ST MICHAEL’S HOMEWORK POLICY

Purpose:
The staff at St. Michael’s believe that most, “quality learning”, takes place in the
classroom and the quality of learning is more important than the quantity.
This policy on homework has been developed to establish responsibilities and guidelines for
standards for homework, its evaluation and monitoring.
The policy has been developed in conjunction with information provided through parent and
staff surveys, current research available on homework issues and Diocesan Policy.

“Schools should develop policies on homework that are in keeping with

current educational practice and which respect the need of every child
to enjoy adequate recreation and to participate in family activities.”
(Wollongong Diocese, Homework Policy March 2003)

Scope:
This policy is to guide Parents and Teachers. It does not apply to students whose
instructional program is governed by individualised education plans, which may exclude the
prospect of homework.

Definition:
Homework is defined as tasks to be completed outside school time to reinforce classroom
practice, increase understanding and retention and at times to provide curriculum
enrichment opportunities.

Commitment:
St Michael’s staff believes that as a Catholic School one of the essential tasks is to
develop a high standard of literacy to enable all students to become active participants of
society.
Literate students have the ability to read and use written information to function
appropriately in a range of contexts. The development of knowledge and understanding of
literacy enhances personal growth and benefits a greater society.
Homework is therefore assigned with this purpose in mind, which will vary based upon
developmentally appropriate practices.
o In the early years students learn to read and will be involved in reading to their
parents / caregiver and vice versa.
o As the students become older and more capable their reading is more self-directed.
Reading for enjoyment and reading for learning become the focus.
o The reading homework can then reinforce classroom curriculum themes and support
student learning as appropriate for the ability of the individual student.
o It should be recognised that not all homework needs to take the form of written
work.

St Michael’s Homework Policy Updated October 2008 Wollongong CEO ©

Homework Requirements
Students at St.Michael’s will be expected to read on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and
Thursday nights and follow the guidelines below. Times below include discussion with the
child before, during and following the reading of the text.
o Early Stage 1 (Kindergarten) 10 minutes- to read aloud to an adult/with an adult/by
an adult
o Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2) 20 minutes- to read aloud to an adult/with an adult/by an
adult
o Stage 2 (Years 3 and 4) 30 minutes- to read on their own, sometimes to an adult or
by an adult
o Stage 3 (Years 5 and 6) 45 minutes- to read on their own, sometimes to an adult or
by an adult
Children in Stage 3 are required to use and bring their diaries to school each day.
Homework can be completed by using the Reading Matrix (See Appendix) that contains a
variety of tasks and that can be recorded in the children’s diaries/reading journals. This
gives options to the children who don’t have a book to read each night or would like to do
something different.
Students in Years 3-6 may, from time to time, be required to complete a written activity
that is associated with work being done in class. This task may be posted on the child’s
myClasses page.

Children’s Responsibilities
o Complete homework reading log.
o List book(s) read or number of pages read.
o Ask parents to sign and comment in their reading log.
o Plan time so that reading / research can be completed.
o Present reading log weekly
o Stage 3- Bring Homework Diary to school each day
o Complete a weekly task as a family. (See Appendix section)

Teacher’s Responsibilities
o Match children to readers where applicable
o Suggest books / research in Stage 3 (Years 3 to 6)
o Check reading logs and communicate with parents if log is not completed.
o Provide Support Material to parents on:
How to Listen to Children Read (as outlined in the Parent’s Responsibility
section of the Policy as well as the Reading Strategies in Appendix)
Suggestions on How to Extend Your Children’s Reading (as outlined in the
Appendix section of the Policy)
o Provide a detailed Term Overview to be sent home at the beginning of each Term.
This may include suggestions on books children can read.

