Homework
We consider the purpose of homework to be to give children the opportunity to consolidate, reinforce and extend the learning that takes place in school, and to practise skills; to help them see the relevance of what they learn at school in real contexts; to encourage, motivate and increasingly develop the self-discipline to learn and to develop an effective partnership between home and school.
Homework consists principally of activities such as:
- reading at home
- learning spellings and multiplication tables
- practising handwriting
- practising a new Maths strategy or playing Maths games
- collecting data or finding out information, sometimes relating to a topic being covered in school
Reading on a daily basis is also expected. Reading aloud with an adult is important throughout the primary years. Even if your child is a fluent reader, having a discussion about the story (for example, the characters’ personalities and actions, the ‘wow words’ used by the author) is a valuable way to develop reading skills.
Helping at Home
As a parent or carer you can play a vital role in your child’s education, including homework.
You can look at your child’s year page which will tell you what topic your child is currently learning about.
Literacy
Probably the easiest way to help your child is to read each day. Children should be encouraged to read aloud and read on their own, but being read to is really important, too, so don’t overlook the bedtime story!
Sound pronunciation guide For F1, F2 and Y1 – (link)
You can download a PDF below to help you know which word types will be used in each Year Group:
Word Types in each year group (pdf)
Grammar
Do you know the difference between the subject and the subjunctive? Can you identify a relative clause or find a phrase? From active voice to verb tense, you’ll find basic definitions of important primary-school grammar terms below:
Supporting Your Child at Home With Grammar Toolkit.
- Year 1 Grammar Toolkit
- Year 2 Grammar Toolkit
- Year 3 Grammar Toolkit
- Year 4 Grammar Toolkit
- Year 5 Grammar Toolkit
- Year 6 Grammar Toolkit
Examples of methods of teaching in class:
- Word Classes Game
- Word Cards – to sort into correct categories
- Match the Definition to its Meaning
- Sort The Adverbials Differentiated Activity Worksheet
- Y3 & 4 – Sentence Building Cards
- Y5 & 6 Sentence Building Cards
- Year 4 SPaG Activity Mat
Mathematics
Parents / carers often say they are less confident about supporting their child with Maths. The first rule is: don’t suggest that Maths is less important than Literacy! Mental calculations, estimating, measuring and telling the time are important skills we use every day. Beware of saying in front of your child that you weren’t good at Maths at school – children might perceive this as you saying it’s OK to have these low expectations. If you’re not sure, please ask a teacher in school.
We follow Leeds guidance, and any teacher will be happy to give you a hard copy with some explanations and ideas for how to practise written calculations at home. Please take care not to confuse your child with methods that are not learnt in school.
You can download a PDF below that introduces the methods used in school:
Swillington School Maths Calculation Methods (pdf)
Progression in Calculations (pdf)
The following videos may also help: