4th grade homework policy

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Getting students to work on their homework assignments is not always a simple task. Teachers need to take the initiative to create homework policies that encourage students to work hard to improve their achievement in the classroom setting. Educational leadership starts with making a policy that helps students learn and achieve while competing with extracurricular activities and the interests of students.

Set high standards

Homework policies need to have high standards to encourage students to work hard on achieving the best possible results. Student achievement in school improves when teachers set high standards and tell students that they are expected to meet the standards set in the classroom.

By setting high standards for the homework policy, teachers are ensuring that the students will be more willing to work on getting assignments done. The policies for homework that teachers and parents create can help improve student understanding of materials and result in better grades and scores on standardized tests.

Focus on study skills

Teaching students in their early education is a complicated task. Teachers need to balance the age of the students with the expected school, state and federal educational standards. Although the temptation to create a homework policy that focuses on repetition and traditional assignments can make the policy easy to create, it also removes the focus from establishing strong study skills and habits to engage students in education.

Creating a homework policy for younger students in the elementary grades should avoid traditional assignments and focus on building study skills and encouraging learning. Older students after elementary school are ready to take on written assignments rather than using technology and other tools.

Putting more focus on study skills will set a stronger foundation for homework in the future. As students get into higher grades, the type of assignments will focus on writing with a pen or pencil. The age of the student must be considered and the goal is to create a strong foundation for the future.

Involve the parents

Getting parents involved in the homework policy will encourage students to study and complete the assigned tasks. Asking parents to get involved to facilitate assignments will ensure students are learning without the parents completing the assignment for their child.

The goal of involving the parents in the homework policy is getting the family to take an interest in ensuring the assignments are completed. The best assignments will allow the student to manage the work without seeking answers from a parent. That allows parents to supervise and encourage their child without giving the answers.

Give consequences for incomplete assignments

Homework is an important part of providing educational leadership in the classroom. Although parental involvement and high standards can help encourage students to study, it is also important to clearly state the consequences if assignments are incomplete or not turned in on time.

A clear homework policy will lay out the possible consequences of avoiding assignments or turning in incomplete work. Consequences can vary based on the student grade level and age, but can include lowering the grades on a report card or taking away classroom privileges.

Although it is important to provide details about the consequences of avoiding the assignments, teachers can also use a reward system to motivate students to complete their work. Rewards can focus on the entire class or on individual rewards, depending on the situation. For example, teachers can give a small candy when students complete five assignments in a row.

Consequences and rewards can serve as a motivating factor when it comes to the homework policy. By clearly stating the potential downsides and the benefits to the student, it is easier for students to focus on the work.

Creating homework policies is part of educational leadership in the classroom. Although homework must focus on helping students achieve, it also needs to clearly state the expectations and give details about the benefits and consequences of different actions. By giving a clear policy from the first day of school, the students will know what to expect and can gain motivation to work on achieving the best results.

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Creating a Homework Policy With Meaning and Purpose

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We have all had time-consuming, monotonous, meaningless homework assigned to us at some point in our life. These assignments often lead to frustration and boredom and students learn virtually nothing from them. Teachers and schools must reevaluate how and why they assign homework to their students. Any assigned homework should have a purpose.

Assigning homework with a purpose means that through completing the assignment, the student will be able to obtain new knowledge, a new skill, or have a new experience that they may not otherwise have. Homework should not consist of a rudimentary task that is being assigned simply for the sake of assigning something. Homework should be meaningful. It should be viewed as an opportunity to allow students to make real-life connections to the content that they are learning in the classroom. It should be given only as an opportunity to help increase their content knowledge in an area.

Differentiate Learning for All Students

Furthermore, teachers can utilize homework as an opportunity to differentiate learning for all students. Homework should rarely be given with a blanket "one size fits all" approach. Homework provides teachers with a significant opportunity to meet each student where they are and truly extend learning. A teacher can give their higher-level students more challenging assignments while also filling gaps for those students who may have fallen behind. Teachers who use homework as an opportunity to differentiate we not only see increased growth in their students, but they will also find they have more time in class to dedicate to whole group instruction .

