Homework
Do you give homework?
Yes, I give about 30 minutes of homework, 5 days per week.
What is the homework?
With few exceptions, your homework is always the same:
| English Homework (Daily) |
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Since you will turn in your homework once a week, it may be more helpful to think of it like this:
| English Homework (Weekly) |
Due: Friday at midnight |
How long does it take to do the homework?
Most students can read 10 pages in less than 15 minutes.
As for typing—that depends. Students who already know how to type can often complete four Typing Club lessons in less than five minutes.
But students who need to break their bad habits will, of course, take longer. In any case, even a slow typist should be able to finish four Typing Club lessons in less than 15 minutes.
Thus, I provide this estimate:
| Homework (Daily) | Minutes |
| 4 Typing Club lessons | 15 |
| 10 pages | 15 |
| Total | 30 |
What if I already know how to type? Can I skip the Typing Club lessons?
If you already know how to type well, you can substitute "reading points" for "typing points".
Think of it this way:
You're goal is to earn 150 homework points per week, from some combination of typing and reading. For most students, that means:
| Homework | Conversion to Points | Points |
| 20 Typing Club lessons | x 5 stars per lesson = | 100 points |
| 50 pages | x 1 point per page = | 50 points |
| Total | 150 points |
However, there are other possibilities, including:
| Homework | Conversion to Points | Points |
| 0 Typing Club lessons | x 5 stars per lesson = | 0 points |
| 150 pages | x 1 point per page = | 150 points |
| Total | 150 points |
That said, students are not allowed to substitute reading points for typing points until after they have passed a typing test!
It basically works like this:
If you think that your typing skills are good—so good, in fact, that doing more typing exercises would be a waste of your time, then I encourage you to approach me and say:
"Mr. Hall, I'd like to take the typing test."
And then I'll watch you type a few paragraphs, while covering your keyboard with something like this:
 |
And if you can truly convince me that you already know how to type smoothly and easily—using all the proper fingers, and without looking down at the keyboard!—then I'll say:
"Okay, you have permission to substitute reading points for typing points."
How do I submit the homework?
Each week (at the end of the week), you're going to submit your work by going to the Submit Work page and answering the following two questions:
- What is the total number of Typing Club stars that you have earned since the beginning of the year?
- What is the total number of pages that you have read since the beginning of the year?
In other words, you are self-reporting the work that you have done.
And how will you know if I've actually done the work?
I can verify your Typing Club stars by visiting the Typing Club website.
To verify your reading, I will, periodically, hold an individual conference with you, and I'll ask you questions about the books you have read.
Can I work ahead? (Can I do homework in advance?)
Yes.
Theoretically, you could go home tonight and do all 650 lessons on Typing Club, and then read 1,800 pages, and you would be finished with your homework for the year.
Needless to say, a more practical approach is to get in the habit of doing 30 minutes of English homework every night.
Do you accept late work?
Yes, within reason.
- I do not accept late work the last week of the trimester.
- I reserve the right to reject "reading pages" that are late and difficult to verify.
Instructions for the Quiz
Answer the questions.
Quiz