Homework: Details and Expectations

I've broken down the homework assignments for the week, but what exactly are the expectations? Here are the details:

Monday - Math Worksheet
Every Monday, I'll send a worksheet home with your child in their daily folder. The expectation is that they complete this independently, but if they need help, it's okay that you give it. The last thing I want is for my students to become frustrated. Also, if you can, have them complete 1 or 2 problems and then check it over. If you see a mistake, have them correct it so they don't make that same mistake on the entire worksheet. Finally, please don't hesitate to ask questions. We aren't teaching some of these math concepts and processes in the same way that we learned them, and I know that can be frustrating for us as parents. I'm happy to explain how and why we are teaching what we are teaching. Due Tuesday.

Tuesday - Spelling Words
I will give spelling word homework every Tuesday. The instructions will vary from week to week, but I will have the students write the specific assignment in their daily folder. Spelling homework will generally involve both writing the words and defining the words or using them correctly in a sentence. Due Wednesday.

Wednesday - Writing Journal
The weekly writing topic will vary from week to week, but the students will write their specific assignment in their daily folder. If they ever forget their writing journal or don't have the specific assignment written down, feel free to have them write about a topic of their or your choice. Please just be sure that they write between 8 and 10 sentences. Remind them to be mindful of the margins and to double check for punctuation and capitalization. If students don't spell words perfectly, that's okay. Due Thursday.

Thursday - Guided Reading
Every week, students will be assigned a book that is at their current reading level. They will be asked a variety of questions about the book, but the most important part is that they read it out loud to you or someone else and talk about what the book is about. There will usually be a focus on retelling the beginning, middle, and end of the story or on stating the main idea of the story. The guided reading homework can be turned in Friday but is officially due on Monday.

Friday - Reading
The students work very hard during the week, and I want them to have some time off from school work on the weekends. However, please have them read for 20 minutes on Saturday and Sunday, either the guided reading book or a book of their choosing. If you need any book recommendations for your child's reading level, let me know.