See Student Participation Increase

Creating authentic and differentiated homework assignments can take more time for teachers to put together. As often is the case, extra effort is rewarded. Teachers who assign meaningful, differentiated, connected homework assignments not only see student participation increase, they also see an increase in student engagement. These rewards are worth the extra investment in time needed to construct these types of assignments.

Schools must recognize the value in this approach. They should provide their teachers with professional development that gives them the tools to be successful in transitioning to assign homework that is differentiated with meaning and purpose. A school's homework policy should reflect this philosophy; ultimately guiding teachers to give their students reasonable, meaningful, purposeful homework assignments.

Sample School Homework Policy

Homework is defined as the time students spend outside the classroom in assigned learning activities. Anywhere Schools believes the purpose of homework should be to practice, reinforce, or apply acquired skills and knowledge. We also believe as research supports that moderate assignments completed and done well are more effective than lengthy or difficult ones done poorly.

Homework serves to develop regular study skills and the ability to complete assignments independently. Anywhere Schools further believes completing homework is the responsibility of the student, and as students mature they are more able to work independently. Therefore, parents play a supportive role in monitoring completion of assignments, encouraging students’ efforts and providing a conducive environment for learning.

Individualized Instruction

Homework is an opportunity for teachers to provide individualized instruction geared specifically to an individual student. Anywhere Schools embraces the idea that each student is different and as such, each student has their own individual needs. We see homework as an opportunity to tailor lessons specifically for an individual student meeting them where they are and bringing them to where we want them to be. 

Homework contributes toward building responsibility, self-discipline, and lifelong learning habits. It is the intention of the Anywhere School staff to assign relevant, challenging, meaningful, and purposeful homework assignments that reinforce classroom learning objectives. Homework should provide students with the opportunity to apply and extend the information they have learned complete unfinished class assignments, and develop independence.

The actual time required to complete assignments will vary with each student’s study habits, academic skills, and selected course load. If your child is spending an inordinate amount of time doing homework, you should contact your child’s teachers.

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What’s the Right Amount of Homework?

Decades of research show that homework has some benefits, especially for students in middle and high school—but there are risks to assigning too much.

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Many teachers and parents believe that homework helps students build study skills and review concepts learned in class. Others see homework as disruptive and unnecessary, leading to burnout and turning kids off to school. Decades of research show that the issue is more nuanced and complex than most people think: Homework is beneficial, but only to a degree. Students in high school gain the most, while younger kids benefit much less.

The National PTA and the National Education Association support the “ 10-minute homework guideline ”—a nightly 10 minutes of homework per grade level. But many teachers and parents are quick to point out that what matters is the quality of the homework assigned and how well it meets students’ needs, not the amount of time spent on it.

The guideline doesn’t account for students who may need to spend more—or less—time on assignments. In class, teachers can make adjustments to support struggling students, but at home, an assignment that takes one student 30 minutes to complete may take another twice as much time—often for reasons beyond their control. And homework can widen the achievement gap, putting students from low-income households and students with learning disabilities at a disadvantage.

However, the 10-minute guideline is useful in setting a limit: When kids spend too much time on homework, there are real consequences to consider.

Small Benefits for Elementary Students

As young children begin school, the focus should be on cultivating a love of learning, and assigning too much homework can undermine that goal. And young students often don’t have the study skills to benefit fully from homework, so it may be a poor use of time (Cooper, 1989 ; Cooper et al., 2006 ; Marzano & Pickering, 2007 ). A more effective activity may be nightly reading, especially if parents are involved. The benefits of reading are clear: If students aren’t proficient readers by the end of third grade, they’re less likely to succeed academically and graduate from high school (Fiester, 2013 ).

For second-grade teacher Jacqueline Fiorentino, the minor benefits of homework did not outweigh the potential drawback of turning young children against school at an early age, so she experimented with dropping mandatory homework. “Something surprising happened: They started doing more work at home,” Fiorentino writes . “This inspiring group of 8-year-olds used their newfound free time to explore subjects and topics of interest to them.” She encouraged her students to read at home and offered optional homework to extend classroom lessons and help them review material.

