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Homework

Recommended amount of time, according to Redwood City School District’s policy, is 15-30 minutes per day for K through 3rd grade, 40-60 minutes per day for 4th through 5th grade, and 60 - 80 minutes per day for 6th through 8th grade children. When a child is absent due to illness, please reach out to your teacher to obtain schoolwork or homework that they have missed. 

PURPOSE 

Homework has a definite purpose. It is important for learning responsibility, good work habits and good study skills.

Homework should:

  • Reinforce, enrich and extend what is learned in school. 

  • Help develop good work habits and scheduling of time

  • Promote growth in personal responsibility

  • Provide opportunities for increasing self-direction

  • Be able to be completed with little or no direction from parents 

Examples of homework are:

  • Reading

  • Studying for a test

  • Preparing for sharing time and oral reports

  • Preparing book and other types of reports

  • Making up work missed through absence

  • Completing unfinished work

Please note for each grade level, the homework policy may differ as to types of homework activities.

Children vary in the amount of time they spend on homework, so these suggested times are guidelines for teachers and parents. Homework is generally limited to Monday through Thursday and is not assigned over the major holidays. Long-range projects are scheduled well in advance and parents are informed.

Parents should support their child by providing a positive environment and atmosphere for homework at home:

  • Help your child set aside a regular time for homework.

  • Make sure you have a quiet, well-lit place for your child to work.

  • Make sure you have the necessary materials available, such as dictionaries, pencils, paper, etc.

  • Be familiar with your child’s homework assignments. Check completion of homework.

  • Follow-up on suggestions from your child’s teacher to help your child when problems arise.

Call the teacher right away if you have any questions or concerns about the homework.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Write down all your assignments.

  • Write down the date the assignment is due.

  • Ask questions about any confusing parts of the assignment, be sure you understand what your teacher expects from you

  • Before leaving class, make sure you understand the purpose of the assignment.

  • Before leaving school make sure you have all the materials you need to bring home for the assignment

We occasionally have students come back to campus requesting to get into their classrooms to retrieve forgotten materials. If their teacher has left for the day, students will need to wait until the following day. The office staff will not be able to open the classroom door. Organizing oneself is an important skill students need to learn. At the end of the day, they should always check to make sure they have the books and papers they’ll need to complete their homework. Teachers usually spend a few minutes at the end of the day reminding student of what they need to complete at home. Students who take an extra minute or two to check their homework assignments and gather the appropriate materials can be confident they have what they need. Students who do not check to see if they have what they need can end up frustrated and worried if they find they don’t have a book or a homework sheet. Please encourage your children to spend an extra minute or two at the end of the school day making sure they have everything they need. It makes life easier for everyone in the family when the student is prepared.