Blog #10 Homework

Homework Structure for 1^st grade

Purpose:

The purpose of homework in first grade is basically practice. Practice for the homework to come in the higher grades, and for practice of skills learned on the classroom. This is never a time to learn a new skill, but a time to review skills learned during the school day.

Type of homework:

The homework given in will primarily be math and reading. The math program taught in the classroom has corresponding “homework links” that are meant to reinforce the lessons learned in class. However, if I feel that this link will be stressful to the students I will not send this home.

Reading homework will be giving in the form of a daily reading log. All students are asked to read for 20 minutes each night. In first grade this can be a combination of the student reading and being read to. This log is to me signed by parents and sent back to school on Friday of every week.

Time:

Reading aside, the time spent on homework should not exceed 15 minutes each night for first graders. If parents are finding that homework takes much more time, them I would like to be make aware of this. Homework at this age should be a time to be proud of what the students have learned, not a time consuming process.

Parent Involvement:

All homework given can be and hopefully would be done with the parents. The students should be able to finish the tasks alone; however I believe the parents should be part of the process. All reading should be done with an adult or parent. This helps the students feel more confident and helps to ensure their understanding.

Technology and Communication:

Any and all concerns regarding homework can be addressed personally in the classroom or via email. The teacher will communicate with parents via email promptly.

 

Blog #9

Blog #9 Fiction vs. Non-fiction

This is a lesson I wrote for the first grade class I work with. The class is working on a unit about systems. This unit has been incorporated into the entire curriculum. For the literacy portion of the unit they read the book, We Need Trees by Karen Hoeneck. This is a non-fiction level C book that all of the students could read, mostly independently.  The pictures are beautiful paintings that closely match the text. This makes the book easier for the ELL students to understand. The class met as a whole to discuss the idea of reading a non-fiction book. The teacher asked the class what non-fiction is, and all hands went up. The kids all had answers that they could not wait to share. The teacher wrote the answers as a list on the board.  They read the story out loud as a class. When they finished they discussed the facts they learned about trees. They talked about the fact that this is a non-fiction book, so it is teaching us information that is true and real, not pretend or made up.

The second portion on the lesson was the fiction portion. The students continued on with the study of systems, but this time with Leaves also by Karen Hoeneck. This is a fictional story level C. This is an easy book for all of the students; the pictures directly correlate with the words on the page. This is a great selection for the ELL students because each page has no more them five word and the pictures can guide the students. After the book was read the teacher asked the students if this is a fiction or a non-fiction book. She wrote down the answers on the board as a list. She then circled the two lists (non-fiction and fiction) with overlapping circles, creating a Venn diagram. She then asked them to tell her what was similar about the fiction and the non-fiction books.  The class came up with very interesting and clear answers. They were able to connect to the study of systems with both books, but understood the difference between the more factual book and the whimsical fictional story.