There is a growing body of research that indicates that traditional homework is generally not effective for young students. Thus, your student’s only nightly homework is to read for 15 minutes. They can read independently, listen to someone else read, or “read” the pictures in a book.Really as long as your child is engaging with some type of text or story nightly, they are meeting this requirement.
Sight words (will begin in mid-September):
Your child will be tested each week on sight words. Testing will occur in class and will only occur once a week. The day that they are tested may change week to week as it is dependent on when I have time to test them. Students will be asked to read each sight word one at a time and will be tested cumulatively. This means that first they will be tested on the red level. Once they pass the red level, they will be tested the following week on both the red and orange levels, and so on. If your child passes all six levels, they will go back to the beginning (red level) and will take a written spelling test with each level's words. A sight word list was sent home at the beginning of the year and I am happy to resend the list if you send me an email!
Your child should be practicing their current level of sight words daily. Ideas for sight word practice:
Practice writing each sight word with unusual materials (bright markers, sand, sprinkles, a Ziploc bag full of hair gel and glitter)
Play games with sight words (memory, Go Fish, etc.)
Make up songs or movements to go with sight words
Star of the Week
If your child is the student of the week, an email will be sent to you. Your student will have a poster to take home and complete so that we can share it with our friends in class! They will also get to help with special jobs throughout the week.
Your child should also be practicing letter names and sounds at home. Here are some helpful videos: