Homework Structure

Rational/Purpose for Homework and Independent Work:

The purpose behind giving students homework is that it gives students the opportunity to practice skills, review, prepare for new information, and apply what they have learned (Hill & Flynn, 2006). If the teacher has provided clear directions for the assigned homework the student should be able to complete it independently with only minimal support from parents. According to Hill and Flynn parents can provide support by providing a place, time, and the resources necessary for their child to engage in homework, but if additional support is needed in completing the assignment, either the directions were not clear, or the homework has not been assigned to meet the needs of the student. (2006, p. 78). As children advance more homework is assigned and they become more responsible for elaborating and practicing beyond the school day.

What Constitutes Meaningful Homework?

For homework to be meaningful students should be able to complete it independently while parents and teachers support by providing feedback to enhance the student’s ability to both practice and apply what is being taught in the classroom. In addition, not all students are given the exact same homework because of their different needs. Hill and Flynn (2006) state that ELL students do not need to have the same homework as English-speaking students because that might mean they are practicing unfamiliar skills or incorrectly practicing them. Therefore, “students should be given homework that requires them to use what they already know or what they are learning” (p.79). As a result, the language, expectations, and purpose of the homework being assigned needs to be clear for it to be meaningful. Finally, giving students the opportunity to discuss the homework being assigned will clear up any misconceptions, questions students may have, and give students multiple explanations and visuals of what the homework should look like when completed.

Intended Objectives for Students:

The objectives of homework should be specific to the learning targets of the skills being targeted in any given grade level. Learning targets need to be posted in the classroom for students to read and discuss. Once students understand that they are to master the learning targets and the purpose of the assignment most likely they will be able to become successful when practicing and applying the content being taught to them.

The homework assignment that I have designed is a Reading and Writing notebook. Students will be asked to respond to text that is assigned at home. In Reading, students will be asked to enhance their comprehension skills through reading text and responding with connections, images, inferences, summaries, questions, and critical thinking skills as they are interacting with the passage that are assigned. A separate tab for vocabulary will also be included in the notebook for students to add new vocabulary words as they are reading. Another notebook will serve as the Writing notebook and will be a tool where students can write to an audience such as myself, their parents, or another student. The interaction through writing encourages students to communicate with others and gain feedback on their thinking. Furthermore, the Writing notebook will contain tabs for powerful words, sentence starters, grammar/punctuation, and a place for stories, responses, and other pieces that students compose.

Providing Specific Feedback:

Providing feedback to students within the notebook itself is crucial. Students need to know and understand that the thinking they are illustrating is being valued and deserves to be celebrated. The way I will provide feedback to my students is that I will write in each student’s notebook to assess their learning of the skill being taught. I will comment by explaining what I notice they did well, offer suggestions for improvement, and at times ask students questions next to their entries to encourage them to expand their thinking.
Another way I will provide feedback is by conferring with students weekly both in reading and writing so we can discuss strengths, improvements, and assess whether or not the notebook is meeting their needs and purpose of mastering the learning targets and objectives. I will confer one-on-one with students and also allow them to discuss their thinking, writing, and learning with other students in the classroom so they can see and hear other examples of homework from their peers in the classroom.
Finally, I will make a rubric with my students to allow both my students and I to assess their reading and writing responses in their notebook. The reason I will have them help me create the rubric is so they will take a sense of ownership and have a clear vision on what their homework needs to look like before it is turned in. Weekly, I will have students complete the rubric themselves, and I will provide feedback of whether I agree or disagree with their self-assessment. Together we will look through examples of entries I have collected throughout the year and practice assessing the entries so students can see a variety of styles and work from other students. Providing students with examples will lay the foundation for what is expected.

Please see the examples below of the Reading Response and Writing Response rubric for both notebooks.

Using Technology in the Communication Process:

The role of technology is important when assigning homework to students. At the beginning of the year a conference should be held with parents so teachers can explain expectations of homework to the parents of the students. Providing conferences gives parents the opportunity to ask questions they might have regarding homework assignments. In addition, a class blog or web page would be valuable for parents to be able to log on and see what the weekly assignments are on a daily basis. Parents that do not have access to technology will be provided with a daily newsletter that allows them to read what is assigned and write any comments or questions they have regarding the homework that is assigned. These newsletters can be kept in a composition notebook and travel back and forth with the child.



References:

Hill, Jane D., & Flynn, Kathleen M. (2006). Classroom Instruction that works with English Language Learners. Alexandria, VA. ACSD.