I am going to be teaching a first and second grade combination class this year. I have taught 2nd for the past 6 years, and I am new to 1st grade. I am wondering if and how much (when given) homework to give a 1st grader? I hope someone can give me some examples of their weekly homework regimen? Thank you, thank you!
I give homework Monday through Thursday. I do one page of math and one page of reading/phonics. We use Every Day Math, so they supply one sheet per lesson. For reading, I just ripped out a Scott Foresman workbook page since I never did them in class. I gave suggestions for spelling homework but never collected it or asked to see it. I told parents that as long as they knew their words by Friday, they could study as much or as little as they needed.
I teach 1st Grade and we give homework Monday through Thursday. There is a 4-page spelling packet that goes home on Mondays and is due back by Friday and then daily math homework from our Saxon program. This homework should take the kids no more than 15 min. a night.
Some of my students choose to do all of their spelling in one night and then turn it in early. Others do 1 page a night.
We generally do one page of math a night and a reading assignment. I give spelling and sight words but do not collect anything from the students. I just let the parents know they will be tested on those and we go over the words in class.
For homework I expect that students read every night for about 10 minutes minimum (although I do not do a reading calendar). I just frequently stress the importance of reading/being read to at home.
I send home the spelling list at the beginning of the week and the test is at the end of the week. I ask parents to have their children study only words that are tricky. I'd prefer not to send spelling home, but it's a district requirement.
I never send math homework home. I'm not big into homework at all.
To be turned in Thursdays - spelling h/w (test is Thursdays). The kids have a list of ways to study and do 3 of them.
To turn in on Fridays - math boxes (a review of the weeks concepts plus concepts learned previously). It is 1 sheet front and back.
In addition - 20 minutes of reading nightly.
We do not keep grades, we keep portfolios of work for passing kids to the next grade, and assessments. So in order to encourage h/w completion we give rewards to top readers and wonderful worker awards to those who consistently do their work (quality of course) every 9 weeks. Hope this helps.
Students have home reading practice of leveled books, and sight word practice. In January I start sending home a spelling list of 5 words. I am not a big homework person especially since having kids of my own. Between two working parents and kids being tired at the end of the day, extra homework can be tough and has led to more than a few meltdowns. I believe in reading practice and math support if it is needed. With the range of levels within a class, sending home appropriate worksheets is difficult as it ends up being busy work for some and too hard and frustrating for others (I know the statement of busy work will get some people riled up). Plus, I don't care to mark all of this homework that maybe more of the parents work than the students. This is my own personal opinion.
In my district we are not permitted to give primary students homework except for reading.
I send home levelled readers (A-Z books) nightly, and also send home the spelling words on Mondays. They are not required to study the words and there are no worksheets sent with the words. Parents can choose if they will work on the words with their child or not.
I always do a packet of homework for the week. It contains 1 Spelling Page, 1 Reading Comprehension or Phonics Page, and 1 Math page for each day Monday-Thursday. They are also required to read for 15-20 minutes each night.
I do the packet because it eliminates the "we have a ball game tonight so can you excuse little johnny from his homework". I don't care what day they do the sheets, as long as they bring them in completed on Friday.
I agree with Petey 2000. We ask that our students read at home each night and record it to turn in on Monday. Students are pretested and assigned on their level the basic sight words to study. I test them each week. In January they are asked to begin studying a weekly spelling list on their level. We aren't required to send home homework, but I also encourage parents to work with their children on counting money and telling time. I also don't like to check all the homework. They have plenty of time to begin the ritual of nightly homework assignments at a later time.
Wow! What a lot of great information on homework! I want to thank you all for letting me know what you do for homework. I received some very good ideas. I appreciate it!!!
Our team is thinking of sending the packets home on Friday so that they have an entire week (including the weekend) to work on it and to return the packet on Friday. I like that idea.
I give a spelling activity M-Th and math usually M-F. I also require that they read for 15 minutes each day, M-F. I stress the importance of reading the decodable books as they come home as well as their fluency passage as part of the 15 minutes. For me, packs given at the beginning of the week didn't work as well, although it certainly makes collecting easier. I found many kids would do it all one night and then wouldn't remember some of the things.
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07-15-2012, 07:00 AM
