Homework Journal
Beginning today your child is bringing home his/her homework journal. As
I have mentioned before the homework will consist of: weekly sorting activities,
sight words (Word Wall Words) practice, reading and math. On occasion there will
be a project to do.
To begin with the first yellow page of the home work journal lists spelling
activities that can be used for the sight words (High Frequency Words). Weekly, I
will list (on my F.Y.I. page) the 4 to 5 words that were worked on in class the
previous week. These are the words that should be practiced at home. They will be
on the Friday spelling tests. * These first quarter words are listed on the first
grade web site. For your convenience you will find that they have also been put
into flash card format.
The second yellow page suggests Word Study Activities. These activities
should be used for sorting procedures. The students have been practicing: sort
writing, draw and label, and sentence writing. We will continue to build and learn
activities as the year goes on. Every Monday a new set of sorts will be sent home.
During the day, each group will be instructed on how to sort the words/pictures.
The students will need to practice word study two nights a week and on Thursday
you may want to give a practice test at home. The white pages in the notebooks
are dated and should be used for that week. Use both sides of the sheet one for
each day and activity chosen. If they are doing a writing sort, be sure to have them
sort first then write the words in correct order on one side of the paper. If they
decide to do draw and label use the other side of the paper. If there group has
words that are not known, you may use the paper to write the word and definition,
either using the internet or dictionary.
The monthly reading logs are also in the notebooks. If you run out of room,
just list the rest of the books on a sheet of paper.
Please look over each week’s assignment and information carefully. Try to
complete the daily assignments with your child as they are listed.
Since there are many activities going on each evening, home practice will be given
a week at a time. The books will come home on Monday, enabling your child to
work according to your schedule. Keep in mind that reading should be
accomplished each evening and last for 15 minutes. If possible, try to do the
designated math on the night, which it has been assigned. It would be beneficial as
a review for your child, while the work is fresh on his/her mind. The homework
notebook will be due on Friday.
Word Study is Loudoun County’s spelling framework. It is an active hands on
approach in which students compare and contrast the features of words they are
studying. By sorting words or pictures, students discover similarities and
differences in word patterns. Teachers work with each student’s developmental
level. Therefore some students may be working with one type of word sort, while
other students are working on different materials. This developmental approach
allows teachers to work with individuals at their level of reading. There will be
weekly Word Study activities.
In addition to “Word Study”, daily we work on one word wall (high frequency)
word. The point of this is to teach the most highly used English words, so that they
become automatic for the children to identify. Each Friday, your child will be
tested on these weekly high frequency words as well as the features taken from the
word study program. The children will be working daily with their spelling words.
On Thursday evening, I would recommend going over the words with your child.
This quarter’s words can be found on the first grade website. By the end of the
quarter, each child will be responsible to know these words.
Each Friday there will be an assessment and the children will be tested on both
“Word Wall” and “Word Study” words. I will also include (as bonus words)
several thematic words taken from our area of study. The children will be exposed
to these words during the week, during reading and centers, but are not responsible
for the correct spelling.
The F.Y.I. will contain information and directions to some of the assignments that
you will have. Please be sure to read over this section.
If you have any questions with the practice work, please contact me either by note,
phone call to the school, or you may E-mail me at (linda.talkington@lcps.org). I
will try to get back to you as soon as I can; however, please keep in mind that I
may not always be able to get back to you the same day.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Talkington