Homework Overview
Reading-
Students are expected to read daily at home. We will set weekly goals and increase our individual stamina over the course of the year. The expectation is that by May students are on average reading 4 hours or more outside of school per week. Many students will meet this goal well before May. Students are allowed to read whatever they like to meet this goal. They should be encouraged to read books that are just right for them. Occasionally we all read books that are a little easier and once in a while, if we are passionate about a topic, we will read books that are challenging. We will have lots of discussions about how to pick books, add variety, find enjoyment, and to set goals.
Guardians- please discuss the homework expectation with your child. Ensure that they have a good location to read where they won't be disturbed by sights or sounds. Help them pick a time when they aren't rushed or too tired. Make sure they have several books at home to choose from that they picked. Ask them regularly about what they are reading, why did they pick it, what do they like about it, what's happening in it. Share your own reading habits. The more a child sees their role models read the more likely they are to emulate them. Share what your books or reading materials are about and why you chose them. Share your strategies for reading. Ask them about their current stamina goal and if they are finding success in meeting their goal. Ask if you can support them in any way. More tips for supporting students.
Writing-
Students will be learning to use an Idea Notebook in class. Most writers and artists carry something to record ideas in for later use. Our purpose for them is to encourage students to really notice the world around them and to have a bank of ideas that they can use in future writings or art projects. They can record anything they like in their notebook. Maybe they have an interesting thought, memory, story, or word that they hear or remember. Maybe they tape in tickets to a play they saw and record a list of details that made it magical. They can write deep thoughts about life, death, and dreams. They can ask questions and record their thinking about them. They can collect observations about a topic over a long period of time. They can record quotes they like from songs, poems, or books. They can sketch things that they want to remember the details of and write notes about the sketch to help them. They can write down intriguing stories they hear from others or on the radio. They can cut out news stories and glue them in and write a reaction or thought next to it. Students will have various assignments given weekly in their notebook to encourage this habit.
Guardians- Encourage your child to keep their notebook available or to write their thinking on scraps of paper that can be glued or taped in later. When your child seems intrigued by an idea, story, place, or person encourage them to write it in their notebook. Remember it doesn't have to be a long entry. Maybe it's only a sentence or two. It just needs to be enough to trigger a clear memory.
Math and Science- will be updated soon