Moderate Benefits for Middle School Students

As students mature and develop the study skills necessary to delve deeply into a topic—and to retain what they learn—they also benefit more from homework. Nightly assignments can help prepare them for scholarly work, and research shows that homework can have moderate benefits for middle school students (Cooper et al., 2006 ). Recent research also shows that online math homework, which can be designed to adapt to students’ levels of understanding, can significantly boost test scores (Roschelle et al., 2016 ).

There are risks to assigning too much, however: A 2015 study found that when middle school students were assigned more than 90 to 100 minutes of daily homework, their math and science test scores began to decline (Fernández-Alonso, Suárez-Álvarez, & Muñiz, 2015 ). Crossing that upper limit can drain student motivation and focus. The researchers recommend that “homework should present a certain level of challenge or difficulty, without being so challenging that it discourages effort.” Teachers should avoid low-effort, repetitive assignments, and assign homework “with the aim of instilling work habits and promoting autonomous, self-directed learning.”

In other words, it’s the quality of homework that matters, not the quantity. Brian Sztabnik, a veteran middle and high school English teacher, suggests that teachers take a step back and ask themselves these five questions :

• How long will it take to complete?
• Have all learners been considered?
• Will an assignment encourage future success?
• Will an assignment place material in a context the classroom cannot?
• Does an assignment offer support when a teacher is not there?

More Benefits for High School Students, but Risks as Well

By the time they reach high school, students should be well on their way to becoming independent learners, so homework does provide a boost to learning at this age, as long as it isn’t overwhelming (Cooper et al., 2006 ; Marzano & Pickering, 2007 ). When students spend too much time on homework—more than two hours each night—it takes up valuable time to rest and spend time with family and friends. A 2013 study found that high school students can experience serious mental and physical health problems, from higher stress levels to sleep deprivation, when assigned too much homework (Galloway, Conner, & Pope, 2013 ).

Homework in high school should always relate to the lesson and be doable without any assistance, and feedback should be clear and explicit.

Teachers should also keep in mind that not all students have equal opportunities to finish their homework at home, so incomplete homework may not be a true reflection of their learning—it may be more a result of issues they face outside of school. They may be hindered by issues such as lack of a quiet space at home, resources such as a computer or broadband connectivity, or parental support (OECD, 2014 ). In such cases, giving low homework scores may be unfair.

Since the quantities of time discussed here are totals, teachers in middle and high school should be aware of how much homework other teachers are assigning. It may seem reasonable to assign 30 minutes of daily homework, but across six subjects, that’s three hours—far above a reasonable amount even for a high school senior. Psychologist Maurice Elias sees this as a common mistake: Individual teachers create homework policies that in aggregate can overwhelm students. He suggests that teachers work together to develop a school-wide homework policy and make it a key topic of back-to-school night and the first parent-teacher conferences of the school year.

Parents Play a Key Role

Homework can be a powerful tool to help parents become more involved in their child’s learning (Walker et al., 2004 ). It can provide insights into a child’s strengths and interests, and can also encourage conversations about a child’s life at school. If a parent has positive attitudes toward homework, their children are more likely to share those same values, promoting academic success.

But it’s also possible for parents to be overbearing, putting too much emphasis on test scores or grades, which can be disruptive for children (Madjar, Shklar, & Moshe, 2015 ). Parents should avoid being overly intrusive or controlling—students report feeling less motivated to learn when they don’t have enough space and autonomy to do their homework (Orkin, May, & Wolf, 2017 ; Patall, Cooper, & Robinson, 2008 ; Silinskas & Kikas, 2017 ). So while homework can encourage parents to be more involved with their kids, it’s important to not make it a source of conflict.

4th Grade Policy and Procedures

Bay Haven Charter Academy

4th Grade Policies and Procedures

As we begin another new school year we would like to welcome you to 4 th grade. We have high expectations for our students both academically and behaviorally. We desire to motivate our students to become lifelong learners. We believe it is important to foster a positive classroom environment and develop rapport with students and parents alike. When we partner together we will make certain that all students succeed. If you need to contact us please email us directly or write a note in the student planners.

