Home Work
By fourth grade, students are independent enough to track their own homework. They should have about 40 minutes each night. On a typical night you can expect the following:
Independent Reading of their Focus Book for about 30 - 45 minutes
Dream Box (adaptive math online curriculum) about 30 minutes a week
Independent Reading of their Focus Book for about 30 - 45 minutes
- STUDENTS SHOULD BE READING THE SAME BOOK AT HOME AS THEY ARE AT SCHOOL. This requires them to bring their book back and forth to school each day. This is especially essential as students get into more complex chapter books in 4th grade.
- Research shows the single most important factor in improving reading is "time in text". This means the BEST way to become a better reader is to sit and read a book that is on your level that you are engaged in. It is essential that students are given the autonomy to pick books they love. We work with students to understand which books are on their reading level and confer with them often to help them understand their goals. However, if you are concerned about your child's book choice, please let us know and we can work together to find the perfect book.
- We ask that students record in their reading log each night when they read. In the beginning of the year, we use a standard reading log to track students' stamina at home and school. As the year progresses, the students will design their own reading log that will help them focus on their goals. These reading logs are kept in their Reading Life notebook that they bring home with their focus book each night.
Dream Box (adaptive math online curriculum) about 30 minutes a week
- This is an online computer curriculum that assesses kids to find out the skills they are missing and targets them with conceptual lessons with manipulatives. You can explore some of the games here. This includes doing above grade level work.
- If your child works in Dream Box at home, it is ESSENTIAL that you DO NOT HELP YOUR CHILD. We will be using Dream Box as an assessment tool and as a way to help students. If they are helped with a skill at home, we will think they have mastered it and not necessarily know that we should target instruction for them.