HELP! IT’S HOMEWORK TIME
PARENT HANDBOOK
Homework Habits
Create Success
This handbook cannot be reproduced in whole or in part
without written permission.
South Slave Divisional Education Council
P.O. Box 819, Fort Smith, NT, Canada, X0E 0P0
www.ssdec.nt.ca
Acknowledgements
The South Slave Divisional Education Council (SSDEC) commends the following
Homework and Study Skills Committee members for their long hours of work in
the development of this Parent Homework Handbook:
Iona Neumeier
South Slave Divisional Education Council
Marnie Villeneuve
Paul William Kaeser High School
Lora Sinclair
Joseph Burr Tyrrell Elementary School
The SSDEC acknowledges the support of the other committee members for the
development of this handbook:
Sue Warren
Princess Alexandra School
Virginia English
Lutsel K’e Dene School
Nancy Makepeace
Chief Sunrise Education Centre
Jennifer Rosendahl
Diamond Jenness Secondary School
Liz Buckley
Harry Camsell School (K-3)
Laura Boucher
Deninu School
The SSDEC also acknowledges the contribution of the Superintendent, Curtis
Brown, for his advice and editing, and the committee members who developed the
previous parent homework handbook, Creating Futures: How Parents and Families Can
Assist With Homework.
South Slave Divisional Education Council
Homework and Study Skills Committee
Table
Of Contents
Help! It’s Homework Time – Parent Handbook
i
“Education starts in the home; it’s not just
something that happens at school...”
(Richard Garcia – Founder,
Colorado Statewide Parent Coalition)
ii
Help! It’s Homework Time – Parent Handbook
Homework
and Study Skills Initiative
History
Homework and study skills has been a regional priority since 2001, when
South Slave principals identified homework completion and effective study
skills as important to student success.
In response, the South Slave Divisional Education Council (SSDEC) implemented the
Homework and Study Skills Committee. This committee, made up of South Slave
educators, meets occasionally during the year to implement, evaluate and update the
initiatives to improve study skills instruction, homework completion rates, parental
involvement and student achievement.
Goals
The focus of the Homework and Study Skills initiative is to improve the achievement
of all students in the South Slave region by:
• developing student study skills and habits;
• clarifying homework expectations and increasing homework completion;
• reinforcing student knowledge and skills acquisition;
• strengthening the school/home communication and partnership; and
• further involving parents in their children’s learning.
Purpose of this Handbook
This handbook is intended to help parents help their
children develop the habits that students need to
succeed in school and in life. These habits are the skills
of managing time, organizing information and staying
on task until the task is completed. Such skills are
important for dealing with daily assignments, doing
project work, meeting deadlines and taking tests. This
handbook helps families to set the stage for successful
learning and performance in school and in later life.
Parents are their children’s first teachers. In fact,
students spend less than 15% of their waking hours
in school. Parents have a key role to play in helping
students achieve to the best of their abilities. That
means the home is the first place where students
learn about having a positive attitude toward learning,
setting high expectations and reaching goals.
Help! It’s Homework Time – Parent Handbook
Did you know...
...that a parent’s attitude
toward learning is the greatest
influence on how successful a
student will be as a learner?
What a family does is more
important to student success
than how much money a
family makes or how much
education a family has.
1
Definitions
and Examples
Homework
What it is!
What it does!
• unfinished classwork and missed
assignments;
• studying for quizzes, tests and exams;
• project work, or additional practice
work assigned by the teacher;
• problem-solving activities that takes
place outside of the classroom;
• learning experiences that involve
parents and/or community members;
• reviewing subject materials
covered in class;
• correcting errors made in quizzes
and tests;
• collecting information for and
completing projects;
• preparing for oral presentations;
• independent reading; and
• independent writing such as
paragraphs, reports and essays.
•
•
•
•
reinforces what has been learned;
prepares students for new learning;
enriches student learning;
encourages time management and
meeting deadlines; and
• promotes organization and
independence.
