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Homework and Reading Records - A guide for parents and carers Mapplewell Primary school

Home Work Overview

At Mapplewell, we believe home work should be done to inspire pupils to want to learn more, stretch those pupils who want to deepen their understanding and support pupils who want improve on what they have been learning in class.

We have moved forward with the times and will offer dynamic learning opportunities that can be responded to in a variety of ways. We want pupils to have a thirst for furthering their knowledge at home and more importantly want to share that with their teacher and their peers, which is where we believe this new approach will truly thrive. We want pupils, families can carers to be excited to share their homework rather than force pupils to complete tasks that they do not value.

We have decided to use seesaw for home work based on the success and feedback from teachers, parents and pupils during the time of home learning. Below are examples of what home work will look in September.

Here is an example of what home work tasks will look like. Class teachers will set tasks tailored to their own class to incorporate what they have learned about in school so that it can be consolidated at home. It also allows class teachers to stretch pupils and further their learning at home.
Clicking the 'Add Response' button shows you the different ways that children can interact with what the class teacher has set. As you can see pupils can respond in a variety of ways. Rather than just writing out in their homework books they can record a video of themselves, upload photos and much more. This will help to motivate pupils in their home learning and encourage them to use imaginative ways to further their learning at home.
This is what home work tasks will look like for the class teacher when the task is first set. Every pupil has a blank above their name showing that they have not responded.
Here is an example that has been responded to. As you can see children who have not completed their homework still remain as a blank. The class teacher will receive a notification when a child has submitted their homework online and this overview page allows them to see what they have submitted. Class teachers will 'like' homework submitted to allow families know that it has been seen. Class teachers may share this homework on the board to celebrate it with the rest of the class and inspire others. As you can see for this task some children have chosen to write their answers on paper and upload a photo, others have responded directly on an electronic device. Using seesaw gives pupils and parents flexibility to choose what suits them best.

At Mapplewell we believe that reading for pleasure can be a huge step to unlocking a pupils potential. We want to encourage pupils to discover a wide range of texts and fall in love with reading and share their passion. We believe that using reading records is still the best ways for families and pupils to do this, however similarly to home work we believe that using seesaw can help pupils share their reading journey but offer them a variety of ways to do so.

Reading records can still be used in the traditional way. However opening up sharing reading on seesaw can help overcome some issues we know parents, teachers and pupils have had using them.
Here is an example of how reading records will be used digitally. Families have the flexibility to respond by writing in the reading record as normal but then can use all the fantastic features through seesaw such as recording a video or recording their own voice.
An example of a hand written reading record uploaded to seesaw simply using 1 photograph.
An example of the template that pupils can type directly on to their electronic device meaning that they don not have to rely on a written reading record but allows them to show their teacher what they have been reading and when.
At Mapplewell we have a paid subscription to Spelling Shed giving pupils their own log on details so they can improve their spellings on any electronic device.
This is an example of what will be sent home. Keep this somewhere safe at home! Pupils can enter their log in details or just use the QR code to log straight in.
Pupils can select words from different stages. The stage should match up the year group that they are in, but pupils can choose to spell words from earlier stages to build their confidence and review words that they are still struggling with.
Pupils can decide for themselves their own difficulty level ensuring that their spelling homework is never too difficult for them.
If pupils select the easiest setting they will be shown the correct spelling and a definition
They will then be given the correct letters jumbled up that they have to spell out in the correct order.
As the difficulty increases more and more letters are added. On the extreme level the pupils will get no visual prompts and will only hear the word being read and will then have to spell the word out from a full keyboard of letters.
Here is an example of a pupil who has played the game and spelled some words correctly and some incorrectly. Teachers, parents and carers can see how words have been misspelled so they can help address the issue and give extra practice to those words.
Teachers can see how regularly pupils are using spelling shed and how accurate they are being with their spellings.
To encourage parents and carers to support learning times tables at home we have a paid subscription for Times Tables Rockstars. Pupils will access the software in school, but they will also be given log ins so that they can practice at home. For further information on Times Times and how we use TTRockstars please see the Times Tables spark: https://spark.adobe.com/page/xFEHSuJXpbzQI/
Will my child get into trouble for not doing homework?

No, children will not be in trouble if they have not completed a task. Of course we would like to encourage families to engage in extending their learning and reading at home, but it is the families ultimate decision. We want to offer a wide and varied set of opportunities, not set a monotonous set of weekly tasks.

Do I only have one week to complete homework or reading record entry?

No - the tasks will remain on seesaw throughout the term. This allows flexibility for families to go back and complete sections when they have the time.

Does the homework have to follow the exact tasks set on seesaw?

No - we want pupils to follow their interests and use their creativity. If reading a book has inspired them to create a piece of artwork then seesaw allows them to share that with their teacher and their peers.

I don't have access to digital resources, can I still do homework?

Yes! Reading records can still be brought in to school and shared with class teachers. Homework books and work done on paper can still be shared in class and every class has an area to display brilliant work from home.

Will my child's homework be marked?

It would be unmanageable for teachers to give detailed written responses for every piece of homework. Teachers will always 'like' the homework to show families that it has been seen. Class teachers may also show the homework on the board and give pupils the opportunity to show off their learning to inspire their peers.

What are the benefits of using digital resources?
  • If reading records or homework books are lost or left at school, home work and reading can still be uploaded to seesaw and completed digitally or on paper and a photo can be uploaded.
  • Tasks are accessible at any time. If a task is too difficult or your child does not have the time to complete it they can always return to it later - it won't disappear.
  • Class teachers can 'like' uploads to show that have seen it. Where appropriate teachers may add comments if they believe it will help further their learning or to praise the pupil's hard work.
  • Class teachers can upload activities that are linked to current learning to further pupils knowledge and deepen their understanding.
  • It will keep a digital record of all you child's home learning. Rather than keeping it in a book which can easily become lost or damaged there will be a digital log of what they have achieved at home.
Appreciate

Credits:

Created with images by Tim Mossholder - "Love to Learn" • David Pennington - "The world’s best pencils. Apparently. In a world inundated with the freshest technology, no one has ever found a reason to improve upon a pencil." • Ajda Berzin - "Infinite stories" • Aaron Burden - "Writing with a fountain pen"