Saturday

Homework Expectations


Homework Expectations

The types of homework your child will have throughout the year:

·        Each night for your child's reading development, I encourage your child to read aloud or you may need to read with them, which ever method supports their reading best. After you have read, talk with your child about the book and ask them to retell the story. Use the retell hand in your HOME folder to facilitate the discussion.  (estimated time-15 minutes)

·        Almost each week we will introduce 5-10 new sight words and assess the student’s ability to read them by sight on Friday. If the word is highlighted they were read correctly.  If the student is unable to state the words without sound it out in 4 second it is counted wrong.  This will be part of your child’s fluency grade, but a grade will be taken only twice a 9 weeks.  Once at progress report time and another at report card time.  This allows students who miss one or two the ability to continue practicing them before a grade is taken.  I will be sending home the flashcards on a sheet (they will need to be cut out) to practice at home. You should keep the cards and continue to practice throughout the year. The more your child sees the words the easier it will be for them to recognize them when they are reading. (estimated time-5 minutes)

·        Some nights your child will have a math homework page. Please help them read the directions and anything they need help with. I read the math because I want to see if they understand the math concept not if they know how to read it. (estimated time-10 minutes)

·        We will have a dictation test most Fridays. Each week we will be working on a specific phonics skill that will be noted in the monthly newsletter or Monday update each week.   Use the phonics/spelling homework to practice hearing, spelling, and reading the specific phonics sound. (estimated time- 5 minutes)

·        Most weeks the students will have fluency homework.  The student will read it on Monday at school and then will read it for 1 minute each night for homework.  Please record how many words correct per minute that they read each night on the line and help your child fill in the graph so they can see their progress.  On Friday they read it again at school to see how many words they grew by reading it each night.  (estimated time- 2 minutes)

·        Some weeks your child will have some form of writing assignment or comprehension activity. At the beginning the writing assignments will be practicing their letter formation, creating individual sentences, and then moves into responding to a prompt. These will be given out on Monday and expected to be returned on Friday. (estimated time-15 minutes, but you have all week)

·        Throughout the year I assign several science and social studies projects to complete as a family. I give ample time for completion and the students love to present these to their peers.


Vocabulary WOW Bag


Wow Bag
Dear Parents,
Each week we introduce new vocabulary words to students.   In order to get the students more excited to invest in these new words, we have created a WOW bag.  The WOW bag is an incentive for the students to use the new words we have introduced.  Every time the students find a word in a book they have read or use the words in any of their sentences, they will get to place their name in the WOW bag.  The students can find or use the words either in school or at home. They will have to show Mrs. Whitehurst or Mrs. Davis where they found or used the word and then will get permission to place their name in the WOW bag.  Every Friday, Mrs. Whitehurst or Mrs. Davis will randomly pick a name out of the WOW bag and the name pulled will get to pick out of the treasure chest or other incentive.  The WOW bag is a way to keep the students active learners at school and at home.
Vocabulary words will be added to the website.  In the navigation bar under the header I added “Vocabulary WOW Bag.”  Click on that and it will direct you to a list of the words we have learned this year.                     
         
         Thanks, Mrs. Whitehurst and Mrs. Davis