What do you prefer, weekly hw or nightly hw? I have assigned nightly hw the last few years and am thinking about switching to weekly hw. My plan is to assign it nightly and have them copy their assignments on a HW sheet. Then I would have my students return all of it on Friday along with their HW sheet signed by parents. Any thoughts or suggestions?
I HATE homework! I would be thrilled if they would study their spelling words, read for 20 minutes, and practice math facts for 5-7 minutes. However, my experience has been that unless I give them something that is paper and pencil they don't. This is so frustrating to me. So, I assign homework which I then either take time out of teaching to look at and check to make sure they did it or I toss it and eventually they don't do that or anything else. So, I have been thinking about giving weekly homework which would give them some flexibility and make it so I can look at it over the weekend (although I'm not sure that is better for me!). How are you thinking of monitoring it? Maybe I just need a more streamlined method of monitoring...
Weekly homework works better for me. I send home a homework folder for the week on Monday. It includes spelling words, math review (I copy the Daily Math Review for M - Th), a poem to read, a reading passage with questions and a language skill. It's all review work that is reinforcing skills we are working on in the classroom - except for the spelling words which are new. Homework has to be turned in on Fridays. Parents (and students) love the weekly homework because of the flexibility with ball schedules, dance, church, etc. I do a quick check on Friday to see if it's been completed and to see if anyone is having a problem. Since I am not covering any new material and this is for reinforcement and review - I don't grade it. Works great in my classroom.
I send homework on Mondays. I do spelling, math, and reading. I check homework on the weekends. It doesn't take long to grade it and I can better see if everyone's doing it or not. For me it's a nightmare to check homework every day because so many turn it in late and it's hard to keep up with. We give homework awards at the end of each grading period so I have monitor it closley. Once the families get use to doing it weekly they like it because of the flexibility.
Weekly homework works better for me, too! We send a note home on Mondays in their homework folder, along with a couple review worksheets of grammar, math, and to read 20 minutes a night (M-Th. and parents initial that) . etc. They return it on Fridays. Then if the families have a busy week they can schedule it in when they want, or do it all in one night(except the daily reading of course). I have my aide or a volunteer check in all the homework on Friday ,to keep up. If it's incomplete the kids have to work on it that day, too, to finish it up during their recess, and so we've had great homework returns on time usually! I wouldn't assign it nightly if you want it all returned at the end of the week, why not try sending it all home at once?
I do weekly HW. I send home math facts to practice and spelling words. I also expect them to read at home. This is plenty. The actual HW should only take 10 minutes, plus the time they read.
How does this work into the weekly homework. It could affect their tests that come every 5 lessons if they do not turn it in until friday? I like the idea but I am not sure if it would work as well with my program.
I love packets and my families have been very receptive to them. I do have them turn in spelling on Tuesday and Wednesday (3 X each in ABC order and MEANINGFUL sentences with a minimum number of words). We do a whole lot of lessons following Step Up to Writing to identify appropriate sentences.
The rest of the packet is due on Fridays and a new one goes home on Friday. The packet has 2 spelling pages, and 6-8 other pages of relevant work to support class work. They also need to read for 80 mins. each week (4 X 20 mins.) and record on a log that includes a reading response and parent signature.
This year I had a parent who came in religiously on Thursday afternoons to copy the packets and she returned on Friday AM to check for completion on packets, the students would then remove a few key pages that I wanted to get a close look at, the rest we would quickly correct together in a circle on the carpet with their papers in plain view. This did not even take 15 mins once a week.
It held them accountable, they never knew which pages I would be collecting and their packet was checked for completion each week. I liked having the spelling due on set days so that they did not leave everything for the last minute.
I send home a weekly packet on Mondays - due on Fridays. It is spelling, math (facts or review worksheet), and nightly reading. I let the parents know at back to school night that it is the responsibility of the parents to check and make sure their child completes the homework AND does it correctly. All I check is that they have listed the book read and signed/initialed the reading log daily.
If the child does not study his/her spelling words - it shows up on the spelling test. If he/she does not do the math or reading, then that is also revealed in their progress or lack of progress. When there is a difficulty I can discuss the homework completion process with the parents and the child.
The thing I haven't worked out is what to do when they never fill out the reading log and initial it. It is usually only a few students. In first grade, I really blame the parents, so I do not punish the child, but I do send home a note to parents, and I note it on their report card in the section about homework completion.
But, this next year, I will be teaching 2nd grade, and I think the students should be responsible. So, what to do when it isn't done? Or, maybe I should reward those students who do complete the reading log? What do you think?
You guys have me thinking that this is the way to go. Most of you put spelling in your packet. We have a consumable spelling book that I only use for homework. This year my students carreid the book back and forth. What do you think about having then keep the book at home and then tearing out (they're perforated) the pages they are assigned and bringing them in on Friday? Maybe a I should check into Homeworkopoly. Has anyone used that program?
jbkz--one incentive we use for reading 20 minutes a night is to have a classroom goal of reading to 500 hours and we'll celebrate, and that's why we have parents initial their reading. So we keep a tally on adding machine tape of how many hours we read each week(I've already marked it off by 20's up to 500 and color it in as we go) and how it takes all of us to contribute--so that has worked really well to keep up the excitement.
girlymom--we just have volunteers at the beginning of the year rip out our pages of the book that we use for homework, and just send home the pages we want home that week. That way kids aren't losing the whole book, etc. That has worked for us, even though it's a pain to rip out pages
I used homeworkopoly this year with weekly homework--sent home on Monday, returned on Friday. I had two dice--if they had it complete and their name on every single page they got to roll both, if they finished but forgot a name, then they only rolled one. Every time they passed go I gave them a homework pass. My kids loved it. I used clothespins with their names on it to keep track of where they were each week.
I also send home a weekly homework packet. It is sent home on Mondays and is due back on Fridays. I usually send spelling, math, handwriting, and a book report.
I just don't have time to make the weekly homework packets so I do daily. The students have a folder with brads that hold enough homework sheets for the entire school year. I write the homework down under the date, and they copy it first thing in the morning. Afterward, they put the folder in the homework folder basket. This was my first year to do it.
It was difficult the first week, but after that they were writing it pretty quickly and needed few reminders. Every afternoon right before dismissal, I would go over it. That was a good time because it was quiet and quick.
I assign spelling homework weekly. I hand out a tic-tac-toe sheet with different activities at the beginning of each 9 weeks. They choose 3 activities plus a practice test with a parent and this is all due on Friday.
As for Math, I usually assign homework about twice a week and it relates to lessons taught during the week. I like the idea of assigning it on Monday, but I may need to switch to review activities to make this work.
I haven't been assigning reading for 20 minutes, but I'm thinking that this is important. How do you keep track of whether or not they are actually doing the reading?
One other question - what consequences do your students have for NOT completing assigned homework??
I send home daily homework but the routine is the same throughout the year. Every night they have 20-30 minutes of reading, study spelling, and play a game, (board/card/dominoes), to study math facts. Also on Mondays and Wednesdays they have a reading assignment that is to be done with the parent and Tuesdays and Thursdays are math assignments. The kids write down their assignments in a communication spiral and they are initialed by the parent. I teach in a Catholic school and homework is expected and completed.
At the beginning last year I gave homework every nigh. then i had to do a research project, for a class I am taking, and changed to weekly homework. the kids liked it better and I had more of them turn theri homework in. I think I will stick to weekly for the upcoming year.
I was wonder if the PP all teach 2nd, I teach 4th grade and we are expected to give 40 min of written HW plus 20 of reading a night. This is a lot. give math facts, math studylink, spelling, LA and read 20 min. each night. I think a packet would be overwhelming. Any ideas. i would like to assign less, but this is the amount that is "required" even on Fridays. Any ideas?
I would like to try weekly homework. I would assign spelling activities, math practice sheets, and daily reading (with a reading log). How do you assign studying for tests, etc. when there's no paper to do, and they might not be able to bring home the book until later in the week? Also, our kids have to write their assignments in their planners. Would they have to write the assignments for the entire week on Monday? Do you send an assignment sheet on Mondays or put it on a website? This sounds like a good idea. I'm just trying to work out the kinks. Thanks
I send home the homework sheet on Monday and it is due back on Friday. As for tests, we study for them through the week because I doubt they will do it at home, this way I know what they are weak in. I do not send an assignment for each day. I send it for the week but it is hands-on activities so the parents have to become involved. Here is a sheet I used last year. I do modify for the children so the ones in a lower or higher group will have the same assignment but it may entail more or less work, depending on their level.
Last edited by Terri in NC; 06-26-2008 at 06:26 AM..
I use Saxon, too. The families learn that math is nightly (except on test nights) and in addition they have a Friday packet for language arts. The Friday packet goes home on Fridays and is due the next Friday, but most turn it in early. It works out well that way I'm not getting them all at once. Many kids love doing hw on weekends, others do not, so the Friday packet gives them some flexibility. But with Saxon the nightly side B needs to be done nightly to implement the program correctly.
06-13-2008, 04:14 PM
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