Homework begins the week following Back to School Night. I like to go over
everything with you at Back to School Night prior to sending anything home.
What follows here is an overview of what I'll present:
The Homework Folder will go home and back to school each day! There is a
Homework Chart stapled inside for you to check off the homework that was
done in reading and math and there is a place for you to sign the chart each
night. This is a nice way to impart the importance of homework and an
opportunity to share your pride with their efforts.
The spelling homework (ie. Monday words in ABC order) comes back to school
in the folder each day and we collect it.
The Diocese recommends 20-30 minutes of homework each night for second
graders. Because of shorter attention spans (especially coming off
the heels of summer) this is broken up into 10 minute segments as follows:
10 minutes of reading
10 minutes of math fact practice
10 minutes of spelling
Reading homework is a choice of your own books from home. This way the
books will be of high interest and at the level of which your child is
capable. Alternate between silent reading and oral reading. Remember to
ask comprehension questions afterward as often as possible.
In the first few months we will send small math fact cards home for speed
practice. The first grade math fact standard is for your little one to
know (without having to use fingers and count out)all their addition and
subtraction facts through sums and differences of 20! To help your little
one review or get to know these facts spend 10 minutes each night reviewing
a few until they are memorized. Five facts at a time is a good start.
Once your little one masters their facts through 20 start on multiplication
facts!
I've encouraged the children to cut apart the math facts sent home, write
the answers on the back and then try to say the answer "in a flash" (without
having to count). Those they know in a "flash" can go into a decorated
shoebox of "I Know These!" Then keep working on those they are still a
little slower on knowing. Working on a few at a time is better than the
whole bunch! Keep working on a few each night until they can go into the
shoebox. Every once in awhile pull out the ones in the shoebox as a
refresher!
In spelling look for the new list of words which go home each Monday. This
list stays home for your use. Each night these words should be reviewed.
On Monday the words are to be written in ABC order and turned in the next
day.
On Tuesday write each word three times and turn it in the next day.
On Wednesday use some of the spelling words in sentences and turn these in
the next day.
To begin the 10 minutes may be only enough to write three sentences but as
the year progresses your little one should increase to five, eight, and ten
sentences if possible. Set goals for this and give rewards as the goals are
met!
On Thursday just study for the test the next day!