Homework Policies

CCC HOMEWORK POLICY

At Carpenter, our teachers strive to devise homework that allows students to develop excellent work and study habits while deepening their understanding of concepts they learned in class and how various subjects and skills connect. Homework is meant to be a positive experience, and also gives students a chance to show their families what they’ve been learning.

The guidelines for time spent on homework presented here should be understood as averages, and there will be weeks with lighter loads as well as weeks that may require more time spent by the students.

Our teachers also strive to take into account their students’ strengths and challenges and reflect these in their homework assignments. Students are often keen to show that they can complete all their assignments every week, even if they encounter challenges in doing so. We urge all parents and students in our community to understand that our teachers rely on feedback on whether their students are finding it too difficult or too easy to complete assignments within the recommended time frame. Incomplete assignments and errors can be very important indicators of challenges we may further support, and they help our teachers pinpoint ways they can make changes to homework assignments or help individual students in specific areas.

Homework time guidelines at Carpenter:

Each week, homework will be assigned Mondays to Thursdays with no regular homework on Fridays or weekends. Long-term projects may occasionally require additional homework minutes.

Once a student has worked steadily for the amount of time listed here, she or he may stop working. Parents should reassure their children that they have achieved their homework goal.

Reading time

In addition to working on their homework assignments, students should also spend some time every day reading on their own or being read to. Students should be encouraged to read for pleasure. Especially for younger children, having an adult read a story at bed time is valuable reading time, and it is a wonderful shared experience

Some recommendations on helping students get the most out of their homework time:

• Parents should offer guidance. While children in the early grades (K, 1st) will need some help, students from 2nd grade onwards, should be encouraged to do the homework alone, without help from parents. Instead of checking, editing, or doing the work for the student, parents should provide necessary supplies and academic assistance, help the student establish a homework routine, and show an active interest in the content the student is learning, while allowing the teachers to intervene if/when the student fails to do the homework correctly or regularly.
• When scheduling after school activities, keep in mind your child’s homework load. Students who are over-scheduled or exhausted will start homework later at night and will likely be less efficient. Work with your child to determine a healthy schedule of activities that will allow time to complete homework, work on projects, and study for tests – while still getting adequate sleep and time for play.
• Recognize that children learn in different ways and have different work styles. Some students can sit and do homework “all at once,” while others need to take frequent breaks. Some kids prefer to sit in quiet spaces, and some may do better with music playing in the background. Discuss with your child the working conditions that will lead to the best homework outcomes, and be amenable to changing tastes and needs.
• Let children make mistakes and experience “successful failures.” Recognize that a missed or poorly done homework assignment is not going to hurt your child in the long run. Parents can help students organize their time or prioritize assignments, but when parents regularly deliver forgotten assignments to school or step in to rescue a child at the last minute, they may be denying the child the opportunity to develop resilience and fortitude, and strength of character.

Revised April 2017