Ms. Flatt [email protected]

Ms. Ishee [email protected]

Ms. McNeil [email protected]

Ms. Taylor [email protected]

Ms. Tidwell [email protected]

*The prefered method of contact is via email.

The following are the policies and procedures of Bay Haven Charter Academy and the 4 th grade team. These guidelines will explain various expectations we have for both the students and the parents. Please read carefully and sign and return the last page stapled into their planner.

Attendance:

From the Bay Haven Student Handbook:

“Attendance! Attendance! Attendance! Yes, your child(ren) must be in attendance 160 out of 180 days or they may be considered for retention. Yes, you may check your child out, but not any sooner than 20 minutes before the scheduled end of the school day unless the checkout is due to a verifiable illness or a doctor/dentist appointment. Yes, you must provide a request two weeks in advance, in writing, to the principal requesting Family Leave. Non-emergency Family Leave will not be granted during exam weeks. You may have 5 days of Family Leave per year and it must be demonstrated that the leave cannot be taken during school breaks. Students must make up their work either before they leave or within 5 days of their return to receive credit. If your child is receiving a “D” or “F” in a class the administration strongly suggests you NOT take leave. The principal has the authority NOT to approve leave requests. Denial of family leave will be considered an unexcused absence.”

It is important for students to be present and on time. Our day begins at 7:30 a.m. and ends at 2:45 p.m. Students who are tardy must go to the front office and receive a tardy pass to be admitted to class. This school year attendance will be maintained electronically. If a student is tardy or absent you may/may not receive an automated phone call stating the tardy or absence. This is a system used by many school districts to help inform parents of a student missing classes. Any student leaving school prior to dismissal will have an early dismissal logged to his/her record. Any time a child has 3 unexcused early dismissals in one month, the parents will be sent a note reminding them of the academic mission of BHCA and requesting communication.

Excused early dismissals are given for doctor’s appointments with notes from the doctor and for extreme emergencies. After 5 unexcused early dismissals in a grading period, a letter will be sent requiring a conference to explain the seriousness of the matter and go over the consequences of another early dismissal.

Classroom Expectations

BHCA students are expected to be responsible for their own actions and behavior. BHCA parents shall be informed and involved in the discipline process. BHCA staff will present, explain, and monitor expected behaviors for our students. By working as a team, the BHCA students, parents, and staff can ensure a safe, clean, and orderly learning environment.

Expected Behaviors

BHCA is an educational environment. Students are therefore expected to:

• Be here every day, ready to learn.
• Be on time to every class, prepared to work.
• Have necessary classroom materials every day.
• Complete your work on time and with pride.
• Make up work in time allowed per district policy--you have one day for makeup work for every day of excused absence.
• Respect the rights of others to learn and be safe.
• Use acceptable language at all times.
• Show respect for yourself, other students, teachers, and staff.
• Respect school and private property and share in the responsibility of maintaining school cleanliness.
• Refrain from gum chewing on campus.
• Settle conflicts in an acceptable manner. Use mediation, not force.
• Take nothing that does not belong to you.

Discipline Steps for 4th grade - A Positive Approach

• Verbal warning with redirection
• Written note in planner
• Loss of privilege
• Parent contact via phone or email
• Referral to office, please see the BHCA Handbook for further information

Formative Assignments - This type of assessment is used primarily for practice and will be used as a percentage of the report card grade.

“TIC,” refers to work completed together in class. Examples include, but are not limited to the following:

• Daily work- DOL, vocabulary work, group assignments, math practice, reading summaries, writing journals, geography questions, science worksheets, etc.
• Daily homework is turned in for grading the following morning. Reading logs will be due each Monday. Please include the book title and minutes read in the planner.

Summative Assessment - This type of assessment is one that “sums” or measures what your child has learned. A grade will be assigned to the work and goes in the grade book following several opportunities for the student to practice the skill. Summative grades make up the majority of the report card grade.

