• Reading with an adult for 20 minutes a night  (S-TH) will meet our goal of 400 minutes a month but reading EVERY night is even better.  Click on the following link:  Why Read For 20 Minutes a Night?
• Part of the 20 minutes is your child reading a BRAG Book to you  (leveled book brought home from school).  The other time should be spent with you reading aloud or your child reading aloud from library books, magazines, books from home, etc.  Be sure to list titles and minutes read on our monthly reading log.
• Homework sheets for Language Arts and Math  (These are divided into M, T, W, & TH sections of five questions each.)  Your child will have 10 short items to do M-TH.  The sheets are to be handed in Fridays...or Mondays is you need the weekend to complete.  This homework will take some parental help to complete but your child needs to do the writing.  If any item is not understood by your child just cross it out.  It will be revisited another week.  Do not spend more than 10-15 minutes a night on this.
• Write-n-Tells  (starting in Oct.) will come home on Friday and be due the following Friday.  These are a chance for your child to write a sentence or two, practice reading it at home, and then share the writing at school on the Friday it is due.  The children love the sharing part--especially since they get to read with a microphone!
• Practice spelling words (5 word wall words and 5 words from a word family.)
• Practice math flashcards.  Start with numbers plus and minus zero, add plus ones, etc.

The above homework should not take more than 35 minutes a night for school nights.  Of course, if you want to read longer for enjoyment...all the better... just list the minutes you read with your child.  Think of it as F.R.E.E. Time (Family Reading Every Evening). 

Occasionally the following activities will come home:

• Class books to read together (counts as reading minutes)  Click: Our Class Books
• Projects to do as a family (at least a week notice is given)
• Literacy backpacks (sent on Friday...due on Wednesday)  Click: Literacy Backpacks
• Life experiences notebooks (take a day or two to complete)
• Poetry binders come home Friday due back Monday  Click: Poetry Binder
• Birthday Bag (take a few days to complete...due date will be listed)

Many of the items listed above are requested by your child.  Share his/her enthusiasm and help.  You will enjoy seeing your child excited about doing extra reading, math, writing, science, or social studies.  Remember how important your child's first grade experience is to his/her lifelong journey of learning.

Happy Reading and Working at Home!!!!