SOLANA HIGHLANDS HOMEWORK POLICY
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Rationale
The purpose of homework is to strengthen skills, reinforce
concepts taught by teachers, develop student responsibility and
accountability, and promote parent awareness. Positive results
of homework include better retention of factual knowledge,
increased understanding of material, better critical thinking,
concept formation and information processing skills, as well
as enrichment of the core curriculum. Our goal is to create assignments
that promote one or more of these outcomes. We recognize
that homework is not the only circumstance under which afterschool
learning takes place. Many leisure-time activities teach
important academic and life skills. We believe in the importance
of balancing leisure, learning and family time. |
Definition
Homework may be an independent activity, or may require
parental help, to be accomplished outside of the school
day and without the benefit of teacher assistance, to reinforce
previously learned ideas. Unfinished class work or work missed
due to absences, although accomplished outside of the school
day, is not included in the school’s definition
of homework. Homework will generally fall into one or
more of these different categories and may include, but is not
limited to, the following examples:
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- Practice – This includes activities to reinforce
skills such
as studying spelling words and practicing math facts.
- Preparation – These
are
assignments designed to provide background information and
focus on future class activities. Studying for tests and
reading supplementary materials are examples of such homework assignments.
- Extension/Creative – Activities
such
as book reports, science projects, and research for social
studies reports are examples of such homework.
- Leisure
reading expands vocabulary, improves writing quality, and promotes
life-long learning.
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Amount of Homework
The amount of homework assigned shall be related
to the maturity and ability level of the students in a given class.
The following chart suggests these guides as homework schedules
for students. These schedules can be used as guidelines for
parents and teachers in monitoring student time devoted to
homework: |
K – 3
4
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10 – 30 minutes
30 – 60 minutes |
up to 4 days per week
up to 4 days per week |
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| Be advised that students may spend more than one hour
daily completing schoolwork, as time at home may be spent doing
assigned homework, long-term projects, and completing unfinished
classroom assignments. Students have varying abilities to use
class time efficiently, and the amount of time spent on homework varies
from one child to another. |
Student’s Responsibility
It is the responsibility
of the student to note and understand the homework assignment,
complete it, and return it to school on the required day. Teachers
may use homework assignments to help determine a student’s grade. |
Parent’s Responsibility
It is the responsibility
of the parent to set a specific time and place for doing
homework and to monitor the student’s homework. Parents who
have concerns about homework should contact their child’s teacher.
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Teacher’s Responsibility
Teachers will be responsible
for assigning homework to students and for providing the necessary
explanation and direction required insuring that the students
can accomplish the work with reasonable success. The teacher
will also monitor, assess, and acknowledge homework results
for parents and students. Specific classroom homework guidelines
will be established by each teacher as well as this school policy
and may differ from room to room depending upon the needs
and abilities of the students. Teachers will share their homework
guidelines with parents at Back-to-School Night. |
- The length and frequency of homework assignments will
take into account the developmental level of students
in the class as well as their sources available at home.
- Topics
will appear in assignments before and after they are
covered in class, not just on the day they are discussed.
Students can expect assignments that help them practice skills
already learned, prepare them to learn new skills in class, and require
them to apply learned skills to new situations outside of school.
- Homework
will not be used to teach complex skills. It will generally
focus on skills and material already learned, on extending
these skills, or on the integration of skills already possessed
by the student.
- Parents will rarely be asked to play a formal
instructional role in homework. Instead, they will be
asked to create a home environment that facilitates student
self-study.
- Not all homework assignments will be formally evaluated.
They will be used to locate problems in student progress
and to individualize instruction.
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Homework Tips for Parents
- Be a stage manager. Make
sure your child has a quiet, well-lit place
to do homework. Make sure the needed materials are available.
- Be a motivator. Homework provides a great
opportunity for you to tell your child how important
school is. Be positive about homework.The attitude
you express about homework will be the attitude your child
acquires.
- Be a role model. When your child does
homework, don’t
sit and watch TV. If your child
is reading, you read too. Help your child see that the skills he
or she is practicing are related to the things
you do as an adult.
- Be a monitor. Watch your child for signs
of failure and frustration. If your child
asks for help, provide guidance, not answers.
If frustration sets in, suggest a short break.
- Be
a mentor. When the teacher asks that you play a
role in homework, do it. If homework is meant to be
done alone, stay away. Homework is one way for children to develop
independent, life-long learning skills. Parental over-involvement
can be a bad thing.
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