Homework
The purpose of homework is generally one of the following.
To:
We expect that your child’s work demonstrates that effective effort was expended to complete the assignment; is legible and neat; is complete and handed in on time; is commensurate with his/her ability.
Children who have not completed their homework assignments or whose homework is not at school when due may be asked to complete it at another time. The same is true for children whose assignments do not meet fourth-grade expectations.
Children will have between 1 to 1½ hours of homework Monday through Thursday, including 30 minutes of reading. During the weekend, students will be required to read. If there is a compelling reason why your child cannot complete his/her homework, send a note to explain the situation. Use common sense when your child is struggling with a homework assignment. Your child should never stay up late or toil for long periods over any task. When meltdowns occur, productivity will doubtless cease. It is better to put the work away and inform us about unfinished work. Your child’s wellbeing is the most important aspect of her/his school experience and no assignment is worth excessive worry. If your child has difficulty turning in homework on time, consider enrolling them in the after-school Homework Center to ensure homework is done.
Help your children be successful by checking in with them or perusing their green homework assignment sheet to make sure homework is complete. You need not correct their work, but feel comfortable suggesting they check over their assignments or work more neatly. To help with organization, please also periodically inspect their orange homework folders to remove assignments or notices that have come home. In addition, please provide a quiet place where your child can work on his assignments, as well as the materials necessary to do a good job. Generally, children should have mechanical or sharpened pencils, paper, an eraser, colored pencils, a ruler, a dictionary, and a thesaurus. Some students may benefit from using a computer to type their work or an electronic spelling aid to check it.
To:
- Practice a newly-learned skill
- Finish an activity or assignment started in class
- Prepare students for an upcoming assignment or task in school
- Explore a concept more fully
- Learn self-discipline and responsibility
- Develop good work habits and time management
We expect that your child’s work demonstrates that effective effort was expended to complete the assignment; is legible and neat; is complete and handed in on time; is commensurate with his/her ability.
Children who have not completed their homework assignments or whose homework is not at school when due may be asked to complete it at another time. The same is true for children whose assignments do not meet fourth-grade expectations.
Children will have between 1 to 1½ hours of homework Monday through Thursday, including 30 minutes of reading. During the weekend, students will be required to read. If there is a compelling reason why your child cannot complete his/her homework, send a note to explain the situation. Use common sense when your child is struggling with a homework assignment. Your child should never stay up late or toil for long periods over any task. When meltdowns occur, productivity will doubtless cease. It is better to put the work away and inform us about unfinished work. Your child’s wellbeing is the most important aspect of her/his school experience and no assignment is worth excessive worry. If your child has difficulty turning in homework on time, consider enrolling them in the after-school Homework Center to ensure homework is done.
Help your children be successful by checking in with them or perusing their green homework assignment sheet to make sure homework is complete. You need not correct their work, but feel comfortable suggesting they check over their assignments or work more neatly. To help with organization, please also periodically inspect their orange homework folders to remove assignments or notices that have come home. In addition, please provide a quiet place where your child can work on his assignments, as well as the materials necessary to do a good job. Generally, children should have mechanical or sharpened pencils, paper, an eraser, colored pencils, a ruler, a dictionary, and a thesaurus. Some students may benefit from using a computer to type their work or an electronic spelling aid to check it.
Language Arts HomeworkStudents are expected to read 30 minutes daily, including on weekends, and fill out a reading log. Sometimes, specific reading assignments will be given for homework, but unless otherwise specified, children will read books and materials of their own choosing. If your child is a reluctant reader or is resistant to reading at home, we will enact a reading contract to help achieve our goals.
Students will be able to practice their cursive writing through a variety of homework assignments. They will work on letter formation, neatness, and writing in smaller-sized letters. While most major writing assignments will be completed at school, students may have smaller tasks to complete at home. Students will also have word study assignments to improve their vocabulary and knowledge of spelling patterns. |
Math HomeworkStudents will have math homework almost daily, with a required math assignment and an optional task. The elective portion of the assignment is sometimes quite a bit more challenging than the “must do” part.
Fourth grade students are frequently still working on memorizing multiplication and other math facts. It is important to work with your student on attaining automaticity. Social Studies & Science HWStudents will have occasional social studies and science assignments. Most of these involve short readings and/or responsibilities such as working on maps and charts.
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