Purpose
Rosalie PS staff have spent time researching, discussing, and considering the effects of homework on student performance and attainment. The purpose for setting homework at Rosalie is to:
- Nurture relationships & communication between home and school.
- Celebrate creativity, individuality, and agency.
- Encourage excitement in sharing learning.
- Foster independence, time management and good study habits.
- Reinforce what is learned at school.
The 3 Rs at Rosalie
In ensuring our students arrive at school each day rested, and ready to learn, the staff at Rosalie PS endorse giving priority to the ‘3 Rs’ each day as homework. The ‘3 Rs’ were chosen after a careful review of the conditions which have shown to have the largest positive impact on student’s academicRosalie PS Homework 2023 and emotional growth. We have included two citations for each ‘R’, which provide studies showing their positive impacts on development.
Read
Read and/or be read to every night. This applies to students from Kindergarten, through to Year 6. Reading and storytelling with children promotes brain development, imagination, language, and learning, while storytelling strengthens relationships. [1] [2]
Reconnect
Spend time interacting with family members, or other significant people in a child’s life. These interactions should be screen free, and can involve cooking, chatting, playing or active citizenship. Getting outside and participating in child-led unstructured play allows children to use their creativity, while developing their imagination, self-regulation, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength. Play is important to healthy brain development. [3] [4]
Rest
Have a consistent bedtime routine and get a good night’s sleep. The benefits of sleep include helping the body to grow, an improved immune system, better memory, becoming more attentive and active in class and improved behaviour. Having moments of reflection and gratitude can also help promote growth mindsets, an important aspect of developing a love of learning. [5] [6]
Guidelines
In addition to the ‘3 Rs’ the following tasks may also be set by the classroom teacher. Each teacher will have different expectations regarding homework tasks, so it is important to liaise with your child’s teacher at an early stage.
Tasks may include:
- Literacy and numeracy activities, which reinforce concepts covered at school and assist with fluency.
- Finishing off classwork not completed during the school day, including work missed due to interschool events, PEAC and IMSS lessons.
- Completion of projects.
- School competitions or exhibition entries.
Individual students may be supported with additional resources and tasks to reinforce early literacy and numeracy concepts if they are not tracking towards the expected year level standard (as per their Individual Education Plans).
Holidays within the school term
Extended vacations can be amazing learning experiences. The social, cultural and language opportunities can have an enormous benefit for children. Teachers are not expected to provide learning resources or packages of work if parents choose to holiday as a family during school terms.
Some considerations when travelling:
- Gather a range of appropriate reading material from the local library on a long-term loan for your child to read.
- Take advantage of the social, cultural and linguistic experiences involving visits to places of interest.
- Your child could maintain e-mail contact with their class or send post cards.
- Maintain a daily diary.
- For holidays longer than 6 months, children can be enrolled in the School of Isolated and Distance Education (SIDE).
