Homework in 5P

INSIDE: What about homework?
Be like Kelso: Take the time to study something in-depth!
I'm not a real believer in homework, especially for younger children. We stay pretty busy during the school day, so I don't want to keep the kids (and you!) busy with schoolwork when the kids come home.

In my opinion, home time should be time to enjoy family and learning through exploring.

So, you'll probably have some math and social studies homework, but you won't have a lot from my classes.

At-home reading

I've cleared the homework away so your child can read and explore. As a rule of thumb, I'd like to see at least 20 minutes of at-home reading about 5 days/week. For those who are already comfortable as readers, this is not a problem! For those who haven't found their reading comfort zone (yet), that may be a stretch.

Chunking Up Reading Time. One good way to stretch a reluctant reader is to break the reading time into 10-minute chunks. Maybe do one ten minute chunk right before dinner and another right chunk before bed? It is easier to form a new habit if there is a clear schedule of what needs to be done and when it needs to happen. Our ultimate goal is to help children find the joy of reading, not to traumatize them. :)

About Reading Logs. I'm also not a fan of reading logs. They mostly add stress to the lives of parents who sometimes wonder: "Where IS that darn slip of paper, anyway!" And, "Did you read on Tuesday, I can't remember?" So, I don't require them.

If you would prefer to have a reading log as an option, please contact me and we can set one up for your child. In general, though, I've found they don't work all that well to encourage reading.

More Research on Homework. Here is a resource from the Human Restoration Project that outlines some of the research on homework and learning and provides a more complete rationale for why I believe that a no-homework policy (at least for my classes) is best.

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