We then send them off to do it alone, and more often than not, we re disappointed with the results. The critical step that s missing here is practice. If we really want students to understand our expectations for homework and successfully meet these expectations, then we must be willing to teach homework. This means introducing homework slowly and incrementally and providing plenty of time for students to practice the routine under our guidance before expecting them to do it at home independently. At the K.T. Murphy School in Stamford, Connecticut, for example, during the first six weeks of school, primary grade students complete all written homework in class.
Older students do the same for the first two to four weeks.
During this practice period, teachers and students work to define expectations for high-quality homework and students bring home their completed homework to share with parents. In this way, parents gain a better understanding of homework expectations and are better able to hold their children to these expectations. But no matter what time of the year it is, if your students are struggling with homework, you might want to spend a week or two re-introducing it to your class. As nearly every page of the newly released book The First Six Weeks of School reminds us, taking the time to slowly introduce classroom procedures, curriculum, and materials is vital to students success. The same holds true for homework, and the strategies used during the first six weeks of school can be applied to any time of the school year.