Homework routine
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Dear Parents
I don’t know what I did but even I could not open that last file. As it is, the day after I sent it, I realized it needed to be changed. I asked Cynthia Trevillion to help me during skills periods by providing individual attention to children while doing problems in math. We will be deepening our work with multi-digit multiplication and long division, and embarking on the world of fractions. Your children will need help with these two critical milestones in their journey through mathematics. I ask that you please make time to work through problems with them regularly. The three key elements are:
1. Mastery of arithmetic facts in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Many children know their addition and multiplication facts but are challenged when presented with subtraction and division
2. Remembering the repeating sequence of operations such as divide, multiply, subtract, bring down…again until finished.
3. Place value. When doing long division or multiplication it is critical where numbers are placed in the process of finding answers. For instance, when presented with 246 ÷ 6 in a long division problem, the initial ‘4’ must go over the 4 not the 2.
THE THREE-RING BINDER
The binder is to bring work to and from school. I apologize for not anticipating this, but your child could use four tabbed dividers to organize the subjects in his or her binder; one each for Language Arts, Math, Local Geography and Man and Animal.
MATH
As often as possible, the children are given Ten Minute Math Sheets with 30 problems. The goal is to have the math facts at their fingertips leaving time to solve the more involved problems. These problems consist of mostly math facts presented in various forms i.e. 64÷_=8, 7x_=56, 2x10=_ and a few problems that need to be solved at the end such as 83÷7=_. These problems that need calculation and the application of math facts will increase over time.
1. As children finish they write their time on the math sheet.
2. After ten minutes, if a child is not finished he must circle the problem he was doing when I called time.
3. We then go over the problems in class. Incorrect answers need to be circled.
4. Any problems missed or unfinished must be done correctly after I return the sheets.
5. These sheets will go home in the binder and shown to you.
6. Most of the children are able to finish these sheets in ten minutes. I want you to see these routine math sheets in order to get a picture of where your child needs individual help. Most challenges arise when a math fact is presented differently than memorized such as 7=_-7. Recognizing the various ways their math facts will appear will be critical for solving word problems.
When we move into our first math block I will update our math routine and homework. If there is any homework it will be in the Red Book.
THE RED BOOK
As I mentioned in my Course Description, in an effort to avoid rote assignments I am experimenting with the spelling and vocabulary homework. The Red Book is for copying spelling words, vocabulary words and homework assignments located on the blackboard in the back of the room.
SPELLING
1. The children will copy new words off the board on Monday into their RED BOOKS.
2. They will write a column of SPELLING WORDS and a column of VOCABULARY WORDS.
3. On Monday, when they bring the small Red Book home, I ask that you or someone else quiz your child on the spelling words to determine which words need to be worked with and mastered.
4. The children will be tested on Thursday afternoon during Skills time.
5. Any misspelled words on the spelling test will need to be written four times on the back of the test to help in memorization. The spelling tests will be taken on regular lined paper.
6. The test will go home in the three ring binder for you to see. It may be thrown away at this time. Please do not let your child’s binder get loaded with old ‘stuff’.
VOCABULARY
1. The children will copy new words off the board on Monday into their RED BOOKS.
2. They will write a column of SPELLING WORDS and a column of VOCABULARY WORDS.
3. During our Skills lesson, we will go over the meanings of the vocabulary words by looking them up in the dictionary and using them in sentences.
4. When the Red Book comes home on Monday, quiz your child on the spelling of the vocabulary words but more importantly, quiz her on the meaning and use of the word. These words will be used in dictations and writing paragraphs but they will not be on spelling tests. Some vocabulary words will be on the spelling tests such as Chicago and Illinois. I will tell the children which words will be on the tests.
5. Words on the vocabulary list may be added during the week when we met them in our studies and look them up in the dictionary.