HOME LEARNING
There are many different ways in which parents, as first educators of your children, can spend time with them, including:
▪ play cards, board games
▪ play ball games and be outside with them
▪ watch and discuss the TV news, or read the paper together
▪ read stories together
▪ read non fiction books and discuss these
▪ cook, sew, make things with them
▪ take them to different places in our community
▪ talk with them. In our busy world, your time is the most important thing you can give to your child.
Homework arises out of school work, therefore, the purpose of homework is predominately to practise a skill your child has learnt or to gather information. Homework may include religious education, spelling, reading, and basic facts.
Our goal is that children will be able to access their school learning from anywhere via the internet. Our wish is that they develop the skills necessary to do this and to carry out independent research.
We have outlined the expectations for the children as follows:
Years 1 - 3
▪ Reading - Your child may bring home a reading book or poem. The purpose of re-reading a book is for the child to increase their ability to read unknown words, and to improve their understanding of what they read which increases their fluency. Re-reading a book also consolidates the work covered in class. If your child does not have a reading book, you may like to spend time sharing and reading a library book or a favourite book from home with them. This may take only 10 - 15 minutes.
▪ Spelling - The children may have spelling words to learn that relate to the spelling being taught in class. These words may appear to be ‘easy’. The spelling focus is for the children to be able to spell the word correctly and to use it, correctly, in their written work. This may only take 5 minutes. Spelling is taught within the Classroom Literacy programme and will require practice at home.
▪ Religious Education - From time to time students may be asked to complete religious education activities and reflect on their work with their parents at the end of strand teaching.
Years 4 - 8
Students in Years 4 - 8 may have home learning tasks to complete. This may be a variety of work; reading, maths, language linked to the classroom programme. Homework content may vary from class to class.
▪ Reading - If your child does not have a set reading book for homework, you may like to spend time sharing and reading a library book or a favourite book from home with them, or accessing reading material off class blogs. It is important for your child to be encouraged to read at home. This will consolidate and allow them time to practise what they learn at school. Personal reading should be at least 15 - 20 minutes each night.
▪ Spelling - This may consist of essential words necessary for the child's own writing, or topic based words, or the study of words reinforcing spelling rules and patterns.
▪ Maths - Students may have basic facts to practise. The time spent on these should be kept to a minimum and never cause too much pressure for the child. This may only take 5 minutes. This helps students to quickly recall the facts to solve mathematical equations. Students may also be asked to access maths activities from classroom activity books, blogs, or websites.
▪ Religious Education - From time to time students may be asked to complete religious education activities and reflect on their work with their parents at the end of strand teaching.