Kereru team Homework.
I have had some questions about homework so I will take the
opportunity to answer them and explain about homework in the Kereru team........
Research tells us that not much is gained from 6 year olds
doing lots of homework. But it is a good idea to get children into the habit of
attending to some short, formal activities related to school from time to time.
READING: We expect children to read at home, to an adult,
daily. This might be their reader from their group lesson, their independent
reading book selected by them from a box below their instructional level which
will be ‘easy’ for them, their library book which you may need to read to them,
and on Friday it will be their poem book –yes believe it or not, this IS
reading and you need to sign it to show you have either listened to them read
their poems, or helped them to read them, or you may have read some of the
poems to them.
If there is no book in the book bag, it does not mean no
reading. It simply means that you should ask them to select a book from home to
read to you, or for you to read to them.
Read to your child as often as possible for as many years as
they will listen. My own daughter was still listening to stories when she was a
teenager as she listened while I read to her younger brothers. She talks about
those books still, many years later. Picture books are great for discussing
pictures and stories. A family chapter book is a wonderful way to engage in
conversation, in teaching children how to react to a mystery or a scary moment
or a joyful one. Read in English or in your home language. Children need to
hear the richness of language read by a competent reader.
SPELLING: Home
Learning Book: In it will be a variety
of guides for you to read. Please do so.
There will be a list of spelling words which they can practise at home
according to the guide. Three or four or five words a week is fine to learn.
They should be able to tell you a
sentence using the word, and they should be able to write the word. They may want to write a sentence using the words.
They can practise this in the Home Learning Book using one double page a week.
When they know the words (and this may take a week or more) they can tell me
and I will check their progress. This is Home Learning and may not always
be “marked.” We do not “test” these words. They are practised in class in various ways, after the child has learned
them.
BASIC FACTS: We expect the students to learn basic facts as
set out in the guide in the Home Learning Book. Those who know their basic
facts with instant recall are far better equipped to move along in Maths.
Remember you can play number games in the car, walking the dog etc.
Mathletics: Tasks will be set according to the student’s
level, once we get underway. One or two tasks a week is what is expected and if
they are keen to do more, they can go onto Rainforest Maths on the Mathletics
site. Plenty of excellent activities there.
We want our students to spend time playing outside,
exploring, climbing, using balls and bats, running, having fun. From years of
experience we know this makes for a far happier student than one which is made
to sit doing Homework for long periods of time when they are only 5 or 6 years
old. Please attend to the necessary items over a 10 to 15 minute timeframe ,
then let them play outside. Thanks
- Jill Bonniface, Kereru Team Leader.