Examples of summative assessments include, but are not limited to

• Performance task-The student will be asked to perform a skill such as properly conducting an experiment.
• Presentation – Student presents material he or she has learned in the form of book talks, reports, etc.
• Rubric-is used on many summative assessments. The student is assessed on a number scale according to his/her achievement.
• Technology based test-The student will use the computer to take a test or perform a task using the computer.

Grading scale: 90-100 A 80-89 B 70-79 C 60-69 D 0-59 F

FOCUS : Online gradebook percentages:

Language Arts:

Formative Homework/Reading Log= 10%

Formative Grammar Classwork= 20%

Formative Reading Strategies/Spelling/Writing Prompts=25%

Summative Test=45%

Formative Homework=5%

Formative Quizzes=5%

Formative Classwork=40%

Summative Test=50%

Formative Classwork=35%

Formative Lab=15%

Social Studies:

Formative Geography Questions=10%

4th grade students are required to keep a planner to write homework assignments, keep their reading logs, and important events. This is an integral part of training the students how to keep track of their daily activities. The planner is also a tool used to communicate from teacher to parent and vice versa on a daily basis. Parents will be required to sign planner daily to ensure that students have completed homework and parents are aware of daily progress and behavior. If parents need to communicate with the teacher, then they can write a note in the planner. If parent or teacher communication requires privacy, a folded note stapled in the planner on that date or a note to expect an email will be written in the planner. Separate notes can be lost and are discouraged.

Contacting teachers:

The preferred way of contacting your child’s teacher is email. We will respond as soon as possible depending on the day to day circumstances. Thank you for your understanding.

Homework/Newsletters:

Homework is assigned Monday through Thursday nights. Students will be expected to complete the assignments that evening at home, and return it to school the morning.

The following is BHCA’s 4th grade homework/class work policy:

Since homework and classwork are assigned to assess students’ learning, it is our policy NOT to accept late homework or class work for a grade. If an assignment is not turned in at the appropriate time, the assignment will receive a grade of zero. Homework is graded on completion, therefore, when your child receives a homework grade of 100%, it indicates completion of all homework. We do not want to penalize students that provide 100% effort, however do not have the support at home to check for accuracy. When less than 100% is noted for the homework grade, the number indicates the percentage of completed homework. When a student misses more than three homework assignments, the teacher will contact you through email or the planner to discuss strategies to ensure homework completion. Homework is due when the students arrive to school at 7:30 a.m. In fairness to all students, we do not accept work that is dropped off throughout the school day. Our rationale is some parents work and are unable to leave work to bring their child’s HW to school. We do this in order to teach accountability and responsibility and to prepare them for middle school.

Just a reminder that repeatedly not turning in homework on the assigned day and time, will adversely affect the final grade in that subject.

Absent students are responsible for their make-up work. Per Bay Haven policy, students will have three (3) days to get make-up work turned into the teacher. If the work is not turned in, the student will receive a zero. Test make-ups must be coordinated with the teacher. Students must stay up with the current curriculum as make-up work is being completed. Because of this we strongly encourage your child to get their make-up work ahead of time!

Spelling - Spelling words will be on the weekly classroom Newsletters.

Field Trips:

Field trips are instructional opportunities outside the school setting. Trips are planned to enrich the students learning. Students will be required to ride the school bus both to and from the location. Parents may chaperone and will need to attend the required Parent Chaperone Guidelines meeting. Siblings are not permitted on any field trip. Field trip information will be provided at the Open House. Your child must have a notarized medical release form on hand in order to participate on the 4th grade field trips. We have a notary in the front office.

Birthdays will be celebrated on the day of the student’s birthday. If a birthday falls on a weekend, you may pick either the Friday before or the Monday after. Please send in items that are individually wrapped. Please do not send in any items that need to be cut, because it takes away additional instructional time when the teacher is required to cut and serve cake. There are 23 students in each 4 th grade class.

