RazKids: http://www.raz-kids.com/main/Login
We will be using a computer based reading website called Raz-Kids for
homework assignments this year. Each student will receive a log in and
password to access books that they can read or listen to on their reading
level. Their teacher will assign a reading level for them to start with and
monitor their progress throughout the year. The site provides differentiated
reading with hundreds of leveled books. The students can listen to a book on
their level to model fluency or read books with the help of pronunciation and
vocabulary support. They will also be able to test their comprehension of the
story by completing a multiple choice quiz. After reading, listening, or
taking a quiz they will “earn” stars which they can spend in the Raz Rocket
store to buy items to outfit their own rocket and planet! The more they read
the more stars they have to spend!
This web site allows the teachers to monitor each student and provide
individualized reading assignments and feed back when needed. It is also
possible for the teachers to assess students’ beginning or current reading
level and pinpoint areas that need to be targeted for further instruction in
class.
We are asking each student to read for 10 minutes four times a week. The days
for homework are flexible and should fit into your schedule. Teachers will
be communicating throughout the year on your student’s at home reading
progress. We appreciate your support and assistance in helping your first
grader begin to develop a love for reading and responsibility for completing
homework assignments.
Remember: Reading
daily is an essential part of developing good readers and life long learners.
Ideas for additinal homework activities:
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Write a story
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Start a journal about the days events
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Write a letter to your teacher, a family member or
a friend
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Go to the public library or look on the internet
to find an answer to a question you have or just to learn more about something
that interests you.
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Tell others about something new you learned
through a book by making a poster, comic strip, diaroma, poem, constructing
something, writing a play or making a movie.
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Interview someone who knows about something you
are interested in. (example: Think of questions and talk to a police officer,
postman, fireman or engineer.) Record your findings and share with others.
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Find ways to discover math in the world around
you. Bake a cake and practice measuring. Count money together when you buy
something at the store or practice saving for a new toy. Have your child keep
track of the time on a clock and make a schedule to follow. Make riding in the
car fun by playing counting and adding games by looking for specific objects
such as red cars, stop signs or signs that have the letter R on them. Look for
patterns in numbers (growing patterns-counting by twos, fives and tens,
repeating patterns)
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Give your child a direction on a sticky note, such
as brushing his or her teeth or taking out the trash, rather than voicing your
request. This helps build reading skills and following directions
independently.
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Work on the problem of the week together. Besure
to show your work (with a picture, number sentence, chart or graph) and
discuss how you solved the problem.
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Discuss the Idiom of the Week and think of
appropriate ways to use the expression at home.
Remember
there are opportunities for learning all around us. Learning is FUN!