Below is a draft of our revised “Homework Policy”. It is based on our experience in the school and feedback from parents/guardians in our recent survey. If you would like to add a comment or suggestion please do so under the comments section at the bottom of the page. All comments must be in by Friday May 1st 2015.
Homework Policy
This policy was updated following a survey of all parents/guardians in relation to SSE in February 2015 and a subsequent staff discussion.
Why give homework?
- To re-inforce what the child learns during the day.
- To provide a link between teacher and parent/guardian.
- To develop a child’s concentration skills and develop a work ethic.
- Homework is meant to be achievable by a child, i.e. it provides an opportunity to practise work already done. It is normally prepared by the teacher in class. However, sometimes with senior classes, some homework is designed to challenge children’s ability and provide opportunities for creativity.
- Children are expected to do their homework to the best of their individual ability – no more, no less.
How often is homework given?
- Homework is given on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays but usually not on Fridays. There are two exceptions:
- If homework has been neglected during the week
- In senior classes some project work is undertaken at weekends
- Sometimes at the discretion of the class teacher or the principal, children are given “Homework off” as a treat or as acknowledgment of some special occasion.
- Please note extra homework may sometimes be given during the week or at the weekend if a child has not done homework, made a suitable effort or presented untidy work.
What is the content of homework?
- Ideally homework will contain a balance between reading tasks, learning tasks and written tasks.
- This balance is not always possible and can vary considerably from day to day. However, it should be noted that homework time devoted to reading and learning is as important as written work.
- Homework will regularly contain reading, spellings, tables, written work, pieces to be “learned by heart”, drawing/colouring, collecting information/items, project work and finishing work started in class.
- Learning poems, spellings and tables is an important skill and it develops memory. Parents/guardians can play an important role in listening to reading and items to be learned ensuring that this work is done well.
How much time for homework?
The following are guidelines for time spent at homework. Different children will complete the same homework in varying lengths of time. What might take one child 15 minutes could possibly take another child 25-30 minutes. Time spent will vary from day to day and also from the beginning to the end of the school year. It is important to remember that it is the quality and not the quantity of homework that matters. The following are general guidelines only:
Infants: 0 – 15 minutes
Rang 1/2 Up to 30 minutes
Rang 3/4 Up to 45 minutes
Rang 5/6 Approx. 1 hour
Homework is given from Monday to Thursday. Normally there is no homework at weekends or on a school day just before a public holiday. However, children in middle and senior classes may sometimes be required to work independently on projects at weekends.
How much help should parents give?
- Parents/guardians should try to help their children with homework by:
- Providing them with a suitable place and time to do their homework
- To prevent interruptions or distractions, like T.V. or other children
- Children should do written homework themselves and parents should only help when the child has difficulty.
- If a child has difficulty with homework, the parents/guardians should help the child to overcome the difficulty with further explanation or examples, but not by actually doing the homework for the child. In this case the parent should write a note to the teacher explaining the problem.
- Shared reading is not homework in the regular sense and it is simply meant to be an enjoyable exercise between parent and child. If it’s not enjoyable, shared reading should not be done.
- Children often bring home library books; young children should read them with an adult and with older children the adult should discuss the book with older children.
How often should parents/guardians monitor homework?
- Parents/Guardians should check and sign a child’s homework journal every evening.
- The pupil’s journal is an important record of the child’s homework. It is also a valuable means of communication between parents and teachers.
- Ideally, all written messages to your child’s teacher should be put in the homework journal (additional pages available at the end of the journal).
- Please check that your child records his/her homework neatly in the correct page and ticks each item of homework when completed.
- Newsletters, notes and other letters to parents/guardians are often folded and placed in the current day of the homework journal. Please check your child’s journal for such notes on a regular basis.
How often do teachers monitor homework?
- Generally teachers like to check homework on a daily basis. However it is not always possible to check each child’s homework every day, especially in senior classes where there is a larger amount of written work.
- As children get older and learn to work independently, some items of homework are checked less often e.g. every second day or once per week.
- Some items of homework (and classwork) may be checked by children themselves under the direction of the teacher. This can be a useful part of the learning process for children.
When should parents/guardians communicate with the teachers about homework?
- When your child cannot do homework due to family circumstances.
- When your child cannot do homework because she/he cannot understand some aspect.
- If the time being spent at homework is often longer than the recommended amount of time.
When should homework be done?
- Each family situation is different – both parents working, child minders, etc. Ideally, homework should be done before any television is watched, soon after school while your child is still fresh, however, some children need a break before starting homework.
- Homework should never be left until morning time before school.
- If a child does homework with another adult outside the home (e.g. at a homework club or with a minder/grandparent) the parent/guardian should still check over it and also listen to reading and/or spellings.
Remember
If homework is a stressful experience between parent and child, something is probably wrong! This can lead to poor learning and defeats the whole purpose. Should this happen on a regular basis, please contact the class teacher.
This policy will be reviewed biannually or as the need arises.
Ratified: __________________
Signed: ___________________