Bay Haven Charter Elementary

4th Grade Policies and Procedures Signature Page

I understand that BHCA is an academically challenging school. Parents of students at BHCA agree to:

• Value attendance and have your child at school on time every day
• Understand that your child will have homework, will have to study and prepare for tests, will have occasional projects that are not optional, will not be allowed to retake test, and that when a child struggles there are avenues to assist, such as the construction of a PLP (Personalized Learning Plan) between the parent-child-teacher. This responsibility is shared between all three (teacher, student, and parent) and does not solely fall on the responsibility of the classroom teacher.
• Always support the teacher and school decisions
• Help maintain the positive school culture by never complaining
• Communicate with my child’s teacher when a question or concern arises before going to administration
• Fulfill my 20 hours of volunteer hours at a minimum with the understanding that we “want” parents at our school!
• Assist in teaching the 25 Student Expectation
• Stay aware of what is going on by reading weekly e-blasts, classroom newsletters, student planners, and looking at the school webpage frequently.

We have read and understand the 4th grade Policies and Procedures.

Student Name_____________________________________________________

Student Signature__________________________________________________

Parent/Guardian Signature___________________________________________

Date________________________________________________________

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Homework Policy

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• Forgotten homework must be completed the following night & turned in.
• If your child is absent, they will be given the amount of time they were absent to complete all missed work.  (i.e.  If your child was absent three days, they will have three days to complete all missed work.)
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No Homework Policy: One Year Later

By Mary Montero

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.Last school year was a really big year in my classroom. We started flexible seating (you can read more about that adventure  HERE ), we implemented a Bring Your Own Device program, and we did away with homework. Like I said– BIG year!

While each of those three changes contributed to a very different feel in my classroom than years prior, I was particularly nervous about doing away with homework. I know that homework has its place, and I know there are concepts and skills (especially in 4th grade!) that require repetition to really grasp. Yet, I still felt like the reasons to do away with homework were more important than the benefits of homework itself.

Throughout the school year, I had many colleagues pop in and ask how our no-homework policy was going. “It’s going well!” I would respond, but I wouldn’t give many details. Now, after a full school year without it, I definitely have some reflections on how it went, what changes I would make, and if I would do it again!

After a Full Year of No Homework

You can see that we didn’t COMPLETELY do away with homework, but we did do away with 99% of it. We still STRONGLY encouraged students to be reading each night, and they were required to have a novel in progress at all times. We also continued our weekly letter writing, where students had to respond to us in letter form by the end of the week. You can read more about that idea  HERE . I’ll never have a classroom where I don’t do it!

We also had a disclaimer that if students did not complete their classwork in a reasonable period of time or were excessively off task during an assignment, they would need to bring it home to complete it.

How I Broke The News To My Students

Of course, when we first told students about this change, there was hooting and hollering and cheers galore! I let them have their moment and then gently pulled them back together. I reassured them that it was totally possible that they wouldn’t have homework, but that it would mean they had to give me their all every. single. minute of every. single. day. Their eyes got big, they sat up taller, and an air of confidence washed over them. “We’ve got this, Mrs. M.!” I remember one kiddo saying. In the beginning, it was as if they would do anything to keep this privilege.  We floated on clouds of no-homework bliss for a solid week…

And then here’s what really happened when I did away with homework…

I expected more from my students than ever before.

When I was planning my lessons this year, I packed in more than I ever had before. While that might send like a negative effect of this little experiment, it was actually one of the best parts for me.

The Monster That Is Math

In math, in particular, this was a game changer for me. I knew that my students needed to deeply and fully understand these concepts and be able to compute with automaticity. I also knew they wouldn’t be going home and doing 20 extra problems each night like they had in the past. This meant that 1) I had to make sure they understood the concept like the back of their hand and 2) They could apply that understanding to a wide variety of problems…. Of course, these are two non-negotiables that any math classroom should have, but I was going to be doing it with less practice and repetition than before.

Therefore, when I was planning, I ended up with FAR more inquiry-based lessons and practice (so that they would really get the meat of the concept), and far less direct teacher instruction. I jammed as much as I could into my whole group time (10-15 minutes a day) and then jammed even more into their workshop time. Kids were collaborating, practicing, and learning more than ever… Simply because I had this sense of urgency that I was missing before.

