General Guideline & Homework Philosophy
Legacy is committed to partnering with parents in every aspect of their child's education. Legacy is thus dedicated to a thoughtful understanding of what work students complete outside of class, why they do it, and the necessary support required from parents.
A classical Christian education requires commitment and hard work from students. Legacy’s curriculum is rigorous and our academic expectations are high. However, meeting this challenge will produce a disciplined scholar who will be ready to impact the world. This is a reward that will last a lifetime.
Parents should understand that homework is not assigned for the sake of simply doing more, or work given on the assumption that significant quantities of work is equivalent to academic rigor. The information below will provide parents with a basic understanding of why homework is necessary:
- Students often need extra practice with new concepts, skills, or facts. In certain subjects (e.g., math and Latin), there is simply not enough time in a school day to do as much practice as may be necessary for mastery. Therefore, after reasonable in-class time is spent on material, the teacher may assign homework to allow for additional practice.
- There are some assignments that cannot be completed in class, but are essential to the progression of the curriculum. For example, writing a paper or reading the next chapter of a book which will be discussed in the class the next day.
- Other examples of work that may need to be done outside of class include studying for tests, memorization work, reviewing notes, reading of literature, projects and research.
- Research clearly shows that repeated, short periods of practice or study of new information is a better way to learn than one long period of study.
- Students are expected to make good use of their time at school for learning. Homework may also be assigned to students who, having been given adequate time to complete an assignment in class, did not use the time wisely. In this situation, homework may be viewed as punitive, but the design is a practical purpose.
Homework Guidelines
When homework is necessary and when feasible it is reserved for Monday, Tuesday and Thursdays. We feel that this weekly routine assists parents in planning their daily schedules and ensuring a healthy amount of family time at home.
To give parents an idea of the amount of homework to expect Legacy uses the 10 minutes per grade method.
Kindergarten 10 minutes
1st Grade 20 minutes
2nd grade 30 minutes
3rd grade 40 minutes
4th grade 50 minutes
5th grade 60 minutes
* Times are approximate
When homework is assigned teachers are instructed to avoid giving busy work and they closely monitor their students’ homework load. Homework is generally due the following school day and points will be deducted for homework not returned on time. It is Legacy’s expectation that homework is the student’s own work and that it is done to the best of the student’s ability. We see the parent’s role as supportive, and supervisory if necessary.
The school invites parents to provide feedback about homework loads, so that we can get a “parents’ eye view” of the impact of particular assignments or requirements. Teachers and administrators are always ready to communicate with parents and hear their concerns.