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HOMEWORK
HOMEWORK PHILOSOPHY
We firmly believe that the majority of learning should take place during the school day, under the guidance of classroom teachers, and that students should have a full and varied life outside of the school day, including:
abundant physical activity;
adequate time for reflection and sleep (9-11 hours per night);
time to fulfill personal and household obligations, such as personal hygiene, chores, and meals;
time to pursue other interests, including music, sports, family activities, reading for pleasure, etc.
As such, homework must have a clear purpose and value and be able to be completed independently by students. This type of work should be limited to promoting permanence. “Promoting permanence” activities help to develop automaticity, fluency, speed, and long-term retention. Examples include:
Vocabulary and spelling practice
Handwriting practice
Memorization of math facts or other math fluency practice
Reviewing and applying previously learned skills
Rehearsal of oral presentations or speeches; line learning
THE APPROXIMATE GUIDE FOR DAILY HOMEWORK IS AS FOLLOWS
Pre-Kindergarten - No homework, 20 minutes of reading
Kindergarten - No homework in Trimester 1, +20 minutes of reading. Trimester 2 and 3 at the teacher's discretion, + 20 minutes reading
First Grade - Maximum 20 minutes homework, +20 minutes reading
Second Grade - Maximum 30 minutes homework, +20 minutes reading
Third Grade - Maximum 30 minutes homework, +20 minutes reading
Fourth Grade - Maximum 45 minutes homework, +20 minutes reading
ASSIGNING HOMEWORK
In the Lower School, homework assignments typically follow a regular and predictable pattern. Assignments are communicated to students in class and also directly communicated with parents via email.
PARENT INVOLVEMENT
How to support your child with homework:
Establish a homework routine that includes regular timing, a quiet location, and readily available supplies.
If your child has worked conscientiously for the time indicated in the above chart and still has not completed the work, you should stop them and write to the teacher explaining this.
If your child is consistently struggling with managing homework, we urge you to set up a time to discuss this with the classroom teacher to seek a solution.
If you assist your child, please be sure to let the classroom teacher know, as this is important information for the teacher as they assess how to support your child in their learning.
HOME READING (Grades Pre-Kindergarten-4)
In addition to completing any other homework that is assigned by the classroom teachers, all Lower School students are required to participate in home reading for at least 20 minutes every night. Reading regularly at home fosters a love of reading, vocabulary building, and language comprehension. It also broadens exposure to good literature. This can happen in many ways, such as:
Reading to themselves, a parent, a sibling, or another adult (e.g., babysitter, nanny, etc.)
Having a parent, sibling, or another adult read to your child
Using digital reading platforms, such as “RAZ Kids” or “Epic”
Starting in Grade 1, it is important to balance the time spent listening to other readers with opportunities for active, independent reading. As children grow older, there should be increased emphasis on children actively reading, both silently and aloud.
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