“Perhaps the most valuable result of all
education is the ability to make yourself do
the thing that you have to do, when it ought
to be done, whether you like it or not…”
Thomas H. Huxley
2
Help! It’s Homework Time – Parent Handbook
Study Skills
What they are!
What they do!
• skills that help with acquiring,
organizing, remembering and using
information and ideas;
• strategies that help with solving
problems;
• learning strategies that foster
independent thinking, originality
and new ways of interpreting
information; and
• methods to help remember and apply
what is being learned.
• encourage careful listening and
reading;
• promote the skills of keen
observation and detailed
examination;
• make remembering and recalling
information easier;
• support logical thought and
sequencing of ideas; and
• develop the habit of applying the
mind to any subject in order to
acquire knowledge.
Examples:
• read over notes and highlight key
concepts or keywords;
• make up practice tests and write them;
• make up questions for each topic and
ask each question in three
different ways;
• draw diagrams that you have learned,
label the parts and explain how the
diagram works to someone else;
• play a jeopardy game by using
keywords as answers and making up
questions for each of the keywords;
• create and use flashcards;
• create an ideas web for individual
topics;
• use graphic organizers to organize
information and ideas;
• become a student and have a classmate
teach the information
to you; and
• become a teacher and teach someone
else the information.
Help! It’s Homework Time – Parent Handbook
“A student who
develops efficient
study methods
has in a true
sense learned
how to learn.”
Kuethe
3
Working Together
for Student Success
(Roles and Responsibilities)
The work that students do in class is very important. However, it would be a mistake
to believe that nothing else is necessary for students to succeed. Evidence suggests
that parents are critical in setting the stage for success in learning.
Active parental involvement helps students to have more positive attitudes and
behaviours. This leads to better attendance, improved performance in class, and
students being more able to set and reach education, career and personal goals.
One of the ways that schools communicate with the home about what is being
learned is through homework and study tasks. Homework and study tasks show
parents what their children need to know and how they are performing in relation
to those expectations.
Student Responsibilities
• records all assignments and due
dates in his/her student agenda daily;
• ensures that s/he understands the
homework assigned
• discusses questions or concerns with
the teacher;
• shows agenda to parent daily and
explains assignment and when it is
due;
• asks parent or calls a study buddy if
help is needed;
• completes all homework to the best
of his/her ability;
• meets assignment deadlines;
• manages time and materials (e.g.
borrowing a book from the library);
• brings homework back to school on
time;
• shows parent completed homework
and gets parent to sign off agenda for
the day;
• schedules homework/study time in
the student timetable (see sample
in Homework Timetable section of
this handbook, and use the blank
timetable in Appendix B); and
• makes up missing
assignments and tests
best
due to absence.
“Education works
when it’s a genuine
partnership between the
home and the school”
Lucas and Smith, 2004
4
Help! It’s Homework Time – Parent Handbook
Parent/Family Responsibilities
• schedules time every evening for
homework or study time in student
timetable (see sample in Homework
Timetable section of this handbook,
and use the blank timetable in
Appendix B);
• provides a well-lit place for working
(e.g. home, library, relative’s or
friend’s place);
• checks student agenda daily to see
what has been assigned and
what is due;
• reads the assignment to check if the
student has everything needed to
complete the assignment;
• makes sure the student understands
what the assignment is asking him/
her to do;
• monitors and encourages student
progress and homework completion;
• signs agenda when homework or
study time has been
completed;
• communicates
with the teacher(s)
regularly throughout
the year and when
questions or
concerns arise; and
• establishes an
appropriate
balance between
homework and
other activities.
What Can I Do if My Child
Misses School?
Regular attendance at school is critical
to student success. When students are
absent from school at times other than
scheduled holidays, parents/guardians
are encouraged to contact the teacher
to see if there is anything the student
can do to minimize disruption to
learning.