But What About Spelling

A few people have asked about spelling and how this worked without homework and studying at home. We use a word study philosophy, similar to Words Their Way , which means that students are studying patterns in words rather than the words themselves. I incorporated this into my reading rotations and would occasionally devote some of our writing to it, and I would highly recommend it!

Another option to fit in what would have previously been homework is to rethink your morning routine. I usually use my  Think It Through  critical thinking packet as morning work, and when I did away with homework this year and had to give them some more “intense” morning work, I started using the packet during Morning Meeting instead. I used our morning work time this year to review and reteach grammar concepts some days and math skills other days. It was the perfect balance!

This brought out the best in some kids

When I say it brought out the best in them, I mean it changed their study habits permanently. They created habits that I hope will continue on with them for years and years to come. They knew that in order to continue having no homework, they truly had to give me their all during the day. It wasn’t easy. They had to not only complete their assignments, but complete them well. We had very, very little down time, and I expected more from this group of kids than ever before.  Some rose to the challenge and THRIVED under the challenge…

…and some kids didn’t care.

I did have a handful of students who were not at all motivated by a lack of homework. These were the kids who repeatedly ended up taking work home because they weren’t completing it in class. Usually due to them being distracted and not on-task. Some kids learned quickly that this isn’t what they wanted, and a few kids never did quite learn.

Some parents loved it. Others hated it.

On Back to School Night, when we handed out this homework policy, the general consensus was all the praise hands in the world! Parents thanked us for giving them FREEDOM in the evenings to take their kids to gymnastics without worrying about homework and some parents thanked us for eliminating the nightly homework battle they had fought for the past few years.

We also had a small number of parents who wanted their kids to have homework. They worried that they would become accustomed to not having homework and have a difficult time next year when their teacher required it again. They worried they wouldn’t get enough skill practice. These were valid concerns, and we reassured parents that, if they requested it, we would send home supplemental practice. Not one of the parents who initially expressed concern over the policy ever ended up asking for homework.

…but some KIDS asked for homework!

I’ll never forget the first time one of my kids ASKED for homework! It was about a month into the school year, and we were working on  Error Analysis  in small groups. One of my students looked up and said, “I LOVE this. Can you PLEASE give us some more to do at home!?” How could I deny them that opportunity!? 🙂 The rest of the kids in the small group chimed in that they wanted to bring some home too. During my lunch break, I printed a few more tasks out for those kids, and guess what? Every single student in that group brought it home and returned it the next day– BY CHOICE!

This happened multiple times throughout the year, primarily with my  math projects  and error analysis tasks. I never, ever denied them when they asked to bring something home for homework.

Some kids NEED homework.

Usually, these aren’t the kids who were requesting the extra homework, but I had another handful of students who needed homework. They needed skill practice, they needed reading fluency practice, and they needed fact practice. I talked to each of those students individually and contacted those parents privately. They (both students and parents) understood why I needed to send supplemental work home. Once a quarter, I put together packets based on those kids’ needs. I gave them free reign to complete it at any time throughout the quarter, and every single packet came back completed by the end of the quarter.

I would do it all over again.

At the end of the year, I had parents come up to me and thank me for this policy, telling me how they had enjoyed a better relationship with their student this year without the nightly homework battle. They had taken more walks, participated in more after school activities, and were generally so thankful for the reprieve.

As a teacher, I saw happy kids coming in every day and relaxed kids leaving every afternoon. There were no battles over missing homework, and kids worked hard to keep the privilege. I had no noticeable (anecdotally or with data) drop in achievement or growth over the course of the year. I felt like a better teacher because I worked even harder during the school day to make sure they were getting exactly what they needed while they were with me.

…Oh, and I had a lot less grading to do, too! 🙂 🙂

I would do it again a heartbeat!

Homework Policy

We strongly believe in the power of play and the importance of letting children be children. Further, research does not indicate significant benefits of homework at the elementary level. We believe that when students give us all of their day, they deserve to have all of their night. Therefore, we have eliminated the majority of our standing homework assignments. Eat dinner as a family and ask them how their day was, enjoy your child’s extracurricular activities without worrying about homework, and know that your child is working hard at school each day and has earned their evening playtime!

