Home Learning
A PACED APPROACH
Tuesday 2 May 2017
Why did we review Home Learning last year?
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No changes to policy in many years
Changes to family life
Changes to extra-curricular schedules
Ensuring our academic and well-being programs are in alignment
Consistency and development across EL3 - Year 12
What the Research Says
"No EVIDENCE any home learning improves academic
performance of elementary students."
Harris Cooper
What the Research Says
PROFESSOR JOHN HATTIE (2014) – Prominent Educational Researcher
- Conducted a meta- analysis of educational research to show us what works in education. His
findings about home learning were:
“Homework in primary school has an effect of around zero. In high school it’s larger. (…) "
“We need to get it right, not get rid of it. Five to ten minutes has the same effect of one hour to
two hours."
What the Research Says
• "Children's minds and bodies need other kinds of experiences when they get home."
Jessica Smock – former teacher, Curriculum Coordinator and doctorate in Educational
policy.
What the Research Says
The Australian Government’s Longitudinal Study of Australian
Children http://www.growingupinaustralia.gov.au/ identified four dimensions of a
child’s home learning environment from age 2 that make a difference are:
• teaching a child a song, playing games, doing arts and crafts activities
• an adult reading to a child each day
• the number of books in a child’s home
• out-of-home activities e.g. visiting a library or going to a zoo, going on
picnics, attending sporting events.
What the Research Says
• We need to consider long term mental health effects of
insisting that the end of the school day be dominated by
more work.
• Increasing rates of anxiety and depression, particularly
among adolescent girls, whose thinking can be dominated
by “unhelpful perfectionism” which may cause long term
mental health issues.
What do our changes recognise?
We believe when children return home after their
day at CGGS she should enjoy time to:
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Connect with family
Develop her personal health and well being
Socialise within the community
Engage with Home Learning, where appropriate
(PACED).
Why do we give home learning?
• Opportunities for students to apply their
classroom learning and share their knowledge
with their families
• To develop organisation, learning dispositions and
self-regulation
A PACED Approach
P- Preparation
A- Application
C- Consolidation
E- Enhancement
D- Differentiation
What does Home Learning Look Like at JS in 2017?
What can you do at home?
• Developmentally appropriate and valuable activities that help them grow
into healthy and happy adults
Example: Free play, skipping, conversing with parents, sleep, independent
reading,
• Listen to a book, work on a puzzle, exercise, connecting with nature and
others
What can you do at home?
• Discuss, revise and summarise learning moments and questions students have
• Talk about events that:
inspired curiosity
engaged creativity
made your daughters feel good
• Let them get bored
Question Time