Home Learning
Home Learning at Stonefields School
Home learning, when tailored to meet each individual's needs, can be very beneficial. It promotes learner agency by encouraging children to take the initiative and responsibility for completing a task or practising something they want to get better at. It also provides parents with an opportunity to know what their child is learning, support them at home, and understand how they are progressing.
Home learning should be a positive experience. We want it to promote, not detract from learning. For example, too much homework can lead to stress and unnecessary pressure and a lack of balance in children's lives. Non-specific home learning unrelated to a child's next steps can end up being busywork rather than constructive learning.
We do encourage families to think about the following types of home learning. Children could :
Practice reading to someone, with someone, or on their own.
Practice sight words, spelling and basic facts using a recommended website or hardcopy materials.
Access SchoolTalk learning and continuing some learning in an area they need to work on (highlighted yellow).
Learn something new, like a musical instrument or game.
Take part in afterschool sports and activities such as netball, cricket, touch rugby, or gymnastics
Recommended Home Learning Activities and Ideas
SchoolTalk Next Steps
You can be as engaged with your child's learning as you choose.
SchoolTalk has been developed to provide full visibility of your child's learning, progress and highlight their next steps.
We encourage you to talk to your child about their learning calendar this outlines what they are learning each day.
Sight Words and Spelling
There are high frequency words that are commonly used in spoken, written and text form. Supporting your child to learn these essential list words will support their progress in literacy.
Click here to view the sight word lists for Years 0-4.
Click here to access the essential spelling word lists.
Click here to view the Tupu Matauranga | Knowledge Builders card packs
Basic Facts
We recommend spending 10-15 minutes practicing level appropriate basic facts each week night.
Being able to instantly recall critical addition and subtraction facts and times tables helps children to progress in their Mathematical thinking and strategic development.
Click here to find out more.
Click here to view the Tupu Matauranga | Knowledge Builders card packs
Reading Mileage
We encourage children to read at home for at least 20 minutes each weekday, regardless of their age.
There are a number of ways you can encourage reading at home
Reading Together
Read anywhere
Be a role model
Click here to find out more.
Home Learning Recommendations Across the Year Levels
Years 0-2
Reading:
Take time to talk about the title and the illustration on the front cover
Flick through the book and talk about the illustrations in the book
Listen to your child read the text.
Spend some time on comprehension activities like asking questions and retelling
Praise your child
Make it fun
Sight Words
Practise 3-4 colour wheel sight words before reading with your child. Find the sight word lists and ideas on how to support your child with learning sight words here.
Spelling
Learning 3-5 words a week is a good place to start. Find the essential spelling word lists and ideas on how to support your child with spelling here.
Basic Number Knowledge
Identify and write numbers.
Make numbers to 5, 10, 20.
Basic facts to 5, 10.
Learn more by clicking here.
Years 3 - 4
Reading:
There are lots of different ways you can explore your child's reading text with them:
Ask your child to summarise the story in their own words
Talk about who the characters are and where the story took place.
Click here for more ideas
Sight Words
Find levelled sight word lists here.
Practise the relevant sight word lists before reading with your child. This helps prepare your child to instantly recognise sight words in a reading text.
Spelling
Learning 5-10 words a week is a good place to start. Find the essential spelling word lists and ideas on how to support your child with spelling here.
Maths - Mohio
Mohio is a site that has been design by us to practice the basic addition and times tables facts.
Year 5 - 6
ReadTheory
ReadTheory is a free resource that supports learners to build reading comprehension skills offering online reading activities for all ages and ability levels.
Pobble 365
Pobble 365 is a free resource that promotes both reading and writing. Using the resource you will find 365 images with story starters - one for each day of the year.
For further information click here
Maths - Mohio
Mohio is a site that has been design by us to practice the basic addition and times tables facts.
Prodigy
Prodigy is an adaptive maths platform. This means that the more a learner shows they understand something, the harder the questions will get.
Intermediate
Education Perfect
Education Perfect is a New Zealand website, used to develop maths number, strand and problem solving knowledge. Learners have their own account and home learning tasks are assigned to them, based on individual need.
ReadTheory
ReadTheory is a free resource that supports learners to build reading comprehension skills offering online reading activities for all ages and ability levels.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy is an online learning tool which specifically targets the learning areas of numeracy and science. Tasks can be assigned by a teacher, but learners are also able to select their own points of interest and next steps. Videos and interactive resources are used to develop learners' understandings.
Maths - Mohio
Mohio is a site that has been design by us to practice the basic addition and times tables facts.