Page 308 - Powerful Social Studies for Elementary Students 4th Edition

280 Powerful Social Studies for Elementary Students
concerns. Another concern relates to family willingness and capacity to participate in home learning opportunities. Many think that helping their child is cheating, that “I may not know the right answer,” that “I simply don’t have the time needed to help,” or that “It’s the teacher’s job to educate my child.” Overcoming these obstacles does not hap- pen overnight. It requires ongoing education about the power of authentic learning out of school and the role families can play in enhancing student interest in curriculum content as well as potentially influencing student achievement. It requires explaining to families through letters, conferences, and public presentations how family members can help their children and the thinking behind home assignments in social studies.
It is helpful if you as the teacher model what is being asked in home assignments to ensure that students understand the goals and directions for accomplishing the tasks. Establish the mindset that the home assignments are vital to learning because they add meaningfulness and new perspectives. Make sure you use the results in subsequent les- sons. Create the expectation that students will return their completed homework assign- ments, and when students (and their families) fall short of this expectation, a friendly reminder note or call is in order. Important factors to remember when assigning home- work are time required to complete the assignment, the age of the students, typical fam- ily involvement, and the scope of the homework. If students forget to bring in their homework or turn it in late, asking them to recall from memory their responses on the homework, or using the homework when the students eventually bring it in are other sub- tle ways of indicating the importance of the assignments and their authentic connections to the in-school curriculum.
Technology Tips
Many teachers use class websites to communicate information to families about curriculum, homework assignments, special projects, upcoming events, and even students’ progress (using a private “parent page” where parents can log in to view their child’s progress). Consider the kind of information you would include on your own website. Be sure to introduce the website to students and to families (during an open house) so that readers are familiar with what information is available and how to access it.
Guidelines for Framing Homework Assignments
• Make sure that every assignment relates to the social studies education goals for the lesson/unit.
• Make sure students can clearly articulate the purpose of the home assignment.
• Educate families about the nature and purposes of the assignments.
• Provide students with notes to families describing the assignments as well as materials
such as charts, tables, worksheets, interview schedules, and so forth for retrieving data. Provide examples and thought starters where appropriate. These materials make it easier for families to do the assignments and usually result in a higher return of information to inform future class discussions.
• Establish time frames appropriate for the tasks.
• Expect all students to complete the assignments and make sure you acknowledge the
returned data in subsequent lessons. The student responses contemporize the in-school curriculum and bring the content to life.
*Note: We reiterate that there is a need and place for basic skills practice (role/ reinforcement) at home on occasion. Make sure you make this clear to families and
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