Knowing the Homework

Knowing what to do for homework always seems to be a problem for many students. Although students have a homework log, they carry to each class, it never seems like there is enough time for all students to fill in the log and be prepared to do the homework in the evening. To help students more, I have written a HOMEWORK SCHEDULE on my whiteboard. Whenever I assign homework in math or English grammar, I write the homework assignment on the whiteboard. The students should also be writing it on their homework log sheet. When I assign pages in the Number Corner math book, I always go over the pages i assign with the class and have them write the date on the pages to be completed. If I give math handouts for homework, I go over them and ask students to write their name on the paper before leaving class. I do keep a blue box labeled, "No names." If your student is missing a worksheet, but believes it was turned in, he or she should look in the box. Hopefully, together, we can make sure that every knows what is expected for math homework and can complete the work consistently.

Finally, a new post

Obviously, it's been a while since I have posted to my blog. I wasn't sure if anyone was visiting it, and I didn't get much feed back, so I let my busy schedule take over. Last week, a parent mentioned looking at the blog for homework information and I knew it was time to get back to work.

I will try to post homework assignments at the beginning of the week so parents and students may look it up at any time.

The fourth grade teachers have devised a system we hope will also help students to keep track of the homework in a more organized fashion. Each fourth grader has a spiral notebook where they are to write down any homework assignments for the day. They take the spiral from class to class: Literacy, Social Studies, Math, and homeroom. They should also take it home at night so they can do the homework properly. If there are any special instructions, I will have my students write information they need to know to do the homework correctly in their spiral as well.

There is a place on the table of contents sheet for students to "check" off work they complete. There is also a space where they can write the score they received on the assignment so you may regularly check on their progress.

I hope the new system works out to every one's advantage. :)

New Homework Expectations

Dear Parents,

I have just spent several hours correcting last week's homework and there are several things I have noticed. Every year I find myself overloaded with homework. We have tried sending home different homework packets and scoring them in different ways, but I always spend more time scoring then the students spend actually doing the work. My husband gets very lonely on the weekends. =)

First, homework is important to your child's academic growth. The homework we provide helps them practice the skills we are learning in class and it gives me a chance to see who understands the concepts and who need more instruction. For this reason, I want to honor the time the students put into the work and review everything they do. Unfortunately, with 25 students and 4 double-sided homework sheets it can be a very time consuming job. So, in order to make the homework worth the students' time, and mine, I am going to implement a new Homework Policy:

READING:
1. It is of the utmost importance that students read at least 30 minutes an night for at least 5 nights a week.
2. The books should be at their "just right" level. The students have taken a STAR reading test that gives them an A.R. reading level. They should be reading books in the A.R. range. As I've state before, reading just right books is the best way to improve their reading skills.
3. The reading logs must be filled in correctly. One of the targets we have in fourth grade is to write the titles of books correctly. This means, the each word in the title is capitalized (except for small words such as: a, an, is...) and the title is underlined. The title needs to be written out each day. The students need to write the page number for the page they start their reading on and the page number of the page they stop on. They need to write the correct amount of time they spent reading. I see a lot of 41,41,41,41...it makes me wonder sometimes.The reading log should be signed and dated by a parent or guardian.
4. They should take at least one A.R. test a week. These tests help me track how much they are reading, what level they are reading, and whether they comprehend what they read. It is a good way for me to check on their progress.
5. This week, I will be showing the students different "reading response" activities that they will need to complete once a month. They will be able to choose their own project, book, and when they do it.
6. I am working on a web site that will post reading activities they can do at home or at school. I will let you know when their first assignments are available online.

The reading log rubric and scoring will remain the same and the due date will be every Monday.

MATH:
I have really noticed a lot of students are not writing the math, or how they solved the problems, on their homework. I need to see the work to understand how they are completing the work. This is important whether they get the answer or not. It let's me know if they understand the concepts or where they are misunderstanding. Also, students are not labeling their work. This is very important at the fourth grade level. Money needs to have the $ sign in front of it, if the answer is 6 muffins then the word "muffin" must be written after the number otherwise it is a "naked" number and I will not know what the 6 stands for. For these reasons, my non-negotiable math expectations are as follows:
1. Students must do the math work on the homework sheets to "prove" how they found their answer.
2. All answers must and most work, must be labeled or it is incorrect.

IN GENERAL:
1. All homework must have a name on it or it will go into the "red box" and will not be graded. After Winter Break it will go into the "recycle box."
2. All writing, including math and reading responses, must have all the convention non-negotiable completed correctly. Each child has a copy in his or her homework folder, silent reading spiral, and in their composition book.

3 out of the 4 nights students will receive one of the following scores:
0=The homework was not turned in or very little was completed
1=More then half was completed but some was left undone or had many errors
2=The work was complete and all expectations were met.

1 day out of the 4 students will receive one of the following scores (according to the homework rubric in their homework folder:
A score of 1,2,3, or 4,for Accuracy
A score of 1,2,3, or 4 for Neatness
A score of 1,2,3, or 4 for Completeness

I hope the new homework policy helps me and the students do our best on the homework.
Thanks you for your understanding with the changes.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Jagla

Progress Reports

On Tuesday, October 6th, I will be sending progress reports home. If your child is missing any work, they feel they have turned in, I have a box of papers with no names and your child may look for his or her work there. The students know where it is, but I have not seen many look for papers.

Homework: I have noticed that many of the students are forgetting to put their names on their homework. I let them know I will not be correcting homework if there is no name on it. After January, I will not save the homework with no names so students will not be able to get credit if they forget.

Homework

Homework is so important to the support of your child's academic growth. Below, you will find our homework expectations and suggested strategies for a successful homework time.


For your child to be successful with homework, he or she needs:
-A place to do homework. If possible, your child should do homework in the same place each day (an uncluttered, quiet space). Please don’t let your child study in front of the TV.
-A schedule for completing homework. Find a time for homework that fits in well with your child’s after school activities. Your child has a homework folder, and each day your child will receive a page of homework to complete, front and back. You can also get a copy of this schedule on the fourth grade web site. There is no homework assigned on weekends, except for reading. We require that all homework be completed. If your child has not completed his/her homework he/she will be required to attend a homework room during the school day to get caught up. If the work is still not completed, a note will be sent home which you will need to sign and return. The homework will still be required to be finished. We do know that occasionally situations occur that prevent a child from completing his/her homework, so we will give each student one free homework pass for each trimester.
-Encouragement, motivation, and prompting. It is not a good idea to sit with your child and do homework together. Your child needs to practice independently, to apply what he or she has learned in class. If your child consistently cannot complete homework assignments alone, please contact us.
-Reasonable time expectations. If your child seems to be spending too much time each night on homework, please contact us. Homework should not take more than an hour each night.
-A bedtime. When it is time to go to bed, please stop your child, even if he or she has not finished the homework. He or she can either finish it before school in the morning, or during homework room. We will grade each homework assignment for content, and will try to send a progress report home each month.