Homework
At Meridian, homework reinforces learning which has already taken place in class. It should be a positive experience for your child and we reward completed homework as part of class reward schemes. (We do not however apply sanctions for homework not completed). Meridian is committed to providing an inclusive and dyslexia friendly environment, and homework for all children, including those with SEN, will be appropriate to their levels and accessible to them.
Reading— We encourage parents to put aside some time to read with their child as often as possible. Short bursts of 10-20 minutes usually work best but even a few minutes are valuable. Each year children are given a new reading diary. Parents can use this to comment on their child’s reading. Children can also make their own comments and there are activities which children can complete. Staff will check the diary each week. It is intended to last the whole year so parents can decide how often to use it.
Children are encouraged to bring home two books at a time – one is a ‘levelled book’ with a coloured sticker which children should be able to read independently, the other is a book of their choice which you may like to read to them. Children can change their books as often as necessary – staff support this process and you are welcome to do the same before and after school. All children should have a book bag to bring books and diaries to and from school and should bring this book bag to school every day.
Spellings – Children across the school are taught phonics and spelling patterns and carry out spelling investigations. There are some words which need to be taught by the shape of the whole word - words which arise frequently in the English language but which cannot be sounded out – such as ‘their’. Each week, children in Year 1 upwards are given new spellings to practise in class. A copy of spellings is sent home each week and we appreciate parents support in practising these with children. (We prioritise phonics/spelling patterns and the high frequency words. For children who are making good progress with these, we may send home topic words or spelling errors spotted in class.)
Literacy and Maths homework – Children in Y2 upwards are set a piece of Literacy or Maths homework every Friday. This is recorded in a homework book and should be handed in by the following Wednesday. We feel that about 20 minutes is a reasonable length of time for a Year 2 child to spend on homework, 30 minutes in Y3-Y5 and about 40 minutes in Y6. This is a guide – parents know their child. If a child is ever struggling with a piece of homework, parents are asked to leave it and have a chat with the class teacher. We use an online ‘Mathletics’ scheme across the school for Reception upwards which children can access at home and which allows them to compete with children across the world!
Any real maths or writing opportunities which parents/carers can carry out with children are always valuable – making shopping lists; writing cards; emailing family and friends; counting out coins; weighing ingredients; adding up shopping in the supermarket… Class teachers will be happy to give parents/carers more ideas.
Other homework - Teachers occasionally set additional homework based around a project. SEAL (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning) activities are sometimes sent home.
