Your called teachers will do their best according to their God-given abilities to educate your children. However, education does not take place only in the classroom. To successfully educate the children, work must continue in the home. Homework extends learning opportunities by allowing students to practice what they’ve learned, prepare for new information, or elaborate on information that has been introduced.
Since reading is such an essential part of elementary education, all students at St. Matthew’s will have this as part of their homework each week. For younger students (K-4), this will entail 100 minutes per week of at-home reading (child reads alone, or parent reads to child), and for older students (5-8) outside reading requirements are tied to the Accelerated Reader program.
Generally, students will be allowed 2 days plus one day for every day absent to make up their homework. For example, if the student is absent 3 days, he/she will be given 5 days to make up the work (2 + 3).
Homework Guidelines
- The amount of homework assigned to students gradually increases from grade to grade. Although there may be exceptions, the minutes your child should spend on homework should equal approximately 10 times his or her grade level (a 2nd grader would spend 20 minutes, a 3rd grader 30 minutes, and so on).
- Help set up a consistent, organized place for homework to be done.
- Help your child establish either a consistent schedule for completing homework or help him create a schedule each Sunday night that reflects that particular week’s activities.
- Encourage, motivate, and prompt your child, but do not sit with him and do the homework for him. The purpose of the homework is for your child to practice and use what he has learned. If your child is consistently not able to do the homework by himself, please contact your child’s teacher.
- If your child is practicing a skill, ask him to tell you which steps are easy for him, which are difficult, or how he is going to improve. If your child is doing a project, ask him what knowledge he is applying in the project. If your child is consistently unable to talk about the knowledge he is practicing or using, please contact your child’s teacher.
- When bedtime comes, please stop your child, even if he is not done, and contact your child’s teacher to discuss the next steps.