Depending on the course/class and the
time of year, the teacher may be able
to assign homework so that the child is
able to keep up and does not require
a great deal of catch up when he/she
returns to school.
For extended absences, it is in the best
interest of the students for parents/
guardians to contact the teacher well in
advance to discuss a possible homework
plan. In addition to a homework plan,
parents/guardians are
encouraged to provide
the student with
literacy and numeracy
activities such as daily
journals, travel logs and
reading.
Adapted from:
http://www.pickens.k12.sc.us/
eeeteachers/blackwed/homework_tips.htm
Help! It’s Homework Time – Parent Handbook
5
Working Together
for Student Success
(Roles and Responsibilities) continued
Teacher/School Responsibilities
• teaches and assigns, monitors
completion, and assesses student
work;
• ensures that the resources and
materials required to complete
the work are available and can be
accessed by students;
• makes clear how assignments will be
evaluated;
• checks to be sure that students
understand what is expected;
• gives students adequate time in class
to work on assignments containing
unfamiliar concepts;
• assigns work that is linked to
classroom activities and matches
student ability, maturity level and
attention span;
• makes clear to students the
relationship of homework
assignments to class work;
• regularly assigns homework,
mainly Monday through Thursday
(sometimes projects or special
assignments may require work over
the weekend);
6
• ensures that students write down
homework, due dates and important
directions about assignments in
student agenda;
• monitors to be sure that homework
is completed and is done correctly;
and
• communicates with a parent if a
child repeatedly fails to complete
assignments.
Adapted from:
http://schools.monterey.k12.ca.us/~sbenanci/toro/general/hwguide.html
Help! It’s Homework Time – Parent Handbook
Our Initiatives
Hugo the Homework Hero
Hugo the Homework Hero, our
mascot, is intended to inspire students
and to show them that commitment,
organization and effective work
and study habits lead to academic
achievement and success in adult life.
Hugo’s motto is “Homework Habits
Create Success.” Both Hugo and
his motto are featured on regional
initiatives and on incentives that are
awarded for student agenda use and
homework completion.
Help! It’s Homework Time – Parent Handbook
7
Our Initiatives continued
Student Agendas (K-12)
At the beginning of the school year, each
kindergarten to grade 12 student is
given an agenda courtesy of the SSDEC
Homework and Study Skills Initiative.
The agenda is a daily planner for students
and a communication tool between the
home and the school:
• It is important that each day, students
write their homework and study
assignments in their agendas.
• It is important also that parents check
the agenda every night and sign the
daily entry.
This allows the teacher, home and
student to be organized and connected
to each other. It allows all parties to
value student, family and school life and
the progress of each student.
School events and extra-curricular
activities can be recorded in the agenda
as well.
Students, parents and teachers can
earn regional and in-school incentives
for using the agenda for planning and
communication.
This is a sample agenda
entry for a student with
more than one teacher:
• The student has recorded both
homework assignments and other
activities.
• Teachers have initialed each
academic entry to show that the
homework is properly recorded.
• The parent has initialed the agenda
entry to indicate that he/she has
checked if the homework has
been done and, in this instance,
has chosen to write a note to the
teacher.
8
Help! It’s Homework Time – Parent Handbook
Colour-coded Subject Organizers (K-9)
In order to help students keep
organized and successful, they are
provided with four colour-coded
duotangs (grades K-6) or four
colour-coded binders (grades 7-9).
The four colours identify the core
subjects – Math (black), Science (red),
Social Studies (blue) and Language Arts
(green).
Colour-coding also helps parents know
in what subject areas their children
have homework. For example, if you
read in the student agenda that your
son/daughter has homework in Social
Studies, s/he should have brought home
the blue duotang/binder.
Colour-coding helps students to
organize lessons and assignments
more effectively and to locate subject
materials more quickly, enabling them
to stay on track throughout the
school year.
