How to best support your child this year: Home Learning Expectations Y1-6

Reading: sharing books and reading is an extremely important homework practice and we encourage children to read daily with their parents/carers. This should be a mixture of a child reading a book to an adult as well as a parent/carer reading to a child. Parents/carers are encouraged to discuss books with their child to develop their understanding as well as fluency (appendix 1 will help support this discussion along with the resources on our school website: https://www.acornsprimary.co.uk/reading-at-home/).  All reading should be recorded in the child’s school reading record by the child and/or parent.

Spelling: No Nonsense Spelling focuses on the teaching of spelling, embracing  knowledge of spelling conventions - patterns and rules.  Integral to the teaching  is the opportunity to promote the learning of spellings, including National Curriculum  statutory words, common exception words (where phonics does not work because it  is spelt in an unusual or uncommon way) and words that children personally find  difficult.  No Nonsense Spelling focuses on the application of spellings into writing.  

Within class sessions a range of strategies for learning spellings are introduced and  practised.  This enables pupils to choose the strategies they find most effective for  learning different words.  Each week the children (Y2-Y6) will bring home a list of  spellings which they have been learning in school (in their homework books).  We ask that the children learn the spellings and practise in their homework books or on any suitable spelling app, such as Spelling Shed & Squeebles Spelling Test (if your child practises on an app rather than in their book, please just write a quick note in the homework book under that week’s spelling list to inform the teacher of this).  Appendix 2 shows examples of the ways children might choose to practise - these techniques have been taught in school. Throughout the school week, children will be quizzed on these words to ensure that the words have transferred from their short term memory to their long term memory, resulting in spelling fluency and accuracy when writing.  There will be no formal weekly spelling tests, but a spelling test at the end of every half term, the results of which will be shared with parents.

Total Recall: children are requested to regularly practise times tables on Times Table Rockstars using their individual log in provided to them.  Prompt sheets (https://www.acornsprimary.co.uk/homework/) may also be provided from time to time/when requested to assist - see appendix 3. Children in Reception are encouraged to use the Numbots app for 5-10 minutes three times a week to support the development of their maths fluency. Numbots provides opportunities to practise number activities, including subitising, counting, addition and subtraction, and supports children in working towards gaining their Total Recall badges.

 ADDITIONAL HOMEWORK

Children in Years 3 to 6 will be provided with a CGP Grammar book for their year group at the start of the academic year. Teachers will set an activity every 2 weeks in line with the writing processes & grammar taught in school. The activity set will reinforce learning that has already happened/is happening currently. Parents/Carers are asked to work through the answers (provided in the book) to help their child mark their work and discuss any errors. CGP books can be handed in to the class teacher at any point within the 2 week period, and teachers will be on hand during that time to answer any queries and provide support. 

Mathletics: maths is set for every child in Years 1 to 6, using an online platform - ‘Mathletics’.  This gives children and parents immediate feedback on progress.  Each child is given a personal login. Please use the back of the homework book provided for jottings and calculating; whilst the questions are asked via the online platform, children are not expected to answer mentally - they will need to write down and calculate answers. Opportunities will be provided to allow children who cannot access the internet at home to complete activities at school at theirs/parents’/carers’ request.  If you experience any problems with Mathletics, please contact them directly to resolve the issue.

Cornerstones Topic Homework Ideas: at Acorns we use the Cornerstones  Curriculum which we have found to be very engaging and successful.  At the end of each term, children will be provided with a ‘Homework Ideas’ sheet for their next topic.  Children are free to choose any activity from the sheet or create their own similar activity which can be brought into school any time after the holiday in which it was sent. Pupils can complete as many of the activities as they wish andwork can be brought in at any time during the new topic. All projects completed at home will be shared with class members. Paper Knowledge Organisers will also be provided for the main topic and companion project knowledge organisers will be sent electronically. These knowledge organisers are a great resource for quizzing and checking knowledge on a regular basis. 

SATs: Year 6 children may be given additional booklets/activities to complete in the Spring term which will help them to revise for end of key stage tests.  These activities provide an excellent means for consolidating learning and for identifying next steps; parents' and children's engagement is paramount.