Homework is a vehicle for building communication and collaboration between the teacher, parent and child. Homework is intended to extend and solidify the understanding of concepts, ideas or skills. Regularly scheduled homework assignments help to develop study habits and the idea that learning continues beyond the school building. It also provides an opportunity for parents/caregivers to become involved in the academic portion of their child's day.
Reading together or independently each night is strongly encouraged at every grade level. Long-term projects may be assigned from time to time. Teachers will provide written expectations and time-lines for completing homework assignments when students are unable to write for themselves. Homework is generally assigned Monday through Thursday.
General time guidelines for homework completion:
| Grade Level |
Nightly Homework |
Read-at- Home |
| Kindergarten |
Discretion of teacher |
Discretion of teacher |
| Grade 1 |
15 minutes |
15 minutes |
| Grade 2 |
20 minutes |
15 minutes |
| Grade 3 |
30 minutes |
20 minutes |
| Grade 4 |
30-40 minutes |
20-30 minutes |
| Grade 5 |
45-60 minutes |
20-30 minutes |
*Guidelines are intended to provide parents and caregivers with approximate average times that students will need to complete homework assignments. Homework will vary from student-to-student and from day-to-day. Teachers may also give long-term assignments such as research reports or book-related projects.
At-home support for a student with homework should include:
Designate a good workplace that has few distractions and set a regular time for doing homework. Siblings should respect the quiet workspace.
Provide the necessary materials including times needed to complete the assignment.
Be available for assistance but encourage your child to do the work as independently as possible.
Ask your child to explain their thinking when checking the accuracy of his/her homework. Ask him/her to restate the directions they were to follow in completing the assignment. This information will be important to know in order to determine your child's overall understanding of his or her homework responsibilities.
Confer with the teacher if the assignments seem consistently unclear or too difficult.
Notify the teacher if an unforeseen occurrence prevented the child from completing the assignment.
The teacher's role in supporting effective homework practices will include:
Communicate with teachers across and within grade levels to establish consistent homework requirements, yet also recognize that each teacher needs flexibility to make decisions pertinent to his /her own classroom and curriculum.
Provide students with homework that provides meaningful practice within the curriculum and acknowledges the skill levels of students.
Communicate clear time lines for completion of any assignment.
Keep daily homework completion records as one way to evaluate student responsibility and understanding of skills taught and return graded assignments in a timely manner.
Provide timely feedback to students about the quality of their work and assist them in determining goals for improvement and ways it can be achieved.
Contact parents if a concern arises.
Students are expected to assume responsibility for the following regarding homework:
Bring home all necessary materials to complete homework.
Complete homework on time, legibly and to the best of their ability.
Organize and put completed homework in backpacks each night.
Turn in the homework to the appropriate person or place when due.
Continue independent reading throughout the year and increase daily reading time when homework is not assigned.