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How to Help your Child


Homework is an aid in developing life-long learning skills such as self-discipline, commitment, time management, responsibility, independence, initiative, and problem solving. Homework is an opportunity for a cooperative effort between home and school, and involves parents, teachers, and students.

Time Guidelines

In grades 1-8, homework should take 5 to 10 minutes per night per grade, plus read aloud or independent reading time.

  • Grade 1 – 5 to 10 minutes
  • Grade 2 – 10 to 20 minutes
  • Grade 3 – 15 to 20 minutes
  • Grade 4 – 20 to 40 minutes
  • Grade 5 – 25 to 50 minutes
  • Grade 6 – 30 to 60 minutes
  • Grade 7 – 35 to 70 minutes
  • Grade 8 – 40 to 80 minutes

In grades 9-12, homework depends on assignments, course, or program. Some students, including those with special needs, may have more of an in-class focus for their learning.

  • Grades 9 and 10 – 6 to 10 hours per week
  • Grades 11 and 12 – an average of 10 to 20 hours per week

Types of Homework

Homework offers a variety of mediums that encourage and support children with their in-school experiences. Four main types of homework exist.

Type Reason Examples
Completion
  • Work not completed in class
  • To keep up-to-date with classroom work
  • Completing classroom assignments, including reading responses, notes, exercises, pieces of writing
Preparation
  • Home preparation for the next day’s class work
  • Collecting information, reading background materials, or studying for quizzes, tests, and exams
  • Completing tasks associated with sacramental preparation
  • Using planners to establish regular study and review time
Practice and Application
  • To develop, review, and reinforce specific skills presented in class
  • To transfer skills or concepts into new situations
  • Developing, reviewing, and reinforcing specific skills presented in class
  • Completing extra questions in a textbook if an assessment item demonstrates that the students has not mastered a skill
  • Writing a letter after being taught the components of a business letter
  • Reviewing and drilling of numbers, operations, and troublesome spelling words
Extension and Creative
  • To enrich classroom experiences and deepen the student’s understanding
  • To provide opportunities for problem-solving and critical thinking
  • To integrate skills
  • Identifying local plant and animal life in the environment
  • Volunteering to help in local parish or a community group
  • Working on projects, research, and independent study
  • Inventing a product to solve a problem
  • Creating designs, stories, drama, and prayers

Roles and Responsibilities

For homework to be effective, the school, teachers, parents, and students share the responsibility for using good homework practices.

School

  • Develops and communicates school guidelines for homework to be used by teachers, parents, and students
  • Offers information to assist parents in helping their children at home
  • Works with the community to develop programs to provide students with support for homework
    (i.e. peer tutors, homework clubs)
  • Teacher
  • Explains to students the purpose and importance of homework and its connection to school success
  • Teaches the skills necessary for the student to complete homework (e.g., note-making, preparation for upcoming test)
  • Assigns work that is appropriate to the student’s age, developmental level, learning styles, maturity, skills,
    and individual needs
  • Uses homework as a vehicle for developing and reinforcing learning, not as a punishment for misbehaviour or failure
    to perform as expected
  • Works collaboratively with other teachers to assign reasonable amounts of homework and avoid overload in rotary
    class situations
  • Summarizes and reports on homework completion in the Learning Skills section of the Provincial Report Card

Parent

  • Provides encouragement and appropriate support, without doing the homework for the student
  • Expects the student to complete homework regularly
  • Shows interest in the student’s schoolwork and progress

Student

  • Ensures that he or she clearly understands the homework (i.e. assignments, criteria, timelines)
  • Asks for help if homework assignments or expectations are not clear
  • Completes homework regularly

Study Tips

  • Praise and encourage your children in their work
  • Talk to your children about what they are learning in school
  • Read with younger children
  • Let your children help you with reading and writing activities: recipes, newspapers, letters, shopping lists, etc.
  • Encourage your children to ask the teacher for help if they find the work difficult or confusing
  • Set a consistent time when homework will be done each night
  • Check that homework is completed
  • Provide a quiet place away from distractions such as television and telephone
  • Have your children practice mathematics, reading, and writing skills daily
  • Keep in touch with the teachers and call when you have a question or a concern