Homework

Homework in 1L

Homework is always a topic of confusion and debate here in 1L and as a learner myself, I am constantly updating my philosophy on homework based on my own professional readings and research. Please use this as a guide on homework in my classroom this year! If you have any questions, feel free to email me individually at klazazzero@westwood.k12.ma.us. 

Homework Logs

Beginning in September, your child will be sent home a "homework log." This weekly sheet, must be completed with your learner in order for them to earn their coveted Friday Choice Time. Completed homework logs are due Friday mornings. If you misplace a log, NO BIG DEAL! Have students write what they chose to do for homework on ANYTHING! The log is just an organized way for me to keep some data throughout the year. It helps me to see what students are interested or disinterested in doing, as well as provide some suggestion in a direction or another if needed. If a student forgets a log on Friday, ALSO NOT A BIG DEAL! This is First Grade after all! Students can bring it in on the following Monday. This is all meant to give them a sense or responsibility for learning outside the classroom. 

What does Homework look like in 1L?

"Math or Literacy Worksheets"-Includes math workbook pages, trickword practice pages, handwriting pages, etc. 

Throughout the year, I send home many homework choices that can be completed absolutely whenever a child can complete it. Here is my suggestion about how to keep it organized...Many families just start a little folder that says "homework choices" on it and then they place paper assignments into it as they come home in their GOBOOK. Then the child can pick something for that night from their folder in the areas of math and literacy, if they choose not to do IXL or RAZkids, or just to read from their books at home.  

"Unfinished Work"

When a student has some "unfinished work" I may give them the choice to do it at home. I will write "complete and return" if I want to see it back. It might also say "finish for fun" or "finish for practice," which means that they can add it to the fun homework choice folder or spot that you have created at home and he or she can pick/choose/finish as s/he wishes, or not. Sometimes things go home unfinished because the kids don't need anymore work on a certain skill and they have shown me enough already. 

"Fundations Home Packets" - Unit descriptions, timeline of learning and suggested activities that go along with our Fundations literacy program. 

Fundations phonics unit packets go home at the beginning of each new phonics unit. In my first grade class, these are also "choices" for the students throughout the weeks of that unit. There are lots of games and activities for you to pick from in those. You can also follow the stricter "schedule" of those if you would like a more consistent structure for home phonics practice. Just be sure to look at the calendar on those ones because there will likely be things that haven't been covered in that packet if you jump ahead to say, the 2nd or 3rd week of a unit. 

"Must-do long term assignments" -Activities that might take longer to complete and I give them out a week or so in advance

There are also a few bigger assignments like the disguised gingerbread man, star of the week, or writing topics say "due Friday" or "due on a specific date" that students will get at the beginning of a particular week. These should be returned by the date specified because they will help with the following weeks writing activities, class events, open shares, etc. These most often go home at the beginning of a writing unit, or at the end of social studies or science unit. 

"IXL"

Students can choose to work on IXL for math homework. Please reference the math unit we are on in order to determine what section your child should be practicing within. They may ALWAYS work on individualized goals, but it is also very good to work on the skills we are practicing in class. 

Grade One Units roughly by month...

• September – October
• Unit 1- How Many of Each?: Addition, Subtraction, and the Number System 1
• October 
• Unit 2- Making Shapes and Designing Quilts: 2-D Geometry
• November – December
• Unit 3- Solving Story Problems: Addition, Subtraction, and the Number System 2
• January
• Unit 4- What Would You Rather Be?: Data Analysis
• January – February
• Unit 5- Fish Lengths and Animal Jumps: Measurement
• February – March
• Unit 6- Number Games and Crayon Puzzles: Addition, Subtraction, and the Number System 3
• March – May
• Unit 7- Twos, Fives and Tens: Addition, Subtraction, and the Number System 4
• May
• Unit 8- Blocks and Boxes: 3-D Geometry
• June
• Unit 9- Color, Shape, and Number Patterns: Patterns and Functions

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Username and Password are individualized, please email me for this if you have questions.

"Raz-kids"

Students can choose to reading from RAZkids for literacy homework. Students can listen to books, read books, record their voice reading books and send it to me, and even answer comprehension questions about books using this service. All books are leveled and students have been assigned books within their personal libraries based on classroom assessments. They may also choose books by topics within the general library. These books may not be at their reading level. 

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Username and Password are individualized, please email me for this if you have questions.

"Videos for flipped classroom" -includes videos that help to reinforce content in the areas of reading, math, social studies or science

Throughout the year, I will assign videos for students to preview or review on certain topics in order to reinforce content understanding. Many of these videos will be connected to BrainPOP, BrainPOP Jr., Youtube, or National Geographic.

Login for BrainPop here.

Username: Westwoodps_5

Password: brainpop 

Individualized Homework

Sometimes children have individualized homework choices that myself, their parents and their other teachers have decided would be beneficial for outside of classroom practice. I might say something like, "Billy, for the next 3 weeks, _____ is a homework choice for you!" Then I'll send home a little note saying that this is an option for an allotted amount of time. These individualized choices might include: tying shoes, jumprope practice for PE, social skills group game, or other individualized math or reading activities according to individual student goals. When your child chooses to do one of these activities, they can just fill it in on the log in place of math or literacy for the day.   

Is homework a little hard?

Sometimes a child goes home and forgets how to complete a homework assignment. This is ok! Simply contact me by email with questions, or send it back with a note attached. My intention is that homework is a review of learned material/skills, or at times, a preview of a concept that is coming ahead (likely in the case of social studies/science topics and will usually look like a video).    

Final Note...

Homework is ALL meant for extra practice and to help provide for consistent homework routines in first grade. When things come in, they come in, and I am completely fine with that. The most important thing to know is that they should have a daily routine for homework at home and it should only be about 20 minutes. If an assignment is not done in 20 minutes, then finish it the next day and so on. Reading to your child before bed is not considered homework. This should be a separate time, that you and your family hold sacred. If a child is "listening to a story" as a literacy homework choice, do this separately from your special family time.