Back to School Night Leah Wallace Karen Kraut Christine Morell Debbie DuVal Jen Tuch Tonight’s Homework Assigning Homework When sending homework home, the first grade team will take into account students’ physical, mental, and social influences that contribute to properly completing homework. (Skaggs) Taking a Break Your child will have between 15 and 25 minutes of homework each night, please consider your child’s needs and let them take breaks! Play is Homework Each week, your child should play WITH YOU for a minimum of 45 minutes. Your child will keep a play journal of the activities that you did. Please write the date, how many minutes, and initial each page. Why Play is Important It is the experience, NOT the toy that aids growth in the brain. The children that do best on tests are those whose parents play with them. (Porter) Why Play is Important Through their play, children demonstrate their extensive symbolic thought capacities and their ability to self-regulate and explain their behavior. A family that pursues a wide range of recreational activities, enjoys word games and other types of play together, and values trying new experiences will help their children’s brains to develop richly and uniquely. (Bergen) Ideas for Play Build with Legos or blocks: Practice sorting (by color, size, etc.) Build a town and make up a story about the people that live there Make a shape, trace it on a paper, have your child try to build the same shape Ideas for Play Teach your child a game you played when you were little: Tag Jacks Hide-and-Seek Blind Man’s Bluff Ideas for Play Card Games: Go Fish (or find a sum, a difference, etc) War (or addition war) Concentration/Memory Solitaire Crazy Eights Uno Ideas for Play Outdoor Activities: Walk around the neighborhood, talk about who might live in each house Make an obstacle course in your yard or your living room Go to a playground Build a fort Ideas for Play Play Pretend: Switch roles with your child Pretend you’re an animal Pretend you’re at a store Play dress up Etc., Etc., Etc. Ideas for Play Board Games: Sorry! Scrabble Checkers Chess Dominoes Chutes & Ladders Candyland Etc., Etc., Etc. Ideas for Play FREE PLAY