It is never
too early to
start good
homework
habits and foster
positive attitudes
toward homework.
Help! It’s Homework Time – Parent Handbook
9
Our Initiatives continued
Student Homework Bags
and Read-along Books
(Grades K-3)
The Homework and Study Skills
Committee provides reusable plastic
homework bags to primary students
from kindergarten to grade three
to carry their student agenda and
homework between home and school.
In support of the regional Literacy
Project, the Homework and Study Skills
Committee also provides a read-along
book to encourage families to read
together.
Even if your child does not have
homework, get them into the
regular habit by reading with them
nightly. Research shows that the
best predictors of elementary
achievement are positive family
participation in fun activities such
as sharing books and talking about
experiences.
10
Help! It’s Homework Time – Parent Handbook
Homework and Study Skills Resources (in SSDEC Schools)
Each school has a broad range of
informative homework and study skills
resources for staff, students and parents.
Some of these resources are intended
to help students learn how to organize
their learning and how to study
effectively. For example, resources for
students include:
• Starting Early with Study Skills – by
Irvin, J. and Rose, E. (1995)
• How To Do Homework Without
Throwing Up – by Romain, T. (1997)
• True or False? Tests Stink! – by Romain,
T. and Verdick, E. (1999)
• School Power: Study Skill Strategies
for Succeeding in School – by Shay
Schumm, J. (2001)
Other resources provide parents with
easy-to-use strategies to support
student achievement in school.
Examples of the resources available for
parents are:
• The School-savvy Parent: 365 Insider
Tips to Help You Help Your Child – by
Clark, R., Hawkins, D. and Vachon, B.
(1999)
• How to Help Your Child With
Homework: Every Caring Parent’s Guide
to Encouraging Good Study Habits
and Ending the Homework Wars – by
Radencich, M., and Shay Schumm, J.
(1997)
Contact the Homework and Study
Skills Committee representative at your
daughter’s/son’s school for access to
these resources.
Help! It’s Homework Time – Parent Handbook
11
How Do I Help
My Child Succeed?
(Tools and Resources)
SSDEC Homework Guidelines
The following are suggested guidelines for the amount of daily homework time that
should be done to maximize the chance of a student’s success in school and in later
life:
Grades
Suggested Daily Homework Time
K–3
15 to 30 minutes/day
4–6
30 to 45 minutes/day
7–9
45 to 60 minutes/day
10 – 12
1 to 2 hours/day
** Weeknights (Sun., Mon., Tues., Wed., Thurs.) **
12
Help! It’s Homework Time – Parent Handbook
Homework Timetables
Homework is a priority and needs to be
taken seriously. Making time for learning
gets easier once it becomes a pattern
of behaviour that everyone in the family
knows is expected.
It is important to set a schedule, so
that students can organize their afterschool times efficiently, setting times for
homework, extra-curricular activities
and friends.
Once you set a schedule and stick to
it, your daughter/son will get used to
the idea that homework and study will
be done no matter what. A homework
schedule provides structure, consistency
and routine – components of developing
the habit of homework.
Below is an example of a timetable for a junior high student:
Time
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
4:00-5:00
free time
soccer
practice
Study hall
homework
soccer practice
free time
free time
activities
5:00-6:00
chores
dinner
chores
dinner
chores
free time
activities
6:00-7:00
dinner
Homework
or Study
dinner
Homework or
Study
dinner
dinner
dinner
7:00-8:00
Homework
or Study
Recreation
Centre
free time
Dance class
Homework
or Study
Youth
group
free time
8:00-9:00
free time
Recreation
Centre
free time
Dance class
free time
Youth
group
free time
9:00-9:30
free time
free time
free time
free time
free time
Youth
group
free time
9:30
bedtime
bedtime
bedtime
bedtime
bedtime
free time
free time
A blank timetable is provided in Appendix B so that you and your daughter/son can
copy, set and then post a homework schedule that takes into account activities in
which s/he may be involved.
