Grade 4 Homework Policy 

Setting the Stage for Success 

  Why I Give Homework 

Homework is an excellent way to reinforce classroom learning and to provide opportunities to  teach students personal responsibility for that learning. Establishing good homework habits  now will help your child throughout the rest of his/her academic career. 

Homework assignments and classroom news are published weekly on our website, and students will record assignments in the binder reminder.

 What Kinds of Homework to Expect 

Homework is usually assigned on Monday through Thursday nights. It should take approximately  30-40 minutes to complete, give or take, depending on each individual student. At times, your  child will be working on larger projects, which may need to be finished at home. Generally,  nightly homework will consist of reading, language arts, and math. Homework will be checked daily.

. ● Spelling Homework  

Spelling Contracts are sent home most Mondays. These tasks complement the skills we're  working on at school and are due on Friday. Your child’s WORDS TO LEARN is a list of words  your child has not yet mastered (words your child has missed during evaluations). We'll identify  these words on a list that is kept inside the STAR binder. Help your child study these words  weekly to master them once and for all. That's our goal. 

● Vocabulary 

All  4th graders are introduced to new prefixes or suffixes weekly to support their  growing vocabulary by teaching them how to “dissect” words and comprehend multisyllabic  words. What does this mean for parents? On Mondays, students are introduced to a prefix or  suffix and 8 vocabulary words that contain that affix. In class, students have several  opportunities to study the vocabulary words throughout the week, however, nightly home  practice is highly recommended. A list of the words and affix can also be found in the STAR  binder. In addition, students complete as part of their homework an Application and Practice  task attached to the spelling contract. A vocabulary quiz is given each Friday. 

● Reading Homework 

Students are expected to read a minimum of 20 minutes per  night. Your child will log 

his or her reading entries on his/her Reading Log , which I review with them throughout the  school year. Your child’s Reading Log can be found in the reading section located in the STAR  Binder.  After each book students will take the AR test, this can be taken at home or at school. 

● Math 

IXL  and MathGames will be used to practice tasks for our nightly math homework. However, at the beginning  of the year it takes a few weeks to register the students for the program. 

● 40 Book Challenge: 

Research shows that children who read achieve better in school  especially on Standardized Testing. Students not only need to read, but they need to enjoy  reading. Assigning students to read books is a tool that is used often in schools. While it is  important to read certain books, the best way for students to read is by pure enjoyment. If  children can choose what they want to read, they will develop a love for reading. What one  person likes in the form of a book may not be what another person enjoys. The boys and girls in  Grade 4 will participate in this OPTIONAL reading challenge this school year that can be done  at school or at home. My goal is to get them reading! Students can read for the challenge  during our morning workshop or at home. 

● Mastery Club: 

This is an OPTIONAL club for students who are interested in achieving  "above and beyond" the normal classroom expectations. Students learn all about the topic,  record their research in a notebook, and then show me their findings during their recess or  lunch break, or before or after school. Students can earn a 1 star membership, all the way up  to an 86 star membership! Learning never ends - thank goodness!

● Beat The Teacher: 

A weekly spelling challenge to create as many words as you can using  the letters given in the weekly newsletter. Can you identify the mystery word? 

 Homework Procedures  

Your child’s Binder Reminder is located in the STAR Binder. At the end of each day, we go over  the homework assignments, students record these in their Binder Reminders, and I remind  students what they need to bring home. Homework is also posted on our class website. There is  no excuse for a student not knowing the homework assignment or for not having the proper  materials to complete it. If, for some reason (sickness or emergency), a student is unable to  complete homework, please send me a note or email so the assignment can be turned in late  without penalty. Please help to make sure your child puts the homework back in their STAR  binder to return to school the next day. This will help keep your child organized and eliminates  the frustration of losing a paper or assignment that is needed in class.  

***During shortened weeks, no spelling, vocabulary, or Article of the Week will be assigned.  Homework is also modified during our SBAC testing weeks. 

“Guidelines for Helping With Homework So You Don’t Work Harder Than Your Child!” By Dr. Charles Fay 

● Set aside a time each day for family fun and learning. 

● Help only when your child truly wants it. Some parents make the mistake of forcing help  upon their kids. This only creates frustration, anger, and kids who believe they can’t learn  without their parents' help. 

● Help only when there’s an absence of anger or frustration. When either you or your  child gets frustrated or angry, learning becomes associated with frustration and anger. 

● Help only when your child can describe what the teacher said. This ensures that your  child continues to believe that it’s important to pay attention to teachers. Unfortunately, some  kids learn that it’s best to tune-out at school and let their parents do all of the teaching at  home. 

● Move away from your child before he/she “gets it”. Some children believe they can only  learn something, or “get it”, when an adult is in the same room or is guiding them every inch of  the way. To prevent this dependency, avoid falling into the habit of sitting at the table as your  child does their homework, especially when they are on the brink of learning something new. 

THE CARDINAL RULE FOR HELPING

Never Work Harder Than Your Child! 

If homework becomes a “BATTLE” or “TANTRUM” please talk to me so we can work  together to best meet the needs of your child.