In addition to encouraging creativity and varied interests in all of its students, Norwood recognizes the vital importance of basic study skills to success and enjoyment in all areas of learning.

In the Lower School, classroom procedures are designed to promote orderly interaction, clear thinking, and verbal expression. Children are encouraged to listen attentively, to follow oral directions, and to present their work in a neat and organized way. Students learn the routine of being accountable for brief assignments completed at home. As they move through the Lower School, children are given a weekly organizer in which they write all of their homework assignments and are assigned a multi-part, long-term project, designed to teach them the importance of budgeting their time.

Fourth grade and early Middle School, the fifth and sixth grades, are years of steadily increasing homework, long-term projects, and multi-part assignments. Students in these grades are given a plan book in which to keep an ongoing record of their responsibilities. Test taking, essay writing, and text reading skills are developed throughout the curriculum. Outlining, note taking, and the multistep process of writing a research paper are all taught and practiced so that by the end of sixth grade, students are able to work through a large research project, complete with end notes and bibliography.

In the seventh and eighth grades, the daily homework load again increases along with the depth and complexity of long term assignments. Students are expected to have command of the rudiments of organization discussed above and to be able to apply these strategies in an appropriate way to their work. Homework assignments will be available for middle school students through Norwood's website. Every seventh and eighth grader participates in weekly advising sessions. Individual learning styles, organization of time and materials, and preparation for taking standardized tests are some of the topics covered.