(updated 9/2/2023)
Homework / {Un} Homework Information
1. Home Reading
Students will be expected to read outside of school on a regular basis. The required weekly reading for the students in my class is at least 100 minutes (approximately 20 minutes daily). Students are expected to read books that are at their reading level but any kind of reading is acceptable. Reading aloud to your child is encouraged and those minutes will count toward the required 100 minutes per week. Any minutes completed in Lexia at home will also count toward the required minutes. The recording of these minutes on a weekly reading log will be due each Friday. Students will only turn in the number of minutes read with parent/guardian initials to verify the minutes read. You do NOT have to record what was read, etc. (That will, however, be required for the PTA monthly reading program.)
2. Home Folder
Students will be responsible for a Home Folder that they will take back and forth to school and home each day. Students are responsible to use their home folders to bring their reading minutes back to school each week and any notes/forms they are required to return. They are responsible for putting these things in the appropriate bin/basket each morning as applicable.
3. Work Not Finished In Class
Sometimes a student gets behind with their classroom assignments. If this is the case, the unfinished work may be sent home and should be returned to school when finished. Depending on the situation, students may be required to complete any unfinished work during choice time on Friday.
4. Optional Spelling/Phonics Activities
Attached to your child’s weekly reading log will be a half-sheet paper of that week’s assigned list of spelling words. In class, students will have some workbook pages and other spelling assignments to complete as well as the opportunity to do other fun activities related to the assigned words. Although it’s not required, students are encouraged to practice the assigned words at home to prepare for Friday’s spelling and dictation test. I will include a list of Spelling Practice Ideas with the first list to give students ideas of things to do if they want to practice spelling at home. These extra activities are not required and do not have to be turned-in.
5. Special Projects
There may be some special projects during the year that students need to work on at home. These projects are meant to extend and expand your child’s learning outside the classroom and provide the opportunity for family involvement in the learning process.
6. Additional {UN}Homework Options
Students are always welcome to work at home on the computer programs that we use in class. They will need to log-in to their Clever accounts to access these program. Programs that we will be using this year include: DreamBox and Freckle for math practice; Lexia and RazKids for reading; and Symbaloo (search for "Ms. Bark's Tiles" page under the heading "Web Mixes") for a variety of fun activities including musical math (skip counting), math games, reading resources, and more.