Homework
Homework is anything children do outside the normal school day that contributes to their learning, in response to guidance from the school. Homework encompasses a whole variety of activities instigated by teachers and parents/carers to support the children’s learning. For example, parents or carers who spend time reading stories to their children before bedtime are helping with homework.
Rationale for Homework
Homework is a very important part of a child’s education, and can add much to their development. We recognise that the educational experience that any school by itself can provide is limited by the time and resources available; children can therefore benefit greatly from the complementary learning that they do at home.
Indeed, we see homework as an important example of cooperation between teachers and parents/carers. We believe that doing homework is one of the main ways in which children can acquire the skill of independent learning.
While homework plays a positive role in raising a child’s level of attainment, we also acknowledge the importance of play and free time in a child’s growth and development.
We are well aware that children spend more time at home than at school, and we believe that they develop their interests and skills to the full only when parents/carers encourage them to make maximum use of the opportunities available outside school.
Aims and objectives
At Townhead Primary School we aim for our homework and shared learning experiences to:
- Encourage reading at home;
- allow the opportunity to share learning;
- extend pupils’ learning beyond the classroom;
- encourage knowledge and skills that will help with real life experiences;
- give opportunities to personalise and choose learning;
- help pupils develop their skills as an independent learner;
- promote cooperation between home and school in supporting each child’s learning;
- provide opportunities to revisit learning experiences in a purposeful way;
- consolidate and reinforce the learning done in school, and to allow children to practise skills taught; help children develop good work habits for the future.
Typical tasks may include:
Number work Reading Words Spelling
Sentence Formation Creative Writing Research Work
Project Work
Teaching and Learning Issues
Homework should include a variety of tasks that underpin the values and principles of Curriculum for Excellence and extend work done in class. Curriculum for Excellence proposes that learning experiences encourage children to be successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors. With this intention in mind, Townhead Primary believes home, the community, the environment and the media all provide information and examples which can be used to enrich work introduced in school.
A variety of homework activities should be given:
- reinforcement of class work
- research topics/investigations
- preparation for class work
- activities related to Personal and Social Development
- preparation for a presentation & researching current affairs
Occasionally a child may bring home some work that has not been finished in school. This would normally be in consultations with a parent as a means of encouraging the child to complete the work in the required time.
Parents may at times experience difficulty in working with their child/children on homework for various reasons e.g. pressures of work, illness in the family, etc. Please let us know if this is the case and we can help support you without adding another pressure for you to carry. Your quality of family life is more important than sitting down ploughing through homework at times of stress.
