New Homework Guidelines For Toronto Public School Students

Hitting the books after a carefree summer can be a hard transition for many students and as the new school year starts, some parents may be concerned about their kids’ study habits and the amount of homework they should be completing every night.

“There can be too much I think,” said one flustered mother. “I think people should be able to be taught what they need to know in school.”

And she’s not alone. The debate over homework amounts has been building the past few years, as parents see their children stress over increasingly large workloads.

That’s why the Toronto District School Board has put a new homework policy in place this year, which takes academic requirements, extra curricular activities and family time into consideration when defining how many assignments your kids should be working on outside of class.

As of this year the board says kindergarten-aged kids shouldn’t be assigned homework. Instead, parents and caregivers are encouraged to read to their youngsters and play educational games. The same idea applies to kids in primary grades.

In the late primary and junior grades, kids will be assigned independent work to complete outside of class.

“Chilren will learn at very different rates, so we don’t want children going home and being frustrated with their homework,” explained Tracy Hayhurst of Toronto District School Board.

Under the new rules, children will be assigned according to their needs, so while one child may be assigned math homework, another pupil will be asked to do reading.

There are also specific guidlines for length of time homework should take older kids to complete. For example, homework shouldn’t exceed more than one hour a night for Grades 7 and 8 students and two hours for pupils in Grades 9 to 12, according to the new rules.

And the icing on the cake? No homework on holidays.

To see the full list of the TDSB’s recommendations, click here .

Here are some tips for parents to help their kids with homework, courtesy of the National Education Association (U.S.):

• Assume that your children will have studying to do every night. 
• Ask your children if they understand their homework. If they do not, work a few examples together. 
• Ask your children to show you their homework after the teacher returns it, to learn where they’re having trouble and where they’re doing well. See if your children did the work correctly. 
• Stay in touch with your children’s teachers. Ask about their classes and what they are studying. Ask their teachers how you can support what they are studying (flash cards, spelling, etc.). 
• Remember, you and their teachers want the same thing – to help your children learn. 
• Don’t be afraid to get in touch with the teacher if you and your child don’t understand an assignment or if your child is having a great deal of trouble. Almost all parents run into these problems, and teachers are glad to help. 
• Don’t do your children’s work for them. Help them learn how to do it themselves. 
• Show your children that you think homework is important. If you are at work during homework time, ask to see their work when you get home. 
• Praise your children for doing well. Make praise a habit. 
• Maintain a portfolio of “best pieces.” 
• Ask your school about tips or guides for helping your children develop good study habits. 
• Help older students organize their assignments by recording them on calendars or planners, along with due dates, dates turned in, etc. 
• Send your children to school each day, well-rested, fed and with a positive outlook. 
• Take an active interest in your children’s schooling. Ask specific questions about what happens at school each day and how your children feel about it. 
• Try not to let any of your own negative experiences keep you from supporting and encouraging your children’s learning. Let them know how much you care about education by continuing your own learning both informally and formally, to impress its importance upon them. 
• If possible, set up a quiet, comfortable study area with good lighting and the school supplies that your children need. This can be almost anyplace in your home; you don’t need a special room. 
• Set a family “quiet time” where you and your children can work together on homework, reading, letter writing and playing games. 
• Allow your children to study in the way each of them learns best. For example, some children work best when they’re lying on the floor with background music playing.
• Make homework a daily activity and help your children develop good homework habits.

For more homework hints, click here.