HOMEWORK
We continue to restructure our homework provision to provide households and busy families with time limited, accessible activities which are engaging and focus upon the development of key knowledge. All homework activities support children’s learning and children who do not consistently complete homework may find the learning in class a little more difficult as a result. A summary of the homework expectations can be found below with more detail and explanations further down the page:
READING
Reading is an essential ingredient in any child’s development. Those children who regularly read are likely to experience improved mental health, greater levels of self-esteem and find it easier to access or drive their learning forward. Escaping to a different world, time or place is exciting and finding out about another country, scientific discovery or the dinosaurs can capture children’s attention. Reading regularly and widely helps children of all ages deal with the other challenges they may face day to day.
We ask that all children will read their school reading book for a minimum of five times per week for 10-15 minutes.
We hope that all children will take time to share books with parents or carers at bedtime and read a variety of texts at home including children’s picture books and novels, comics, magazines, suitable online material and information texts. Whatever takes their fancy really.
SPEAKING AND LISTENING:
As you are aware, providing children with a broad variety of opportunities to develop language is incredibly important. Family days out, visiting relatives, family holidays (in the school holidays of course) and any shared activities (e.g. gardening, cooking, bedtime stories) are amazing opportunities to enrich children’s language and their ability to organise ideas and clearly communicate them. This starts as young babies and continues through into adulthood. If children have lots of chances to remember and talk about their experiences then they are much more likely to recall their learning in school and have the vocabulary to share their ideas, solutions and creativity.
MATHS
Class teachers set weekly homework using a several online resources which focus upon the development of key knowledge and skills. further practice is really beneficial as opportunities in very day family life present themselves. Start with counting in steps, blocks, lampposts etc in Red Class and play games for number facts (Y1 to 10, Y2 to 100 with Year 6 working to 7 digits!) and then try simple quizzes in the car for timetable facts and number bonds. A little practise and often is best with healthy competition with parents, grandparent, siblings, etc - we ask that parents let the children win occasionally!
Mathletics:
Your child will have a QR code and log in details for mathletics with different activities set each week, which build upon the learning in class.
TT (Timestable) Rockstars:
TT rockstars is designed to allow children to practise their timetable knowledge and recall in a fun and competitive game-based way. For children to fully achieve their potential in maths, they need to be able to recall their number bonds and timetable facts quickly and confidently starting with the 2s, 5s and 10s in Year 2 and achieving knowledge to 12x12 in Year 6.
Numbots:
Red Class and Year 1 use Numbots to develop their understanding of number, number facts and to learn to subitise through games in which they can earn digital points and rewards.
SPELLING
To further develop children’s confidence and accuracy with spelling we now use Jane Considine’s Spelling Scheme which supports children from Year 2 - Year 6. Over a two week period, 15 words are introduced through investigations and focused activities and these words are sent home. During the two weeks children will undertake tasks to learn the conventions or rules for spelling suitable for their year group. as in other subjects, by constantly revisiting key knowledge we seek to embed and deepen children’s understanding of spelling so that they are confident and accurate in all aspects of their learning and in the future.
We ask that children in Year 2-6 spend a little time when reading at home trying to find the words on their list and/or words with a similar spelling pattern. This could be a brief conversation after reading a book - we still want children to enjoy their reading!
SPELLING, PUNCTUATION AND GRAMMAR (SPaG)
Fortnightly, a SPaG (or GaPS) activity is set on spag.com. This online resources allows children to answer questions about key parts of their learning about grammar in school through a quiz or test based approach. We encourage children to work through the questions with children and talk through the learning. The learning in SPaG directly supports children’s writing progress and achievement as the knowledge covered in SPaG has to be evidenced in their writing to achieve age appropriate standards. It is a self-marking programme and staff will reward effort and use the results to help direct the learning in class.
We ask that children (Years 2-6) complete the set SPaG tasks on time and to the best of their ability with support from home.
HOMEWORK ACTIVITIES
Speaking and Listening Opportunities (all children)
Reading & Learning Log Mission (Red Class)
Reading (Y1-Y6)
Phonics and/or Spelling (Y1 - Y6)
SPaG (Y1-6)
Maths (Y1-Y6)
Year 4 Term 1