Lemon Road’s Homework Policy

Developed from FCPS Guidelines and a survey of recent professional research.
1.  Homework will serve a positive purpose for learning and support the instructional program.  Homework is a vehicle through which students practice, apply, and/or elaborate on content they are currently learning.  It may also be used as preparation for learning new content.
2.  Homework assignments will be relevant to content being studied with an emphasis on quality rather than quantity.  Homework for advanced learners will focus on understanding content in greater depth and complexity and not on increased time commitments.
3.  Whenever possible, homework assignments will be tailored to match the varying needs of students’ learning styles, readiness, primary languages and home support systems.  This requires effective communication between home and school.  Contact your child’s teacher if homework assignments seem inappropriate for your child.  All students are expected to complete homework.
4.  Homework at Lemon Road is assessed for completeness and accuracy but will not be factored into the students’ overall academic grade.  Individual student performance on homework is used as a tool by teachers to assess proficiency and to identify remediation and enrichment needs.  Failure to complete homework cannot lower student academic grades.
5.  Homework will not be assigned as punishment under any circumstances.  However, brief written assignments designed to improve safety practices, reflect on school behavior and emphasize the importance of respect for others are effective and appropriate.  This type of assignment is part of the learning process and is not punitive.
6.  FCPS guidelines for the total amount of time spent on homework are: 30 minutes for grades K-3 and 60 minutes for grades 4-6.  This does not include daily recommended reading or occasional long-term projects.   Another rule of thumb as seen in the attached article, “The Homework Dilemma” by Bruce Oliver, is the grade level of the student multiplied by 10 minutes.  For example, a fifth grader would spend no more than 50 minutes on homework. 
Lemon Road teachers strive to meet these homework time guidelines, while also recognizing that students vary significantly in the amount of time they need to complete given assignments.  Again, this requires effective communication between home and school.  Please monitor the amount of quality, focused time your child is spending on homework each night and contact your child’s teacher if necessary.

You can help by:

• Providing a quiet space for doing homework with the necessary supplies close at hand:  pencils, erasers, paper, crayons, markers, dictionary, calculator, ruler as appropriate for your child’s grade level.
• Providing a specific time for homework, and helping your child with time management and goal setting.
• Monitoring your child during homework to make sure the time spent is focused and purposeful.
• Answering appropriate questions without giving answers or doing the work yourself.  Remember that homework is used as an essential feedback tool.  It is crucial for your child’s teacher to know if he/she was unable to complete the homework unaided.

Thank you for your support!!  Parents’ attention to their child’s particular style of learning, and effective communication with teachers provides the crucial link between home and school that will allow all of our students to succeed.