Section 1: Academic Achievement - National Center for School ...

struggling with. On Thursday it was specifically math work. The math work was usually
concepts the students had difficulty learning in class or needed extra practice. We would
review the concept taught in class, go over examples, and then they worked on their own
asking me for assistance when needed. They were also able to get help from fellow lunch
bunch attendees. Small groups sometimes formed to discuss an idea. Leaders always seemed
to emerge and were able to help the other kids out with their work. They began to gain
independence with their work and were able to see the importance of completing a task. After
they completed the homework during lunch bunch they would then turn it in. They usually
had big smiles on their faces and explained they were happy to be done and felt they better
understood the information. Out of the four students, three consistently turned in completed
homework weekly homework. They were able to do parts of their work in school and then
the more independent work such as reading was done at home. They seemed to see that the
homework was not as hard as they once had envisioned. As for the one student who was
unable to complete the work, she continued to have attendance issues that were out of her
control. Many of the weeks she did not turn in homework because she was absent on the
Friday it was due.
After the two month lunch bunch time the students were asked to take a post survey. The
questions focused on the importance of help for homework, responsibility of completing a
task, and how they could get more help if needed. All of the students agreed that lunch bunch
helped them to turn in homework on time. They said they were able to get it done without
distractions. They were able to ask someone for help immediately when they had a question.
They were also able to take their time with the work and not feel rushed into getting the work
completed without taking the time to think about it. Most of the students also said it helped to
be able to go over the lesson again in a one-on-one situation with their teacher. They weren’t
too embarrassed to ask questions and they were able to focus more on the task. They also said
that their homework boxes were still in safe places in their rooms and that they used them as
often as possible while doing their work at home.
After completing the lunch bunch I noticed that more homework was being turned in. It
seemed that more thought was taken into doing the work well and with care. It was not only
the homework that we did together that was done well, but also the independent work. The
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