HOMEWORK
Our focus for homework this year is reading. Your child will bring home a book each night on their independent reading level. Before you begin reading with your child have them take a story walk. During a story walk your child will look at the pictures and talk about what they see happening in the story. Once your child starts reading they will not use the pictures to help them with unknown words. When your child gets to a word they do not know please do not ask them to sound it out! I teach my students to say the word in parts. (Most unknown words cannot be solved by sounding them out.) What to do if your child gets tricked...ask them to look at the first part and read the first part (this may be one letter or a combination of two or three letters...bl/block, br/bridge, ch/chair, cr/crib, dr/drum, fl/flag, fr/frog, gl/glasses, gr/grapes, pl/plug, pr/pretzel, sl/slide, sm/smoke, sn/snake. sp/spoon, sh/shovel, st/stamp , sw/swing, tr/truck, wh/whale, thr/three, spr/spring... After they read the first part have them try to read through the word or say a word that begins that way that would make sense. Check to see if it could be that word then reread to check to make sure it makes sense. After your child has read the book discuss the story with them. Ask about the characters (who?) The setting (where?) When did the story take place? Was there a problem? If so how was the problem solved? How did the story end? Sign your child's planner. Write the title of the book on the date that you read it with them and sign. It is your child's responsibility to unpack their book and get a new one out of the book basket. We are trying to teach independence! |