Every child should be complete homework each week to support and consolidate learning in the classroom. The amount of time depends on age but generally there are three strands:
Reading
Research has shown that listening to your child read is a very significant feature in promoting and supporting their progress in school. Our homework schedule requires children to read at home for 15 minutes at least five times per week. Parent should use their child’s Reading Record to give feedback on reading at home and adults reading with children in school will also give targets or recommendations to challenge or support reading outside the classroom.
When supporting young readers please
- Talk about pictures.
- Encourage your child to use their finger to point to the words as they read.
- If they get stuck on a word remind them to break the word into sections and “sound” out letters then try smoothing them together.
- If the word is tricky to sound out e.g. “laugh” ask them to “read on to the end of the sentence” and this really helps them develop context skills.
- Once they’ve worked out the new word, really praise them and ask them to go back and re-read the sentence…”now you’ve cracked the code on that tricky word” and again praise your child’s success. At the end, talk about the story. It’s a lot more fun and enjoyable, if this happens in a comfy, quiet place with the T.V. off.
Maths
Having fast recall of number facts is like having a calculator in your head and helps the children solve numerical problems and more easily acquire mathematical concepts. Our homework schedule uses fun online platforms to practice number skills and this varies for each year group;
EYFS and Year 1 – Numbots
Year 2 to 4 – Times Tables Rockstars (TTRS)
Year 5 to 6 – Sumdog (All round Maths Skills
Spelling
In addition, we share spelling lists each week based upon National Curriculum Words, sounds learned within phonics sessions or spelling patterns within discrete SPAG lessons as well as words from across the curriculum for example scientific vocabulary. These are shared on our learning platform, Spelling Shed, where pupils can play interactive games to support spelling memory and word context. Some classes will conduct spelling checks to assess understanding however the main factor is that children retain words long term and apply consistently within everyday writing.