All About Homework in the Ward/Welch Class
In addition to homework assignments given:
Your child should also be reading for at least 20 minutes every night.
How long should it take?
Homework should take about 30 minutes. Nightly reading can be done as part of the
“getting ready for bed” routine and you may read TO your child or listen to your
child read to you. Use this reading to complete his/her monthly (mandatory) home
reading calendar. Remember, when you read to your child, you are “modeling” for
them, just as you model how to drive a car when they are in Driver’s Ed! This is
a really, really good and helpful thing to do for all beginning readers.
Should I help my child with his/her homework?
In the beginning, yes, you will need to help your child. But as the year
progresses, he/she should be able to complete the homework independently.
However, you will definitely need to check it over before it is placed back in
the agenda pocket and sign the agenda to verify this.
Should homework be “easy”?
During the first few weeks of September, all teachers assess the reading/word
knowledge/math levels of each student. While this is taking place, your child
may bring home homework that you think is “too easy.” Please be patient! We have
to get to know who your little person is cognitively! After this process is
complete, homework will be sent that reflects what your child is doing , at
his/her level, at school. The homework will provide practice of strategies and
skills already taught in class. Homework serves the purpose of having your child
practice something they should have mastered at school. It is not designed to
present a “big challenge” for them at home; you should not need to teach a skill
and provide a lot of support for your child. That is what happens during the
school day! Your child should feel that the homework is easily accomplished. If
it isn’t easy, please send us a note!
Should I “correct” my child’s homework?
Homework papers brought to school shouldn’t really have errors. That is because when you
look over the paper, part of your job as a parent is to say, “Look at this
answer. I think you may want to look that one over again. If you can’t figure it
out, tell me and I will help you.” You ARE the quality control person in the
homework partnership! Please be sure to sign or initial the homework page and
the agenda to indicate that you have seen the work.
What if I don’t understand the homework?
You can send an email to [email protected]
or [email protected].
We try to check our email every evening. If you send us a note, we can email back or call you if time permits.
Some homework NO-NO’s:
No doing the homework on the bus!! It isn’t bus-work, it is homework!
No getting off the hook because he/she stuffed the homework in his/her desk
&/or forgot the agenda at school. If your child forgets their homework: Have
them complete "Mystery Homework". This is an assignment that you make up for
them. However, we have discovered in the past "at times" students will "forget"
homework assignments that they don't want to do. So please don't allow them to
abuse the privilege and make your homework not fun. (If you believe it is a
pattern or done on purpose).
If your child cannot complete the nightly homework due to some emergency, send it
back into school with a note explaining why it couldn’t be completed. I will
take it from there. (Sports lessons or games, going out to dinner, and so on are
not emergencies.)
But please note: we know "life happens" there will be times when someone is sick or
a family emergency occurs. Don't stress or kill yourselves. Just send us a note
the next day and homework will be "excused" from time to
time.
Most of all, please enjoy watching your child grow and learn this coming year.Your child will grow and change so much, you will truly be amazed!
In addition to homework assignments given:
Your child should also be reading for at least 20 minutes every night.
How long should it take?
Homework should take about 30 minutes. Nightly reading can be done as part of the
“getting ready for bed” routine and you may read TO your child or listen to your
child read to you. Use this reading to complete his/her monthly (mandatory) home
reading calendar. Remember, when you read to your child, you are “modeling” for
them, just as you model how to drive a car when they are in Driver’s Ed! This is
a really, really good and helpful thing to do for all beginning readers.
Should I help my child with his/her homework?
In the beginning, yes, you will need to help your child. But as the year
progresses, he/she should be able to complete the homework independently.
However, you will definitely need to check it over before it is placed back in
the agenda pocket and sign the agenda to verify this.
Should homework be “easy”?
During the first few weeks of September, all teachers assess the reading/word
knowledge/math levels of each student. While this is taking place, your child
may bring home homework that you think is “too easy.” Please be patient! We have
to get to know who your little person is cognitively! After this process is
complete, homework will be sent that reflects what your child is doing , at
his/her level, at school. The homework will provide practice of strategies and
skills already taught in class. Homework serves the purpose of having your child
practice something they should have mastered at school. It is not designed to
present a “big challenge” for them at home; you should not need to teach a skill
and provide a lot of support for your child. That is what happens during the
school day! Your child should feel that the homework is easily accomplished. If
it isn’t easy, please send us a note!
Should I “correct” my child’s homework?
Homework papers brought to school shouldn’t really have errors. That is because when you
look over the paper, part of your job as a parent is to say, “Look at this
answer. I think you may want to look that one over again. If you can’t figure it
out, tell me and I will help you.” You ARE the quality control person in the
homework partnership! Please be sure to sign or initial the homework page and
the agenda to indicate that you have seen the work.
What if I don’t understand the homework?
You can send an email to [email protected]
or [email protected].
We try to check our email every evening. If you send us a note, we can email back or call you if time permits.
Some homework NO-NO’s:
No doing the homework on the bus!! It isn’t bus-work, it is homework!
No getting off the hook because he/she stuffed the homework in his/her desk
&/or forgot the agenda at school. If your child forgets their homework: Have
them complete "Mystery Homework". This is an assignment that you make up for
them. However, we have discovered in the past "at times" students will "forget"
homework assignments that they don't want to do. So please don't allow them to
abuse the privilege and make your homework not fun. (If you believe it is a
pattern or done on purpose).
If your child cannot complete the nightly homework due to some emergency, send it
back into school with a note explaining why it couldn’t be completed. I will
take it from there. (Sports lessons or games, going out to dinner, and so on are
not emergencies.)
But please note: we know "life happens" there will be times when someone is sick or
a family emergency occurs. Don't stress or kill yourselves. Just send us a note
the next day and homework will be "excused" from time to
time.
Most of all, please enjoy watching your child grow and learn this coming year.Your child will grow and change so much, you will truly be amazed!