The School Committee, administrators and faculty believe that homework, an assignment given to  students outside the regular class period, is of vital importance in the earning of a quality education.  Homework must be assigned, completed, reviewed, and become a part of a student’s assessment. 

A hierarchy developed by Lee and Pruitt provides an excellent model for classifying assignments. They set forth four major categories of homework for:   

• Practice: to support the mastery of specific skills and to reinforce material presented in class.   

• Preparation: to prepare students for upcoming classroom lessons.   

• Extension: to transfer new skills and knowledge to new situations.   

• Creativity: to integrate many skills and ideas into a new product or performance that involves planning and analysis over several days or weeks.   

Homework is an extension of the school day. Homework assignments are expected to be developmentally appropriate and meaningful.

Students should read every night for 15‐30 minutes depending on the age and reading level.

The homework assignment each day is as follows:   

• Grades 1 & 2:  Approximately 15‐20 minutes with a balance between language arts and math according to students’ individual needs.   

• Grade 3:  Approximately 30 minutes with a balance between language arts, math, science and social science.   

• Grade 4:  Approximately 30‐45 minutes with a balance between language arts, math, science 10 and social science.   

• Grade 5:  Approximately 1 hour with a balance between language arts, math, science and social science.   

Children need a special time and place to do their homework. Help your child establish a regular time to do homework each day. Provide him/her with a quiet place where homework can be completed without interruptions.   

Please be reminded that children in the upper grades are often given long‐term assignments. Check regularly to make sure they have organized their time well so those assignments are not left until the last minute to complete.  

Homework must be assigned, completed and reviewed, and then becomes a part of a student’s assessment. 

Students in grades 6, 7, & 8 should be assigned homework each day for approximately two to two and one-half hours with a balance between their programs of studies. (School Committee Policy, March 1997)