Homework

I'm going to try and be better about updating this blog as I start my student teaching in April! Woo-hoo!

Homework. The constant battle. What do you include for homework? How much homework should you send home? Do you send it home daily or in a packet? These are questions that have been on my mind recently. The school I volunteered at in San Francisco sent home daily homework; the school I am at in Salt Lake does weekly homework. I don't know what is better. I do know that regardless of what/how much/when homework is sent home, the teacher should take time to review it. I liked the method in San Francisco because once the teacher checked it/reviewed it, she marked it with a smiley face/check/stamp and then sent it back home for the parents. It is important for the parents to see feedback from teachers I feel because there is generally only a few times a year when they actually discuss student progress.

Here are some ideas I have:
- Daily homework M-Th, no homework on weekends. Gets marked off by teacher when it is returned and then sent back home for parents to keep/recycle.
- On Fridays, send home a summary of what homework was turned in, skill focus, comments.
- Have a monthly calendar to supplement homework that lists something different each day (say alphabet, write alphabet, write numbers 1-50, etc.) including weekends. Parents initial the days students complete.
- Homework packets. Truly, I struggle with this. I think that it is hard for the parents and the students. Some will get it done early in the week and others will wait until the last day. I have seen ideas where there is a cover page that lists what is to be done each day and perhaps more things are added such as reading, writing, counting, etc. But this is something that I truly struggle with.

I think no matter what method is used, students should be held accountable for their homework. They should learn, even in kindergarten, that the homework will help them learn concepts and become smarter. I think a variety of methods should be used, but the homework has to have a purpose, it can't just be viewed as busy work. I also think that teachers should go over the homework with the students in class so that the students have a chance to see what they are doing and even try to make the connection between their homework and what they learned in class that day.

Ms. Longo

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