Homework, Grades, and Journals

Homework

Handwriting is not a skill that requires homework for mastery. However, other written homework you require has a handwriting component so you want parents to understand the handwriting method you are teaching and the sequence for formation. Send home letter formation charts for the parents.

1. Print Capital Letters
2. Print Lowercase Letters
3. Numbers
4. Cursive Capital Letters
5. Cursive Lowercase Letters
6. All Formation Charts

Tips for handwriting homework

• Be flexible with the amount of writing you require.
• Allow parents to help with some of the writing if the amount is overwhelming the child.
• For your kindergarten students, written homework should focus more on copying, rather than writing independently. Independent writing is a high-level skill in the stages of learning.

• Stages of Learning

Grades & Evaluations

Consider the purpose of grading a child. Grades typically are meant to communicate a child’s progress to parents. When a child is doing poorly in handwriting, you can make suggestions for improvement rather than issuing a poor grade.

• Grade students based on effort.
• When grading handwriting performance, do not evaluate a child’s style.
• Grade handwriting based on level of ability.

Journal Writing

If some children are ready for writing and have the ability to move ahead, journals may be made available to them for use in the classroom. For those children who are not ready for independent writing, delay the journals.

• Children begin learning by imitating. Therefore, delay journal writing until your students have sufficient practice with copying to avoid students developing frustration and bad habits.
• Teach handwriting skills by demonstrating good habits and allowing the children to imitate these habits.