In 5H, I do not assign much homework. I know that students spend most of their day at school working hard and should have time outside of school to have fun and enjoy being a child. With that being said, I do assign some work:
If students are not using class time effectively to complete their classwork, then it will be assigned as homework.
Once we start spelling tests, students are expected to practice their spelling words at home to prepare.
Students are expected to use the study guides provided to review for quizzes and tests at home.
If you are interested in an alternative to homework, here are some ideas:
Reading for pleasure - To help encourage a love for reading at home, try having family reading time (it doesn't need to be a long period of time) where everyone reads together in the same room. During this time, don't worry so much if your child is reading correctly, but more that they are reading something that interests them. That being said, if you have any concerns with how your child is reading at home, please let me know and we can address it at school.
Cooking or baking with family at home - This involves many skills, including reading and understanding directions (reading comp), as well as measurements (math) and understanding fractions (math).
Building or creating something with someone - This doesn't have to be a big project and the end result is completely irrelevant. Students will build problem-solving skills and group working skills when they are building or creating with someone. It could be sewing by hand knitting, crocheting, beading, glueing, cutting, drawing or colouring. This could also be building something with Lego or blocks.
Playing board, dice and card games - This helps students learn problem-solving skills, taking turns, sharing, and good sportsmanship. Many games also help to build reading and math skills. For some fun math games, click here.
Playing games outside - Spending time outside playing games is a great way to get daily physical activity and develop those good sportsmanship skills. Here is a website that has many good ideas: http://www.push2play.ca/games/. This could also be playing basketball or catch with a baseball. In the winter, it could be building snow forts or snowmen.