West Fork Public Schools

Parents, teachers, and students should consider homework as a means of practicing newly-acquired classroom skills as well as a chance to review basic skill accomplishments in language arts and mathematics.

     The teacher is an integral part of the homework program and should design the out-of-class assignments to reinforce those areas covered by daily class work as well as provide basic skills practice.

     The following steps will help the teacher to ensure that assigned homework activities will accomplish those goals:

1.      Each homework assignment should reinforce learned skills and provide a motivational  medium for the practice of basic language arts of mathematics skills.

2.      Homework assignments should be fully and clearly explained in class to ensure the assignment can be completed independently.

3.      Students should be treated as individuals and they should be counseled when the homework policy is violated.

4.      Parents should be notified in chronic cases of student failure to complete homework assignments, and infractions should be treated individually, depending on the circumstances.

     Students have the greatest responsibility for the out-of-class assignments and should be made to understand the following regarding homework:

1.      All homework assignments are to be finished completely, correctly, and neatly.   

      They are to be handed in on time.

2.      Students should understand that their homework grade is dependent on accuracy and completeness as well as being turned in on time. No student will be allowed to retrieve forgotten work outside the classroom or turn in late work unless there is a very good reason for its being late.

     In addition to the teachers and the students, the parents share in the responsibility for implementation of a successful homework program. The special bond between parents and children serves as a bridge between home and school, and each family situation is unique.

     The parents' goal should be to help to support and monitor their child's homework experiences. Below are listed some suggestions to help parents more fully accomplish these goals:

1.      Parents should consider homework an important priority and should provide a quite, well-lit area for the child to use in completing the assigned work.

2.      Parents should also provide the necessary materials (pencils, pens, ruler and dictionary) to enable the student to complete the task at hand.

3.      Parents should make their child aware that the student is responsible for doing the work on his or her own, but that the parents are available to help, to check the work when completed and to be generally encouraging and supportive.