Homework

Homework can be a powerful tool for (a) reviewing what was taught in class (b) letting parents and other adults know what the child is learning, (c) giving children and parents a reason to talk about what's going on at school, (d) giving teachers an opportunity to hear from parents about children's learning, and (e) teaching responsibility within the students to complete and return the homework by its due date.

The students in fifth grade will have homework Monday through Thursday nights. Very rarely will I give homework over the weekend. If your child does come home with homework on the weekend, it will generally be work that was not completed in a timely manner during class or make-up work from when your child was absent. However, every night, including on the weekends, your child should be reading for pleasure. It is a daily "assignment" and is not necessarily considered part of the guidelines as set forth under the Chester Elementary School Homework Policy that is found in the school handbook. Many times we might start our day by sharing our thoughts about books that we are reading at home. It will be quite obvious when a child has nothing to share that they are not reading at home. Please contact me for ideas about helping your child read more at home if this is a problem. I have chosen not to require daily writing about reading. I'm looking for kids to become independent readers and search for books that interest them. However, in order to hold them accountable or help them recall what they are reading, students will be asked to complete one project a month regarding a book they read. You may find these articles that support my thoughts to be interesting.  Throw Away Reading Logs and NYTimes Summer Must-Read for Kids? Any Book  On average, your child should be reading 20-30 minutes a night. Please DO NOT set a timer. I do understand that lifetime readers read less at times and more at other times. This is ok. Just keep the guidelines in mind.

Please note that the main purpose of homework is to reinforce the concepts taught during the school day. However, homework also teaches students to be responsible not only to complete their assignments in a neat and acceptable manner but also to return them to school when they are due.  Let me know if you have any questions.