Post the schedule in a place, such as on the refrigerator, that reminds both you and
your daughter/son when it is time to do homework.
Help! It’s Homework Time – Parent Handbook
13
How Do I Help
My Child Succeed?
(Tools and Resources) continued
Parent General Homework Helper Checklist
Questions To Ask Daily:
Other Ways To Help:
• Where is your student agenda?
• Have you started today’s assignment?
Finished it?
• Is the assignment clear? (If not, call a
study buddy or classmate.)
• When is the assignment due?
• Do you need special resources (e.g.
a trip to the library or access to a
computer)?
• Do you need special supplies (e.g.
graph paper or poster board)?
• For an upcoming test or major
project, would it help to write out
the steps or make a schedule? (Break
the assignment into manageable
tasks, such as researching the topic,
writing the first draft, etc. Schedule
time for each task in the student
agenda.)
• Would a practice test be useful?
• Would you like me to quiz you from
your notes or old tests?
• Be positive about homework.
• Be sure that basic supplies, such as
paper, pencils, pens, markers and
ruler are available.
• Look over the homework, but don’t
do the work! (Remember, it is not
your homework.)
• Eliminate distractions that interfere
with doing homework.
• If necessary, read the homework
directions together and discuss what
needs to be done.
• If your daughter/son does not know
how to organize the homework,
write out a “to do” list; check off the
homework tasks as they are done.
• Get to know the teachers early in
the year and find out about their
homework expectations.
• Review teacher comments on
returned homework assignments and
discuss them.
• Observe your daughter’s/son’s
learning style.
• Establish reasonable consequences
at home for missed homework
assignments.
• Be available to help your child review
for tests.
• Show interest and congratulate your
son/daughter on a job well done.
Adapted from:
http://www.njea.org/FamilyCircle/QuestionsAboutHomeworkPrintable.asp
http://www.nea.org/parents/homework.html
Adapted from:
http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/CubRunES/guidance/relievinghomework.htm:
http://familyeducation.com/article/0,1120,24-9358,00.html?relinks
http://www.nea.org/parents/homework.html
14
Help! It’s Homework Time – Parent Handbook
Parent and Student Nightly Homework Checklist
P
S
Bring homework to “Homework Spot”.
Review agenda and homework.
Complete assignments.
Check work together.
Make any comments in the agenda and complete any parent
forms that need to be returned to the school.
Sign agenda.
Pack up signed agenda and work for school the next day.
Key:
P = PARENT Check Box
S = STUDENT Check Box
Adapted from: http://www.vineland.org/winslow/about/wps_nightly_homework_checklist.pdf
Help! It’s Homework Time – Parent Handbook
15
How Do I Help
My Child Succeed?
(Tools and Resources) continued
Web Sites for Homework Help
The following homework and study
skills web sites contain a wealth of
information, resources and homework
tips, and they are just a mouse click
away:
General
Homework Spot
www.homeworkspot.com
Provides information and resources for
parents and for students of all ages and
is easy to navigate as individual sections
are presented for elementary, middle
and high school students.
How to Study
www.how-to-study.com
Designed for elementary, middle and
high school students, and provides
valuable information on preparing how
to study and improving listening and
reading skills.
Elementary
Kids Hub
www.kidshub.org
A free online
interactive
learning centre for
elementary school
students. It features
fun educational
games, puzzles and
quizzes.
16
Middle School
Fact Monster
Homework Centre
www.factmonster.com/homework
Provides a wide variety of resources
for students. From subject specific
resources (Science, Math and Social
Studies) to information on improving
writing and study skills. Factmonster has
every student’s tools for school.
BJ Pinchbeck’s Homework Helper
http://school.discovery.com/
homeworkhelp/bjpinchbeck/
Created by 17-year-old BJ Pinchbeck,
this site provides students with access
to over 700 links that help with
homework ranging from subjects such
as art to computer science and English.
