Homework+Expectations

Dear Parent(s),

Your child will be having homework on Monday-Thursday nights. This homework is designed to help your child practice some of the skills we have been learning in class and help your child reach his/her second grade goals. This homework will take about 15-20 minutes a night. Since you are one of your child’s main teachers, please assist your child with his/her homework when necessary. In this letter, I will explain some of the homework, so you will be informed on what to do when your child brings homework home.

Reading homework: (Beginning in September) Your child will be bringing home books to read to you or plays to read with you two to three times a week. These are reading materials we have practiced reading and have discussed in class. Your child will now be practicing his/her fluency and comprehension skills at home with you. First, you will need to listen to your child read the book, or if it is a play, you will take turns reading parts with your child. (Your child will be the highlighted parts for the plays.) Then you will sign (and fill out the top portion of) the homework sheet that comes home with each book or play. You will also write down how many minutes it took to read this material on your child’s reading log and sign the log. Finally, your child will answer the comprehension questions on the bottom of the homework sheet by himself/herself. The items that need to be returned to school the next day are the homework sheet and reading log. Please keep in mind that these reading materials will be based on your child’s needs, so different students will be bringing different reading materials home.

Reading logs: (Beginning in September) Reading logs are where you help your child keep track of the items he/she read and how many minutes he/she read a week. Your child will need to read at least 50 minutes per week. Reading logs will go home on Friday, and will be due the next Friday. Reading logs will help your child reach Book It goals in the months of October –March and will help your child with fluency and comprehension skills.

Math homework: (Beginning in August) Your child will be bringing home a guided practice math worksheet two to three times a week. Your child will do guided practice side b at home. (We will have done guided practice side a at school, and we will have practice the skills needed for your child to do side b.) Your child should be able to do this independently, but you can assist/check over his/her week when your child is done. The worksheet needs to be returned the next day.

Flash cards: (Beginning in September with addition and beginning with subtraction in January) Your child will be bringing home flash cards two times a week. Each week we will be adding more cards. (Our goal is for the students to memorize these facts quickly, so they can spend more time on “harder” math.) For addition, you will hold the card up and cover the answer on the front. Then your child will answer each card. For subtraction, your child will match up the number sentence with the answer. Then you will need to check subtraction matches. Finally, you will need to sign the flash card log. The flash cards and the flash card log need to be returned the next day. When we are done with flash cards, they will be sent home and will be replaced by 100 math facts sheets.

100 Math facts: (Beginning in January) Your child will bring home 100 math facts practice sheets to help your child get ready for 100 math facts assessments. First, you will time your child for five minutes for addition and six minutes for subtraction. (Once again, our goal is for the students to memorize these facts quickly, so they can spend more time on “harder” math.) If the timer goes off and your child is not done, please have him/her finish the practice sheet. Then you will check the answers on the practice sheet. Finally, you will put your initials on the line. The 100 math facts need to be returned the next day. If your child scores consistently 95% or above on the math facts assessment sheets, I will stop sending home practice sheets, unless your child’s score dips under 95% on an assessment. Please keep in mind, that students will be reaching goals at different times, so some may have more practice sheets than others depending on how close they are at reaching their goal.

Please make sure that you check my wiki each week, so you know what the homework schedule for the week is. Thanks so much for taking the time to help your child. By all of us working together, we can help your child succeed!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Bedford