[Socks]

I'll be teaching first grade again next year for the first time in four years! Last time I was in a different district and we were required to have WANs (Weekly Assignment Notebooks). For first grade I typed up a sheet that had the weekly homework on it and stapled it into the notebook. It worked but I feel like it could have been better. For the past two years I've used BEE Books in my second grade classroom. My BEE Books have assignment planners in them and the kids are to write their assignments down. I love them but I don't think it's developmentally approrpriate for first graders to copy their assignments from the board. Any other ideas out there? How do you all do homework? If you use BEE Books or MOOSE Binders, how do you do the homework part?? Thanks!

[CindyLynn]

I use "F.R.O.G." Books and include a "Daily Notes" page. The students add it to their books each Monday. It includes homework, spelling words, behavior notes, etc. I've attached a copy if you'd like to see how it looks.

[nansue]

I have used MOOSE binders for the last four years and they work great in first grade. Last year I used The Mailbox weekly assignment pages. The children wrote down the night's homework that I would write on the board and cross it out at home when it was completed. I have lessened my load now and have them place all homework pages in a pocket page that is in their MOOSE binder labeled HOMEWORK TONIGHT. The flip side of the pocket page is labeled SUPER-DUPER PAPERS TO TAKE HOME. This has worked very well this year and the parents know what is expected to be completed that night. I also have a handwriting page that has the week's word wall words that is completed each night and that stays in HOMEWORK TONIGHT until Friday morning when I collect it with a parents signature.

[janicepet]

I teach first grade and send home a weekly homework packet every Monday to be due back on Friday. The parents love it because it enables them to complete homework with their child when its convenient. I have a cover sheet attached which states what should be completed on each day if they desire to do it that way.

[jbkz]

as janicepet. I send home my "homework contract" on Monday and it is due back on Friday. Students are expected to read for 15 minutes, practice spelling words for Friday's test, memorize a Bible Verse, and they have math flashcards of basic addition facts (and soon subtraction). The parents record the books read each night and initial it each night, too. This is their accountability part that they are reading the books I send home each night. Homework is only supposed to take about 30 minutes each night.

[charlottepeg]

CindyLynn
Can you explain what the (behavior?) numbers stand for on your note.
Thanks,
Peg

[AddieJ]

I teach kdg but I use the BEE books in my room. For homework, I do a couple things. I'm using a program this year from a professional Scholastic book called "Fast Start for Early Readers." There's poems & parent activities every week and I just put the new poems/activities into the BEE books on Monday (in the section labeled "Fast Start") new ones on top.
I use a folder in my BEE book for homework - sight words to practice, math pages that come with our program, and practice reading pages from our reading program. One of those pages go home every night - not all three! Finished work goes home in the other side of the folder (left side for Leave at Home.)
My school wanted all grades to use assignment notebooks but the k & 1st grade teachers all said that it wouldn't work for us. Instead, our principal let us use the money to get classroom magazines.

[lilteacher148]

Do you have a copy of the weekly handwriting for the word wall words? I would be interested to see if you do. I think that might be beneficial for our students next year!

[AddieJ]

Here's one thing I do with sight words that I found on the internet. Here's the link

http://www.msrossbec.com/dolchwb.pdf

I took the book and made my own copy (attached) - a little more user friendly for kdg. I copy the pages back to back and bind the books together. What I enjoy about them is that I can record testing results on the list page and then parents can see which words their child can read & which ones to practice more. I have my TA test kids once every two weeks on the new words so we can update the books. The kids keep the books in their backpacks (which hasn't been an issue this year.) I also put reminders to read their sight word books in my weekly parent letter (where there's a list of the words we learned that week.)

lilteacher148 - I have other handwriting sight word work I'll try & find to attach.

[AddieJ]

Here's a sample of sight word writing work my kids have. These words are some of the first ones we learn because they're in our morning message everyday. I have the "fonts for teachers" program on my computer so I'm not sure if this page will download correctly (because of the tracing part) but you'll get the idea anyway. I've never done PDF files. Does anyone know how?