Homework and what can I do as a parent to help

Parents:

Please refer to the calendar sent home at the beginning of the month so you know when homework is sent home and when homework is due.  It is essential to send homework back in the homework folder because it is hard to decipher what is homework with all the loose papers that are in your children's backpacks.

When you do the homework with your child it is so important that you sit down with them and monitor what they are doing.  Especially with the letter writing.  They need to know which direction they should be writing the letters and many times can be writing them wrong if trying to figure it out on their own.

Please review the letters and sounds that are on the front of the homework packet every day.  As it states on the homework packet, I test the children every day their homework is due to see what letters and sounds  from the week they know.  They are expected to know the sounds and letters from that weeks homework and previous weeks.

I often get asked, "My child is having a hard time learning the letters and sounds, what can I do to help them?".  The answer is to just simply continually review review review.  Just keep doing it every day and the repetition is key in helping the child to learn the letters and sounds.  It may help to purchase flash cards at the store and to review in that way.  Or, as you drive down the street, find signs such as the McDonalds sign and say, "oh wow what letter is on the McDonald's sign?"  the child may or may not know it and say "an M".  If they do not know it wait three seconds for them to figure it out and if they do not get it tell them it is and M, and ask them again what letter is on the McDonald's sign.  They should then get it and feel some accomplishment by knowing the letter (even though you gave them the answer).

You can do the same activity but with things found around the home like cereal boxes.  Have them look for the letters that they are working on for homework on the boxes.  Finding things familiar to the child will get them excited about learning the letters and be more of an incentive to learn them.

Thank you for all the hard work you as parents are doing at home with the homework.  It is so important for the child to get the extra help at home.  As an educator I have seen great growth in students who apply their learning outside of school and at home.

Keep up the good work!!!!  I am excited to see what the children learn this school year, they are amazing.

Mrs.  Polteno