TIPS Goals for Different Subjects

Learn more about TIPS by clicking on a link below:

Encourages teachers to design homework that builds students' skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening through communications with family partners;
Guides students to conduct, discuss, and enjoy language arts activities at home;
Enables parents to stay informed about their children's language arts work and progress;
Encourages parents to communicate with teachers about their observations and questions concerning their children's homework and progress in language arts.

TIPS Format--Language Arts

Letter to parent, guardian, or family partner explains the purpose of the activity. The student writes in the due date and signs the letter.
Objectives explain the learning goal of the activity (if this is not clear from the title and letter).
Materials are listed if more than paper and pen are needed.
In writing activities: Prewriting gives the student space to plan a letter, essay or story by outlining, brainstorming, listing, designing nets and webs, or other planning activities.
Interactions such as a family survey or an interview guide the student to interview someone for ideas or memories, read work aloud for reactions, edit their work based on responses, practice a speech, take turns with other in giving ideas, or other interactions.
Home-to-school communication invites the family partner to share comments and observations with language arts teachers about whether the child understood the homework, whether they both enjoyed the activity, and whether the parent gained information about the student's work in language arts.
Parent signature is requested on each activity.

Presentation and Schedule

Clear, readable type on two sides of one page
Printed on colored paper so that it stands out in students' notebooks
Assigned on a regular schedule (e.g., once a week or every other week) to help students share their work, and to keep families aware of what their children are learning in language arts or English classes.

Illustrates clearly how the teacher taught the skill in class;
Allows students to demonstrate, discuss, and celebrate their mastery of new math skills;
Enables parents to stay informed about their children's math work; and
Encourages parents to communicate with teachers about their observations and questions concerning their children's homework and progress in math

TIPS Format--Math

Look This Over shows an example of a skill that was taught in class, and allows the student to explain the skill to a parent or family partner. The answer to this example is given.
Now Try This presents another example for the student to demonstrate how to do the particular skill, with the answer on the back of the page.
Practice and More Practice are regular homework problems for the student to master the skill.
Let's Find Out or In the Real World may be added to help the student and family partner discover and discuss how the math skill is used at home or in common situations. Games or other interactions may be included to reinforce the math skill.
Home-to-school communication invites the family partner to record an observation, comment, or question for the math teacher about the skill the student demonstrated.
Parent signature is requested on each activity.

Presentation and Schedule

Clear, readable type on two sides of one page
Printed on colored paper so that it stands out in students' notebooks
Assigned on a regular schedule (e.g., once a week or every other week) to help students share their work and to keep families aware of what their children are learning in math classes

Encourages teachers to introduce science topics in class and follow up with discussions or demonstrations, after the TIPS interactive homework assignments are completed;
Guides students to conduct and discuss science activities at home;
Enables parents to stay informed about their children's science work and progress;
Encourages parents to communicate with teachers about their observations and questions concerning their science homework and progress.

TIPS Format--Science

Letter to parent, guardian, or family partner briefly explains the topic and specific science skills involved in the activity. The student writes in the due date and signs the letter.
Objectives explain the learning goal(s) of the activity.
Materials are common, inexpensive, and immediately available at home or easily obtained. If they are not, the school should provide the materials.
Procedure guides the students, step by step. Each assignment includes hands-on actions that require the student to think and act like a scientist. Teacher may change, simplify, or increase the difficulty of activities to meet the special needs of students.
Lab Report or Data Chart gives space for the student to report findings.
Conclusions guide the student to discuss results and real-world applications of science with family partners.
Home-to-school communication invites the family partner to share comments and observations with science teachers about whether the child understood the homework, whether they both enjoyed the activity, and whether the family partner gained information about the student's work in science.
Parent signature is requested on each activity.

Presentation and Schedule

Clear, readable type on two sides of one page
Printed on colored paper so that it stands out in students' notebooks
Assigned on a regular schedule (e.g., once a week or every other week) to help students share their work and to keep families aware of what their children are learning in science classes