20 minutes
2nd grade: 20 minutes
3rd grade: 30 minutes
4th grade: 40 minutes
5th grade: 50 minutes
The progression of time allows for each student to practice a homework routine at a developmentally appropriate level. This estimate is inclusive of classroom and special area homework. This guideline has been developed to prepare our students for Middle School and the expectation of 60-75 minutes of homework each night. If your child requires significantly more than the estimated amount of time to complete homework on a regular basis, your child may discuss this with the teacher. And if this continues over time, you should contact the classroom teacher to schedule a conference with the teacher and your child to determine why it is requiring additional time.
Who is the homework between?
- Parent and Teacher: NO
- Parent and Student: NO
- Student and Teacher: YES! YES! YES!
It is important to remember that all homework is actually a contract developed between the student and the teacher. Understanding the boundaries of how much a parent should intervene or save their child from homework errors is a difficult transition. Often times, parents believe that teachers expect the homework to be correct and mistake-free. If a parent corrects all of the errors, then the teacher assumes mastery and comprehension of the material assigned has been achieved, and the teacher moves forward to the next level of concepts. Stepping back and allowing your child to accept responsibility and talk with the teacher about the homework is a priority. Please remember that homework is a student-directed activity, not parent-driven or a parent’s responsibility. Facilitating homework assignments for your child when they are confused or have a question is okay, but a parent should not be managing the homework experience each day.
How is homework communicated to the student?
Kindergarten-2nd Grades: It is included in the Friday Folder.
3rd Grade-4th Grade: The student records it in their daily planners.
5th Grade: The student records it in the iPad planner.
What happens when my child forgets homework or other materials at home?
If the student forgets his/her homework, backpack, supplies, iPad (5th Grade), bus snack, water bottle, after-school clothes/equipment, music books, music instruments, or any other item when he/she arrives to school, we are asking the parent not to deliver any of these items to the school after the student’s arrival. We want our school to be a safe place to make a mistake and allow the student and teacher to discuss the forgotten items and review a plan to address the situation in the moment and in the future.
If the student forgets an item for school, the teacher will discuss this with the child and determine a course of action relating to developing habits for the future or turning in an assignment late. Our goal is to develop open, honest student-teacher communication and provide the students with an opportunity to reflect on the situation with the teacher when it does occur.
The Lower School Faculty and I view forgetting something that is due or needed for an activity as a learning experience for the future, and the teacher and student will work through this situation together. And...we promise...all will be OKAY if this happens with your child.
How do Lexia, DreamBox, and IXL impact homework?
These three online programs are available for students as a learning extension at home. A teacher may also assign this as a homework assignment. The teacher also tracks the time spent on the specific programs and will contact you if they feel your child would benefit from additional practice provided by one of these programs.
How can I help my child?
At home, the student will develop a homework plan (with guidance from the parent):
- read each night with your child no matter their age; it’s a great tool for reading;
- have a good attitude about homework with your child; they model our adult behavior and attitude;
- determine where your child physically does the homework;
- determine when (time of day) your child will complete homework;
- create a supply box that is available for homework and projects (glue, markers, paper, etc.);
- consider your child’s after-school schedule and how that fits into their daily life; and
- develop a routine to collect and pack all materials for the next school day.
What if my child misses school for a trip? How do they make up the work?
A student who is absent due to vacation will receive his/her make-up work when he/she returns from the vacation. The student will have one additional day per absence day to complete the work (example: student misses Monday; returns to school on Tuesday; student has Tuesday and Wednesday to complete the make-up work). Make-up work will not be given before the vacation. It is difficult for a teacher to replicate the learning in the classroom and also anticipate the exact lesson for an extended period of time. Teachers are planning each day and adjusting curriculum based on the students’ learning needs.
Are there homework free days?
The school designates No Homework Weekends/Vacations four times a year. “No Homework Vacations” are Thanksgiving Break, Winter Break, February Break, and Spring Break. No Homework Vacations mean no homework is to be given over the vacation and no tests, quizzes, labs, or major assignments may be given until the third school day after the vacation. Additional
No Homework Periods for 2019-2020 are as follows:
- The weekend beginning on September 27 is a no homework weekend. Additionally, Monday, September 30 and Tuesday, October 1 are no homework evenings as well. Monday, September 30, Tuesday, October 1, and Wednesday, October 2 no quiz, test or major assignment should be given to students. Regular homework may be given on Wednesday, October 2 and tests/quizzes/major assignments resume on Thursday, October 3.
- October 8 and 9, 2019 are no homework evenings; on Tuesday, October 9, Wednesday, October 10 and Thursday, October 11 are no major assignments, tests or quizzes should be given to students. Homework may be assigned on Thursday, October 10 and quizzes, tests and major assignments resume on Friday, October 11.
- April 19, 2019 – No homework should be given on the weekend of April 19 and Monday, April 22 is a no test, quiz lab or major assignment day. Homework may be assigned on Monday, April 22 and quizzes, tests or major assignments resume on Tuesday, April 23.
Additionally, Colorado Academy is sensitive to the various religious practices of students and their families. Students should contact their teachers, when necessary, in order to plan work during the observation of religious holidays.
If you have questions about homework, feel free to reach out to your child’s classroom teacher or me.
Thank you,
Angie Crabtree
LS Principal
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