St Michael’s Homework Policy Updated October 2008 Wollongong CEO ©

Parent’s Responsibilities
o Encourage reading at home and to use the Home Reading Log for useful suggestions on how
to help your child with reading, spelling familiar words, reading 200 most used words.
o If a child loses their Home Reading Journal/Diaries, they are to be replaced.
o To read and use the helpful hints in their child’s Home Reading Journal. Children in
Kindergarten to Year 2 use the same journal with some helpful hints outlined below:
o Kindergarten to Year 2
o Excellent Ideas!
o Make a Regular Time for Reading Each Day
o Prompts for when your child needs help (pg 15)
o Some Things To Do (pg17)
o More Tips (pg25)
o Encourage Your Child to Recognise the 100 Most Common Used Words
o Correcting Mistakes Your Child Makes (pg27)
o Some Secrets for Success (pg 35)
o Questions to ask following the reading of the text (pg 37)
o Suggestions on ‘What to Read?’ (pg 41)
o Early Stage 1 through to Stage 1 parents to Sign and comment in reading log.
o Years 3 and 4
Years 3 and 4 use the same journal with some helpful hints as outlined below:
o When reading a book you could discuss the following statements…(pg 7)
o A Suitable Reading Environment (pg 11)
o Be Patient-tips to encourage your child during reading time (pg 15)
o Suggestions to Help Increase Understanding (pg 17)
o Does Your Child Do Any of The following?-Reading behaviours (pg 21)
o Encouragement-Sayings to be supportive of your child’s reading (pg 25)
o How to Correct Mistakes Your Child Makes while reading (pg 27)
o Encourage Your Child to Recognise the 101-200 Most Commonly Used Words (pg
31)
o Reading Tips For Parents (pg 35)
o Questions to ask following the reading of the text (pg 37)
o Suggestions on ‘What to Read?’ (pg 41)
Stage 2 parents to Sign and comment in reading log.
o Years 5 and 6
Years 5 and 6 use the same School Diary as preparation for going to High School.
o ‘The Net and Your Kids’ which has good information for parents on the use
of the internet.
o Reading For Life-Tips to help your child enjoy reading
o Read in a variety of ways with the children.
o Stage 3 parents to sight and sign Homework Diaries weekly
o Support their child/ren in learning to manage their time as to gain a balance of homework
time, sport/after school activities, family time, recreation/television etc. This can be done
through the parent negotiating a weekly timetable with their child that includes homework
time, television time, computer time, sport training and playing, as well as relaxing time

St Michael’s Homework Policy Updated October 2008 Wollongong CEO ©

APPENDIX

Parental Support:
Parents are urged to actively involve themselves in their children’s schoolwork. Homework
offers an opportunity for valuable interaction between parent and child in support of
learning.
Parents can help in the following ways:
1. Showing interest in their child’s reading.
2. Providing a suitable place to read, free from disturbances.
3. Ensuring that their child has read, and signing the reading log.
4. Encouraging children and praising their efforts.
5. Assisting in managing the use of time.
6. Staying in close communication with teachers: being aware of what their children
are learning, what the homework is and how the children are progressing.
7. Contacting the school if problems arise

Suggested Authors
Emily Rodda Margaret Wild
Paul Jennings Alison Lester
Margaret Clarke Mem Fox
James Maloney Pamela Allen

Reading Strategies
 Parent reads to the child.
 Child reads to the parent.
 Child reads to older or younger family member.
 Parent and child share the reading, reading a page each.
 Child reads on to a tape / computer and shares it with the family.
 Parent takes the child/ren to the local library.
 Child selects books from school / home library to read.
 Child reads different types of text. Picture books, short novels, novels, reference
books, magazines, newspapers.
 Parent and child search the internet on class topics.
 Child researches class themes on the internet and records information to share
with the class.

St Michael’s Homework Policy Updated October 2008 Wollongong CEO ©

Suggested Web Links for work at home:
www.smartkiddies.com.au
www.rainforestmaths.com (This site is temporarily closed at the moment)
www.tutpup.com

References and Additional Reading

1. Lightfoot, Liz Primary Schools Urged to Stop Homework
www.telegraph.co/uk/news/uknews
2. More Evidence Against Primary School Homework 1999 http://news.bbc.co.uk
3. Asthana, Anushka Why Homework Isn’t Working 2007
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/jan/28/schools.education
4. Homework for Primary School Children is a Complete Waste of Time: Claims Study 2008
www.thisislondon.co.uk
5. Alfie Kohn The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing 2006
(Book)
6. Buell. John and Kralovec. Etta. End Homework Now. April 2001.
www.ascd.org/publications
7. Chaika. Glori. School Administrators Article. Help! Homework Is Wrecking My Home
Life! Issues 2002. www.educationworld.com
8. Dyck. Brenda. Homework: A Place for Rousing Reform. Issues 2002.
www.educationworld.com
9. Paulu. Nancy. Curriculum Article. Put An End To Homework Horror! Issues 2002.
www.educationworld.com
10. Sharp. Caroline. Review of Studies on Homework. June 2001. www.nfer.ac.uk
11. Smithers. Rebecca. Poor Marks for Homework. July 1999. www.guardian.co.uk
12. Townsend. Mark. The Observer. February 2004. www.observer.guardian.co.uk
13. Weaver. Diane. School Issues Articles. Homework Takes A Hit! Issues 2002.
www.educationworld.com
14. Zammit. Katrina. The Peta Guide to Homework. The Primary English Association. 1997

St Michael’s Homework Policy Updated October 2008 Wollongong CEO ©

Reading Matrix
The following reading matrix is to provide you, the parents, with a variety of possibilities
for your child’s reading homework. These are only options but occasionally when your child
does not have a book to read, then perhaps you could select something from the matrix.