High School
High School Hub
www.highschoolhub.org
Is a free online interactive learning
centre for high school students that
features subject guides for English,
foreign languages,
math, science and
social studies.
Help! It’s Homework Time – Parent Handbook
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Why is checking my child’s daily
agenda and signing it every day so
important?
4. Why does my child seem to have a lot
more homework than I ever did when
I was going to school?
Agendas help students to be more
organized and are an essential
communication tool between home
and school. By consistently signing
parents demonstrate interest in what
is happening at school, know what
the school expects, and develops
a relationship with their children’s
teachers.
2. How will doing homework really make
a difference in my child’s grade?
Our committee’s survey shows that on
average:
•
Students who did homework more
than 80% of the time –
97% achieved curriculum
outcomes for the grade; and
• Students who did homework less
than 50% of the time –
only 31% achieved curriculum
outcomes for the grade.
Being promoted to the next grade is
dependent on achieving the curricular
outcomes for the current grade.
Teachers have indicated that, even if
courses are difficult, students who
complete homework regularly pass.
There may be a couple of reasons for
this.Your child may not be working
efficiently during class time, resulting
in more work for him/her to complete
at home. It is probably true that
current curricular requirements are
more challenging than in the past due
to the rapid increase in the world’s
knowledge and technology base, and
the related public pressure for quality
education and accountability.
5. How do I make sure my child gets
his/her assignments done and still has
time to take part in other activities?
3. My son/daughter seems to have little
or no homework.What do I do?
Work with your child to develop a
homework schedule (see the blank
timetable sample in Appendix B), using
the example of the timetable also
provided in this handbook. Prioritize
their homework and other important
activities. It is essential that your child
understands that their education is
important and that getting schoolwork
done will be a priority in your home.
Most students cannot be in every
activity offered and still get their
homework done properly, so it will be
important for you to help your child
make choices about the number of
activities in which s/he will participate.
Check your child’s agenda daily to see
if homework is being assigned. Contact
the teacher about your concern. It
may simply be that your child is very
efficient with his/her classwork and/or
is doing homework during school
breaks and after school.
Help! It’s Homework Time – Parent Handbook
17
How Do I Help
My Child Succeed?
(Tools and Resources) continued
6. How do I provide my child with
appropriate space to do homework?
What is important is that you find an
environment that works for your child
and family. For example, most students
need a comfortable chair and table,
and quiet, in order to work effectively.
Some children, however, may work
best with music playing quietly, or
the television or people talking in the
background. It might be that the best
time for the homework to be done
without interruption is before other
family members have come home from
work.
If a quiet place in your home is not
possible:
•
•
•
•
18
some schools have homework
clubs, tutoring services, or library
hours when and where students
can work;
community libraries are places
where students can do homework
and also access the Internet for
research purposes;
friendship centres
may offer tutoring
services; or
the home of a
relative or friend
may be a good
place to do
homework and
get extra help.
7. What if my child and I do not
understand the homework
assignment?
If the teacher is available, contact
him/her for clarification. If the teacher
is unavailable, call a classmate. If your
child is still unable to do her/his
homework, please note the reason to
the teacher in your child’s agenda.
8. What do I do when I feel my child
has been working too long on an
assignment and has not finished the
homework?
If your child has been working on an
assignment for a period of time far
beyond the suggested guidelines and
is not making progress, let the teacher
know by writing in the agenda how
long your child has worked on the
assignment. If working too long on
assignments without making progress
becomes a pattern, contact your child’s
teacher. Together you and the teacher
can find strategies to help your child
work more effectively.
9. When I have
concerns or problems
about my child’s
schoolwork, what do
I do?
Always contact your
child’s teacher first,
concerning homework
or anything else.
Help! It’s Homework Time – Parent Handbook
References
Cooper, H., 2001, The Battle Over Homework: Common Ground for Administrators,
Teachers and Parents (Second Edition); CA: Corwin Press Inc.
