For our weekly homework students will have 6 assignments.

Homework is meant to practice skills we have learned in class and is not to be turned in at the end of the week.

Homework should only last for 15 minutes nightly. If you are finding that any of these assignments is taking significantly longer than 15 minutes, please stop at the 15 minute mark. Students may become frustrated if the work is too difficult so please do not force them to the point of frustration.

You may practice the assignments once per week or more often. Please keep in mind that the more correct practice students have with these foundational skills, the more likely they will make faster progress toward becoming a fluent reader.

Please return the homework folder every Friday.

Students will be given their weekly spelling words, except on every sixth week of our language arts program and short weeks, like Thanksgiving week. Students will have a spelling menu. You may choose one activity to complete for the week or, you may choose to do additional activities from the menu to practice your words.

You will also hear your child refer to these words as "heart words." We will be teaching high frequency words in a new way, beyond just memorizing. We will be taking a deep dive into our weekly high frequency words to find the irregular phonics patterns and also look for sounds that are regular, but have not yet been taught. Students may draw a heart under the unknown/untaught part to signify this is the tricky part and we will eventually be reading the words "by heart" as we map out their sound spelling patterns to build familiarity and fluency.

Our fantastic district coaches created blending lines that align with our language arts program, Wonders. Students will segment, or break apart the sounds, blend the sounds together, then read each word.

1. So, for example, if the first word is "cat," then students would segment the sounds like this /c/ /a/ /t/, saying each sound individually.

2. Next, students will blend the sounds together. This is where they will stretch the sounds out like this caaaaat.

3. Last, students will read the word like this "cat." Students will then practice reading the phonics skills in a sentence or two at the bottom of the page.

A different, 2-sided book from our Wonders program is included each week for students to practice reading a story with the weekly phonics pattern. Students will read the decodable book and circle the word with the phonics pattern for the week. Students may also underline the spelling pattern (i.e. short a).

A short passage with our weekly phonics pattern has also been included. Students will read the decodable passage and circle the words with the phonics pattern for the week. Students may also underline the spelling pattern.

We have a new (as of last year) math program called SWUN. The program includes a homework booklet that will be sent home. This homework booklet will stay at home and students will complete the assigned pages for the week.