Homework Policy

First Graders are required to complete homework Monday-Thursday.  Your child will be assigned Reading, Reading Vocabulary/Spelling and Math.   A parent will be responsible for signing a calendar indicating all homework has been completed.  The calendar should remain in the homework folder. Each month the calendar will be collected and replaced.  If a student consistently does not return homework a note will be sent home.  We will request a parent signature.  The notices will be kept for later review during Parent/Teacher Conferences. 
 
What homework is not...
Homework should NOT be a nightly battle nor a frustrating time for you or your child.  It is not an extension of the school day.  If your child is frustrated with a concept please let me know. 
 
What will homework look like for my first grader?
Homework should consist of 20-30 minutes maximum Monday-Thursday.  Try to do homework with your child as early as possible.  Also find a distraction free place for your child to complete homework. 
 
 Both Learning Links and Homework Assignments  have websites that your child may enjoy and will reinforce skills.  

Homework Assignments

Suggestions:  Set a timer for each activity.  When the timer goes off move on to the next activity.  Remind your child that he/she is expected to stay focused on each task during this time. 

 
Reading: Your child re-reads a familiar book or reads a book at his/her independent reading level.  Your child should read for 10 minutes.  At the beginning of the year the books will be shorter and will not take as long.  When books get longer your child may not complete the book in one sitting.  Just bookmark where your child stopped reading.  When your child begins reading again the next day you can ask him/her what has happened in the story so far.  If they are having difficulty remembering have your child go back and look at the pictures and talk together about what they see.  Help your child retell the story before he/she begins reading again. 
 
 
Helping Your Child Read At Home
When helping your child read at home, several strategies may be used to aid in the decoding of unknown works. 
 
These are the stategies your child is using here at school. 
 
Birds Eye 
Tell your child to look at the picture. 
Fish Lips
Ask your child to get his/her mouth ready to say the word by shaing the sound for the beginning letter or letter chunks.  
Chunky Monkey
Ask  your chill to look for chunks in the word, such as it in sit, or at in cat, or ot in hot,  
Stretchy Snake    S-t-r-e-t-c-h is out!   Stretch out the word slowly and then put it back together. 
Helpful Elephant   Ask for help
After you have tried other strategies, ask for help.
Skippy Frog
Ask your child to go on and read to the end of the sentence.  Often by reading the other words in context your child can figure out the unknown word. 
Flippy Dolphin
Vowels have short and long sounds.  If the short/long sound does not work have your child try the other vowel sound. 
 
Reading vocabulary:   This practice helps your child reinforce sight word recognition which will enhance reading fluency.  Read the list of words.   Your child will bring home a book that contains the core words and sight word they are responsible for learning in first grade.   
 
Spelling:   Spelling practice helps you child's accuracy in daily writing. It also helps with sight word recognition.  Which in turn aids reading and writing fluency.  Your child can spend about 5 minutes on a one of these activities
 
Here are some fun and easy ways to help your child practice spelling words
Have your child type them on the computer in different colors and print them.
Have your child write them on a marker/chalk board. 
Write them on black construction paper with a white crayon. 
Use Scrabble pieces to spell words.
Put Jello powder in a paper plate. Have your child spell the word with his/her finger. If correct let him/her lick finger. 
During a bath write them on the walls with bath crayons. 
Have a variety of gel pens, markers, crayons, puffy paint.  Have your child practice words using the different kinds of writing tools. 
Have a family spelling contest.
Write words on sidewalk with chalk. 
Online and printable games:  www.spellingcity.com
Spell words with magnetic letter on a cookie sheet. 
Use alphabet stamps to stamp out the works on paper.
Squirt a bit of shaving cream on a paper plate and allow your child to write the words in the shaving cream. 
Write words as stairsteps
s
sp
spe
spel
spell
spelli
spellin
spelling
 
   
Math:
Your child will have a math worksheet almost every night.  The purpose of this sheet is to reinforce concepts previously taught.   This also helps to keep you informed about yoru child's learning. Time to complete the math sheets will vary.  Have your child do the best he/she can to complete each sheet.