READING MATRIX
A story that is A recipe that you Something written A text by your A story with
written with lots actually use to about your favourite author repetitive text
of rhyme cook something favourite sport or
sportsperson
A different An instruction A piece of factual Something of A text by a local
version of your booklet for a text about an interest from a author
favourite fairy favourite game Australian animal website
tale
A newspaper A comic A section of a A catalogue from A book set in a
article CD-Rom a toy store place you would
like to visit
A review of a A collection of An advertisement A hobby or A diagram
movie you have poetry that attracted leisure magazine explaining how to
seen your attention make or do
something
A menu from a A joke book A book with A collection of A software
restaurant chapters cereal packets instruction
booklet
Footy cards - TV Guide - Read bible or Atlas - finding Using a street
reading the locating programs, prayer book countries, directory or
statistics; making time, channel, capitals, rivers maps. Give
comparisons, duration, etc Relate to children a
ordering cards understanding current scenario - how
symbols for events in the do I get from
ratings news home to the
nearest park?
Wonderwords Using a telephone Read song sheets Writing a Crosswords
directory from CDs sentence, cutting
it up into word
chunks and then
reconstruct
Have your child select their own choice of reading material. As they grow older, they
become interested in different things and this can be reflected in what they themselves
choose to read.

St Michael’s Homework Policy Updated October 2008 Wollongong CEO ©

Following the completion of any of the above choices, it is important that a discussion
occurs about what they have just read, not only to develop their oral language but also to
share that one on one time with your child/ren. With some of the options there are a
variety of other things you could do with your child/ren (depending on their ages and time
that you have.) For example;
• Reading a recipe, make the item
• The catalogue from the toy store- have the children select items for purchase and
work out the cost. On the other hand, give them a limit of say $200 and have them
hypothesise as to what they would spend their money on. What change would they
receive? Etc
• Do a similar thing following the reading of a menu.
• Following the reading of a movie review, have them write their own review with
their own thoughts.
• Have them write/or tell some of their own jokes that could be used with children
younger than themselves.

These are just some suggestions but with every option on the matrix there are many
things that can be done to extend the activities.

St Michael’s Homework Policy Updated October 2008 Wollongong CEO ©

ACTIVITIES TO DEVELOP ORAL LANGUAGE

‘Language is central to students’ intellectual, social and emotional development and has an
essential role in all key learning areas.’ (English Syllabus, p6)
We use language to achieve a range of social purposes. We also use language to make sense
of the world, to communicate and develop ideas on a range of topics.
Oral language is the foundation of reading and writing development. To foster children’s
language development we need to create opportunities for them to talk and then talk with
them (not at them).
Perhaps as part of their homework a weekly family task is completed to encourage
conversation. For example-

Bake a cake Take a trip to Visit the local art Go to Mass on

Meroogal gallery Sunday

Read a bible Visit the local Select an article Be creative – use

passage and post office and in the local paper recyclable
discuss check out the and discuss materials to
bargain book create a
packs ‘masterpiece’

Play a board game Create a board Decide on a Create a prayer

or cards game about the random act of space and say a
families likes and kindness nightly prayer of
dislikes thanks

Help the Take a bush walk – Have the children Play ‘charades’ or
environment – Ben’s walk, The help plan and ‘who am I’ using
plant a Grotto prepare a family clues about
tree/flower picnic certain family
members

St Michael’s Homework Policy Updated October 2008 Wollongong CEO ©

HOW TO EXTEND YOUR CHILD’S READING

Always remember that reading serves as two purposes:

1. To gain and understand information read
2. More importantly, FOR ENJOYMENT!

We can gain meaning from three levels when reading – the whole text, the sentence and
the word. To extend your child’s reading comprehension you might look at word solving
which not only involves decoding but taking in the many layers of word meaning.
o At the end of the reading session you might choose a word and ask your child to
explain what a particular word means or give a synonym for the word ( a word of
similar meaning) or perhaps an antonym for the word ( a word of opposite
meaning).
o You could ask your child to add a prefix to the word and ask how that may change
the meaning of the word e.g. adding ‘un’ to done.
o Every sentence must contain a verb. Have your child identify the verbs or any
other parts of grammar (nouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, pronouns, etc)
o Choose a word and ask your child to place it in a sentence showing a different
meaning to that in the text.
By increasing your child’s understanding of words extends their writing ability with
increased vocabulary.

There are also three levels of comprehension:

o Literal - information can be found directly in the text
o Inferred - information is implied in the text and the reader is required to think a
bit more deeply about what has just been read
o Applied - to think even further about the text and incorporate his/her personal
experiences and knowledge
o Literal comprehension is revealed in a conversation about the book or where the
child simply gives a retell.
o Inferring is where your child can arrive at a decision or opinion by reasoning from
the facts read. They understand what is not stated but it is implied.
o Applied comprehension is where we ask ‘why’ which involves reflecting, predicting,
exploring and considering possibilities.
When talking about the text your child is reading try to ask questions from all three levels
of comprehension.

St Michael’s Homework Policy Updated October 2008 Wollongong CEO ©