Homework

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At Redmond Elementary, we are committed to life-long learning through reading. To emphasize this commitment we have designed our homework policy to reinforce reading as a life-long habit. The power of reading related to high academic performance is well documented in educational research. “You cannot succeed, if you cannot read.”

Daily Homework:

A reading activity each night is the goal for every Redmond Elementary School student. Central to this goal is the opportunity for students to read and reflect in writing on what they have read. Each fourth grader is expected to read for thirty minutes and write a minimum of four sentences about what was read each night. This minimum number of sentences will increase during the school year. This reading homework should happen Monday through Thursday of each week. On Friday, students turn in their signed reading logs to document progress. Progress on the Reading Log will be reported on the homework section of the report card.

In addition to reading each night, your child will likely have math homework and may have unfinished class work that needs to be completed by the following day. It is each student’s responsibility to make certain he or she has the materials needed in order to complete this work.

Drill and Practice Homework:

Many parents wish to work with their students to help them master and retain skills. Since this work is parent directed, teachers will not collect and grade these activities. Examples of drill and practice include:

·      Math facts

·      Math worksheets

·      Vocabulary drill

Extension Homework:

These are usually long-range assignments. Students are required to integrate many previously learned skills in the process of completing a final project. Examples of extension activities include:

·       Book report projects

·       Speech preparation

·       Art projects

·       Special projects

Each student in fourth grade should be doing approximately 50 minutes of homework per night Monday through Thursday. Parents can help by reviewing their planner, setting up specific homework times and locations, and participating in the learning process of their child when necessary. Students should be very capable of doing their own work with occasional questions for clarification only. During busy sports seasons it is important to ensure that homework gets equal priority. The bottom line is… this is your child’s responsibility. Support them but hold them accountable. By doing so, you will be helping them tremendously to be successful in the fourth grade and to get ready for further grades.

Grading

Our report card is standards based, which means students will be scored on a scale from 1-4.  Overall subject grades are no longer given.

Unfinished class work that is taken home for homework and returned the next day is not counted as late. Late work and incomplete work does count against the work completion grade in the Lifeskills section.