Lucas, B. and Smith, A., 2004, Help Your Child To Succeed:The Essential Guide for Parents;
ON: Pembroke Publishers
First Nations Education Steering Committee and the First Nations Schools
Association, Gathering Strength: Education Reform 2001/2002 as downloaded from:
http://www.fnesc.bc.ca/publications/pdf/gspfinalrptcopy20002001.pdf
MOEC, 1989, Parent Involvement Programs in Education as downloaded from:
http://www.unocoe.unomaha.edu/parent.htm#why
Help! It’s Homework Time – Parent Handbook
19
Appendix A
SSDEC Homework Policy HKB
The South Slave Divisional Education
Council believes that homework is
a necessary part of the education
program. To be successful in school
and later life, students require
appropriate study habits. Homework
can also contribute to positive student
attitudes relative to self-discipline and
independent responsibility. Further, the
motivation which comes from parent
interest in children’s school work can be
invaluable to the child.
The use of homework should be
used as a way of strengthening the
partnership between home and school,
developing appropriate study habits, and
providing opportunities for learners
to acquire new knowledge and to
consolidate and reinforce learning in
practical and meaningful ways. Study
and the completion of homework
is primarily the responsibility of
the student, with the support and
encouragement of parents and school
staff.
Each school principal shall establish
homework expectations and
procedures for their school considering
the unique nature of their students,
and the programs using the following
guidelines:
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1. The completion and extension of
class assignments should guide the
assignment of homework.
2. The assignment should take into
account the age of the student, and
the other demands placed on the
students.
3. At the secondary level, co-operation
among teachers involved, by way of
homework schedule, should avoid
uneven assigning of homework.
4. Suggested guidelines for daily
homework are:
• K-3 – 15 to 30 minutes/day
- parent reading with child:
shared reading; listening
to child read; independent
reading from Home Reading
Program, public library or
school materials in English,
French and/or Aboriginal
language;
- on occasion, collecting
materials for use in the
classroom program; and
- using day-to-day activities
such as shopping list and
food preparation to practice
counting, calculating, arranging
objects and amounts by size
and shape, and estimating
quantity.
Help! It’s Homework Time – Parent Handbook
• 4-6 – 30 to 45 minutes/day
- parent reading with child:
shared reading; listening
to child read; independent
reading from home, public
library or school materials
in English, French and/or
Aboriginal language;
- collecting materials for use in
the classroom program;
- completing unfinished
classroom assignments/
project work/reflective
journals;
- reviewing an area of difficulty;
- interpreting graphs,
advertising claims, and
working out unit costs
from newspapers and other
media; and
- review and drill of number
operations and troublesome
spelling words
• 7-9 – 45 to 60 minutes/day
- assignments, reading, review,
revision, writing, editing,
organizing, studying for tests,
working on on-going longterm projects and preparing
for presentations; and
- discussing examples of
problem solving strategies in
day-to-day work experiences.
• 10-12 – 1 to 2 hours/day
- assignments, reading, review,
revision, writing, editing,
organizing, studying for tests,
working on on-going longterm projects and preparing
for presentations;
- discussing mathematics in
relationship to applications in
business and industry; and
- explore career opportunities
through making connections
with family, friends and
colleagues in the world of
work.
… five days a week.
Students may need more or less
time depending on assignment due
dates, how quickly and fully they
have completed assignments, and
how well they have grasped facts and
concepts. The level of student academic
achievement is a key determining
factor to guide students,
teachers and parents in
the amount of extra
home practice and
studying needed.
References:
Education Act 22(1), 117
Date: October 2002
Help! It’s Homework Time – Parent Handbook
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Appendix B
Sunday
Blank Timetable
Time
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Photocopy or cut out this page, fill in and post in your house where you and your son/daughter see it regularly.
Help! It’s Homework Time – Parent Handbook
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