Homework at Clehonger
Revisiting key skills and reading at home are excellent ways to support your child’s education. Educational apps can help children practice important skills in reading, math, problem-solving, and critical thinking while making learning fun and engaging. Reading together at home builds vocabulary, improves comprehension, and strengthens communication skills. It also encourages children to develop a love of learning and become more confident readers. When parents spend time reading with their children and monitoring the use of age-appropriate educational apps, they create valuable opportunities for learning, growth, and family connection. Consistent practice at home can help children succeed both in the classroom and beyond.
The Golden Rule: Nightly Reading
Reading is the single most powerful factor in a child’s long-term success. It is the key that unlocks the rest of the curriculum, expanding a child’s vocabulary and their understanding of the world. At Clehonger, our expectation is simple but vital: every child should read every single night.
Reading Record Responsibilities:
To help us track progress and celebrate your child’s reading journey, please use the Reading Record as follows:
Why Reading Matters: Home Learning Insights
The most effective way to build a reader is through the “little and often” approach. To make your nightly sessions a success, keep these expert tips in mind:
- Choose a quiet time: Set aside 10–15 minutes free from the distractions of screens or busy household tasks.
- Maintain the flow: If your child mispronounces a word, give them a moment for self correction. It is often better to provide a difficult word to keep the story moving than to insist they sound out every single letter, which can frustrate the reader.
- Variety is important: Choice is a great motivator. Encourage your child to explore picture books, comics, magazines, and non-fiction alongside their school reading book.
Active Engagement Guide: Comprehension & Prediction
To help your child move beyond just “saying the words,” use these age-appropriate questions to spark a discussion:
Key Stage 1 (Years 1 & 2)
“Looking at the cover, what do you think will happen in this story and why?”
“Can you tell me what has happened so far?”
“How do you think the character feels right now? How can you tell from the picture?”
Key Stage 2 (Years 3 – 6)
“What genre is this book (e.g., mystery, adventure), and what clues told you that?”
“Can you find evidence in the text that describes the setting or the character’s personality?”
“What does this specific word mean? Can you think of a synonym (a word with the same meaning)?”
As children master the sounds of reading, they can begin to apply those same structural principles to the science of spelling.
Spelling: Building a Sturdy Vocabulary
Spelling at Clehonger is far more than a memory test; it is a systematic exploration of how our language is built. All children from Year 1 to Year 6 participate in weekly spelling tests every Friday, supported by the SpellingShed digital platform. Most children will receive 10 spellings, however, please discuss this with your child’s teacher if they are finding this amount too much.
| Platform | Year Groups | Learning Focus |
| Morphs – Grammarsaurus | Year 2 – 6 | Each level teaches a specific morpheme (for example, ) with a short tutorial video, then children use it in gameplay. |
| EdShed – Educational products for spelling, phonics, literacy and maths | Year 1 – 6 | Your child’s spellings are uploaded to SpellingShed and children can practice these spellings through different games. |
Maths & Digital Platforms: Year-by-Year Guide
Our range of digital learning ensures your child is always challenged but never overwhelmed.
| Platform | Year Groups | Learning Focus |
| Numbots Game | Year 1 & 2 | Addition & Subtraction: Focuses on mental strategies so children can move away from counting on their fingers and become confident with number bonds. |
| Home – Times Tables Rock Stars | Year 2 to Year 6 | Multiplication & Division: Boosts automatic recall. Children can earn rewards to personalize their “Rock Star” avatars. |
| Learning by Questions | LbQ | Year 2 to Year 6 | urriculum Mastery: “Powers up” learning by providing instant feedback as children answer questions, allowing them to correct mistakes immediately. |
To protect student privacy, these platforms feature no ads or in-game purchases, and children play under anonymous “Bot Names” generated by the system.
While these platforms provide the tools, your encouragement at home is the engine that drives success.
Success Strategies: “Little and Often”
➢ Casual & Fun: If your child is reluctant, keep sessions very short and light. You can even boost their confidence by acting as their “scribe”—typing the answers into the app while they call them out.
➢ Positive Modelling: Children take their cues from you. Avoid saying “I’m not a maths person.” Instead, model a “can-do” attitude by saying, “This is a tricky one, let’s see if we can figure it out together!”
➢ The Login Secret: To save time and avoid frustration, all digital logins for these platforms are located for easy reference inside your child’s Reading Record.
Support and Troubleshooting
We are committed to making home learning work for every family. If you need assistance, please use the contacts below:
▪ Login or Platform Issues: Please speak directly to your child’s class teacher or the classroom teaching assistant.
▪ IT and Internet Access Issues: If you are having trouble sourcing phones, IPaDs etc. please contact Mrs. Sage.
We are proud to work alongside you to ensure your child becomes a confident, fluent, and inspired learner. Together, we can help them “level up” their skills and achieve their full potential.