Homework becomes part of the daily routine at our level.  We’ll send home a homework sheet on the first day of school that will give more details, but the following might bear advance notice and planning.   Our goal is to help children develop the habit of independent study outside of the classroom, and to provide reinforcement and extension of school work.   Classroom homework for the third and fourth grade should not take more than half an hour.  In addition, we expect each child to spend at least 20 minutes a day reading.  Please plan to provide your child with a quiet, television- free zone in which to work.  At first, most children need a lot of help just getting organized.            Children are responsible for writing down and understanding the homework for each day.  If they are confused, they may call a classmate, but not the teachers.   You can help by giving your child a safe and secure method of transporting their homework, and by reminding them to put it by the door when they are finished.   Backpacks work well for some children.  Zippered, sectional notebooks are essential for others.  Help your child to devise a system that will work for her and you will enable her to become independent of you.   Music, Spanish and classroom teachers all make assignments.  In the past, the Spanish teacher has provided a three-hole punched folder, and the Music teacher has handed out slips of music for recorder practice.