Meaningful Homework

Attainment Targets for IT Skills

The following table lists what learners in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 are expected to achieve in the development of IT skills:

Key Stage 1 Key Stage 2

Operate computers and multi-media educational software.

Use a number of software packages, such as simple word-processing and graphical

packages for communication and learning purposes.

Communicate and handle

information with simple IT tools in writing and other learning activities.

Select and determine

information from a variety of sources, such as electronic encyclopaedias on CD-ROMs and the Internet.

English teachers in primary schools need to consider the above in designing IT-supported language learning tasks so that learners use IT to learn English and learn IT skills at the same time.

• follows up on what has been done in class, reinforcing the development of listening and speaking skills; and

• widens their English learning capacity.

While an appropriate amount of exercises is necessary to help learners practise the mechanics of written English, too much copying or too many mechanical exercises may foster a negative attitude towards learning English in young learners.

The following types of homework can be assigned to learners in primary schools:

• Using neat and legible handwriting is one of the writing skills learners need to develop. Learners can be asked to practise at home the basic conventions of written English that they have learnt at school. Meaningful and contextualized copying activities which integrate language practice with handwriting practice can be given to ensure that learners’ time and effort in homework is well spent. For example, learners can be asked to make their own small books by rewriting sentences in different ways, such as from speech bubbles to a short text using appropriate sentence punctuation. Meaningless and mechanical exercises like penmanship should be minimized.

• After learning some grammar items and structures for a communicative purpose or reading a rhyme, a poem or a book, learners can be given speaking activities as follow-up work. For example, as homework, learners may be asked to use appropriate formulaic expressions to greet their family members, or act out the rhyme, the poem and the story, or tell the most interesting part of the book to a family member. They can also be asked to practise the above at home, so that they can do it for their classmates, or record their speech acts for teacher’s feedback or for sharing with classmates.

• Young learners do not mind listening to the same story or song again and again. Listening to tapes or audio CDs is a very good practice to enhance the development of listening and speaking skills. If the tapes are recorded by native speakers of English, it will be easier for learners to pick up native-like intonation and pronunciation from the early years onwards. Repeated listening also provides learners with confidence to read English books on their own. This kind of

homework prepares learners to conduct independent reading at an early stage of learning. It would also be interesting and useful for the learners to listen carefully to public announcements or advertisements in English. Assignments can be set to heighten learners’ awareness of spoken English around their environment, e.g.

announcements on MTR, KCR or television.

• Home reading is a very meaningful and practical activity if real books are used for reading aloud, storytelling, shared reading and supported reading in the Reading Workshops. Learners may read books to their family members aloud, or to their toys, or record their reading on tapes for sharing during lessons. They may also read silently on their own for a short period of time (e.g. 30 minutes) each day at home.

• Good reading habits are also developed when home reading of books is assigned as regular homework or holiday assignments. Learners may read books with themes related to books used in the Reading Workshops or choose books they like for themselves. In this way, learners apply their reading skills, widen their capacity for learning English and develop positive attitudes towards reading to learn.

Learners should not be asked to do a book report on each of the books read, as this can be demotivating. Learners can be given the opportunities to recommend books they enjoy reading to their peers orally.

• In a task-based approach to the learning and teaching of English, learners are provided with the necessary language input for carrying out tasks in class. Vocabulary and grammar practice exercises may be given as homework to help them internalize the use of the target grammar items and structures, and to consolidate and apply what has been learnt in new contexts. For example, learners build a concept map or web to display the connections between vocabulary items used in a task and other relevant words they find interesting from other sources, e.g. picture dictionaries or independent reading materials. They can also be asked to use the target grammar items in parallel writing tasks to express their own experiences or feelings.

• Extended tasks are open-ended tasks that are usually more

tasks can involve the use of the words, structures and patterns which learners have been learning in class. They should be manageable, within the ability of the learners, and related to other tasks carried out in class. They help learners work towards the Learning Targets and achieve the Learning Objectives in a self-directed way.

• Projects encourage learners to conduct topic-based study independently. Learners have to search, collect and compile information from various sources. Projects may be given as homework when learners take a longer break, e.g. during Christmas.

In doing cross-curricular projects, it should be made clear to the learners that they are encouraged to explore the use of English at a pace and depth set by themselves. Criteria for success should be agreed and shared between the teacher and the class before the projects begin. Teachers need to estimate the time needed and give timely feedback during the process of carrying out extended tasks or projects.

Feedback to Learners on their Homework

Homework is a useful tool in assessment for learning. It provides information on learners’ strengths and weaknesses in learning English, reflects their progress in learning and assists teachers to plan for future learning and teaching.

• Homework enhances effectiveness in learning, especially when it is checked, and when appropriate and timely feedback is given.

Quality feedback, including encouraging remarks and verbal praise, where appropriate, must be given to all types of homework so that learners’ efforts are recognized.

• Not all homework needs to be marked by the teacher. Peer feedback is an effective means to help learners evaluate each other’s work and reflect on their own learning. For example, learners can be asked to give a grade to their classmates’ projects and comment on them.

They should be given time to compare each other’s projects and ask questions about them, turning the class into an interaction-rich learning organization.