Homework vs. Home Learning

Today I am going to repost a previous post that I wrote about homework because we are now at a different spot in our school year and you might want/need some of these resources. I am still strongly against homework but I am strongly for home learning. The difference to me is that home learning is all about student and parent choice while homework is often a one-size fits all choice made by a teacher. I share lots of resources with you that you could use for home learning but always know that it is your choice to use them or not. In addition to the resources listed in the previous posts I have a couple more to add:

1. 31 Things Your Kids Should Be Doing Instead of Homework

2. Writing idea: A popular idea out in the world right now for adults is keeping a "one-sentence journal" (google that phrase and you will find lots of articles and apps on that topic). I think this would be a fantastic idea for kids, too. Writing one sentence a day would not feel overwhelming and wouldn't take much time but it would give your child a memory book of sorts and lots of extra writing practice. So grab a fun notebook and try it out with your child. The whole family could keep one.

3. Find login information for the various apps and websites we use that require a login on the Information page of our crew blog.

Previous Post
Years ago, when I was completing my Master's Degree in Educating Diverse Learners, I wrote my thesis on the value of homework. The research all agrees that there is no real benefit to homework in elementary school and some value in middle school and high school. (For more on this topic check out articles/books by Alfie Kohn or Harris Cooper.) The research does say that children still should do lots and lots of learning at home but in a more natural way as they go through their life - reading with family members, counting out silverware, measuring ingredients for a recipe, learning what time they should leave for school and on and on.

So I am only going to recommend that you do three things with your child on a regular (but not necessarily daily - just almost daily) basis:

1. Talk, talk, talk about anything and everything. Not only does this help them learn about the world and how things work in it, it will also help them develop their vocabulary. Need help with topics? Check out Wonderopolis or The Kid Should See This for cool stories and videos on a wide variety of topics.
2. Read, read, read. Read to them, have them read to you and read together. Find great books that you will love and enjoy. We don't want this to be a chore - ever!
3. Check out Bedtime Math - in a variety of forms: website, app and books. This site gives you an interesting story to read to your child and then gives you problems to solve at 3 different levels - wee ones, little kids and big kids. There is a new story each night and lots of research that shows that this site really helps.

For those of you who want more ideas, check out the Resources page of our crew blog for lots of online ways to practice academic skills. We use these sites in class during our Exploration Station time and they can all be accessed from home, too. Your children love some of these sites and would enjoy having more time on them. A few sites are subscription services that the district has purchased for us but you can still access them from home using your library card number from the Douglas County Public Library but most do not require this.

You can also visit the Parent Resources page for even more ideas. There you will find links to articles, books and videos that will help you teach your child at home. If you are looking for more structured activities, check out the Sunshine Math and Math Home Links for EDM for printable math problems that you can give your child. These are in the Math section of the Parent Resources page.

Again, none of this is required at all. The items in my top three list above are highly recommended but still not required. These sites are also great for sick days, breaks from school, rainy, snowy or hot days when your child is looking for something fun to do. We never want any of this to take away too much from time spent playing - indoors or out. Play is the best way for kids this age to learn. Enjoy exploring all of the resources and let me know which ones you and your child like the best.

Crew News August 19, 2013

Homework
Today is our fist day to have homework. Homework will have two parts each day. One part of the homework will be completing the Everyday Math Home Link page. At the top of each page there is a short paragraph written to the parent so you will have a little background information about the topic we are learning about or what we did in class that day. At the bottom will be a few problems for your child to complete.

We will have homework Monday through Thursday with no homework on the weekends. Because of this no homework on the weekend plan, occasionally the Home Link your child has on a particular night might be from the previous lesson or a few times during the year we might have two Home Links in one day. Both of these situations will be pretty rare.

The other part of our homework will be to read a good book or two every night. Your child will be bringing home one book from school each day that he or she would like to read. They choose the book that they want to bring home. They can and should read books from home, too.

It would also be great if you could read aloud to them every evening. This will help so much with their comprehension and vocabulary development. (They will never be too old for read alouds. I love to be read to even now and my family still has family read aloud times even though my daughter is in 8th grade. This summer we read The Giver and The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle aloud as a family.)

I understand that some nights it will be tough to fit homework in with all of the other activities that your family may have scheduled. Please know that it is perfectly fine to save a particular homework assignment for a night when you have more time. I see homework as practice and as a way for you to see what we are learning in class so be sure to give yourself the time you need to take a look at it.

The homework that comes home should not be difficult for your child. If something is challenging please write a note on the paper to let me know. While you can work more with your child at home on the topic, we will also work more with your child on that topic at school.

Graded homework will not come back home. You will have already seen it and we don't want to use volunteer time to manage all of the extra comings and goings of the homework pages. We will grade and keep track of who has completed the homework and then provide extra help to those students who might need it.

Homework assignments will always be listed at the end of the daily blog post (including today). That is why it is a good idea to subscribe to the posts by email or RSS feed. Then you will always know what the homework is each day.

If your child would like an extra challenge, he or she may turn the Home Link page over and create their own math problems on the back or you can create some for them. This is completely optional and only for those looking for an extra challenge.

Request from Ms. Cheryl
Ms. Cheryl would like to do a drumming unit using 5 gallon buckets. If you have one that you could send in, she would appreciate it. 

Important Dates
September 2 - No school - Labor Day
September 6 - No school for students - Teacher Professional Development Day
September 11 and 12 - Fall Voyage for 1st Grade
September 13 - Day of Rest for 1st Grade
October 4 - Boot Camp

Homework
Reading ~ Read a good book or two.

Math ~ Home Link 1.1 Unit 1:Family Letter  (This is for parents to read only and does not need to be returned to school.)
Home Link 1.8 Numbers Are Everywhere (This is page that should be returned to school on Tuesday.)