To foster community and self-reflection, your student will have a weekly letter from their teacher (more about that below!) to respond to, and we highly encourage you to read a book of choice with your child each evening. Please Note: If a student exhibits off-task behaviors during the school day and fails to complete an assignment, the assignment will be sent home for completion.

Mary Montero

I’m so glad you are here. I’m a current gifted and talented teacher in a small town in Colorado, and I’ve been in education since 2009. My passion (other than my family and cookies) is for making teachers’ lives easier and classrooms more engaging.

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We have spelling and vocabulary programs that each have a workbook. I've used those as homework assignments with the test on Fridays. Would you have the kids do these assignments in class rather than as homework? What homework did you use to give for Language Arts and how did that change? Do your kids take tests and do you have them study at home for those? I'm interested in having no homework – I'm just not sure how to fit everything in a short class period. Thanks in advance for providing more information!

Thank you for sharing your thoughts! My team and I have been thinking through this possibility for us. I am wondering if you give spelling tests? If not, can you tell me did this go away at the same time or previously? Thanks!

I did not do homework in my fourth grade classroom last year either. I had very much the same reactions from parents and results with my class. I also felt that sense of urgency to get things accomplished and to make sure that kids really knew what they were doing in the time we had at school. I am definitely planning on implementing this again this year in my third grade classroom! I do like your idea of making it a privilege. Putting it to them that way also creates a sense of urgency with them to succeed. Thanks so much for sharing!

That was a fascinating read. Good to hear that most of the kids stepped up their game!

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Forward to Different – Late Work Policies

This raised all sorts of questions in our minds as parents and the practicality of using an academic measure (like grades) to penalize a behavioral issue (turning work in late). Before we go any further, I want to say that my daughter’s teacher is extremely supportive of the students in her class and will give them many reminders to turn in late work. This policy is a DISTRICT policy, not her belief.

I decided to post this question on Twitter to see what the teaching universe would have to say and well…it kicked up quite the hornet’s nest. As of this post, it has 185 comments and counting. (check out the full thread here , but be warned…)

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Carl- This is a great post, and I appreciate your outline of both sides of the issue. “Accountability” is a far more complex concept than many realize. Particularly, assuming that punishment is a motivator for better behavior really doesn’t address the root cause of procrastination, which is fear. I like the idea of the “late slip,” but would also consider some option for kids to announce ahead of time that an assignment will be late. That reinforces good planning habits, and respects the fact that kids are not entirely in control of their schedules.

Carl, I love the summary you provided- – it really captures the many nuances of this topic. I can understand why this is an issue that resulted in passionate responses from two camps on social media. Many districts have homework policies in place because teachers’ and parents’ have strong, often polarized, feelings about it. But, like most things in education, there needs to be a healthy shift in perspective about the role of homework. We love to tell kids that they should be well-rounded, involved in co-curriculars, volunteer in their community, mindful of their mental health, etc, yet some schools plow them with homework without really discussing why and this is a conflicting message.

I, Mrs. Hodgson, circa 2002, would have gleefully marked “-11” in red ink on the late assignments while Mrs. Hodgson, circa 2019 (on the off-chance that I did actually assign homework), would have accepted the late work without issuing the demerits, regardless of district policy (Mrs. Hodgson became a bit of a rebel in her last years of teaching).

The shift in my mindset came with the realization that kids are people who sometimes can’t get their work done on time, and the reasons for not doing their homework spans from apathy to confusion to crisis. I stopped assigning homework as part of my daily routine and started rearranging class time to make it more effective. The response from students when I told them on the first day of class that they will rarely have homework was relief- – and the relief was shared by me as well.

Thanks again for your summary and post because it prompts educators to ask “Why are we assigning homework in the first place?”

My #1 argument against deducting for late work has been that it grades executive functioning and compliance over content knowledge. I also think that as teachers we need to recognize that as we ask for woek/life balance, we need to support that for our students, too.

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