If you are like me you get LOTS of unsolicited feedback about your homework each year.
"It's too easy. We need more!"
"It's too hard."
"It only takes us 7 minutes to complete the whole week..."
"It takes 2 hours, tears & a bottle of wine for me to get this child to write 3 words that rhyme with cat."
Everyone has an opinion about homework because we all have that reference point from our own childhood. At my former school we stopped including spelling words in our homework and the parent response was similar to the way the Bible describes the Apocalypse. Their argument was that kids need to learn how to spell. Our stance was "Duh, of course they do!" Spelling words don't need to be the centerpiece of homework though. There are more important standards that children need to work toward and this opens up the possibility of more engaging home learning!
For me, homework is about finding a gentle balance between family time/extracurricular activities and continued learning. I believe that in kindergarten and first grade homework should consist of brief tasks connected to classroom learning. It can serve as a gradual release of responsibility from teacher led concepts at school to practice with those skills independently at home.
Another important component of homework is that it provides parents with the opportunity to measure their child's learning. It allows teachers, students, and parents to work closely to develop a "team" mentality. We are all working together for the students success!
Since I've started using my most recent homework format
Kindergarten Homework Menus and
First Grade Homework Menus, the critiques I've received about homework have been replaced by more engaged parent discourse about things they see their child struggling with and what else they can do at home to support their little person, which was an unexpected and pleasant surprise!
For the past year and a half I've been experimenting with new homework formats. Last year, I taught first grade and created Homework Calendars. These were VERY successful and I saw more completed homework than any year prior.
 |
| The August Menus have simplified tasks and a book log. |
This summer I was thinking about how much I liked the calendar format but I wondered if I could increase student engagement by making their homework choice drive. This is when I came up with the idea of a Menu!
Each month includes 4-5 tasks for Reading, Phonics, Writing, Science, and Math. Each Menu also includes weekly high frequency words (I prefer to use Fry words, find more information
HERE).
The tasks are tied into what we are working on in class and students choose one task to complete each night. They complete the task on notebook paper and color in the square on their Menu.
In
Kindergarten, the month of September focuses on letters and sounds and then students work with 5 high frequency words per week from October-May. Kindergarten students are introduced to the first 150 Fry words through these Menus.
The First Grade Menus plow through the first 340 Fry words at a rate of about 10 per week.
 |
| ***TIP: Instruct parents to help students set up their tasks! They can complete multiple tasks on each page to save paper. Students will need help setting it up for the first few months but after that they become self-sufficient! |
Both Kindergarten and First Grade packs include monthly high frequency word assessments (pre-assessment & post assessment) to help gauge student acquisition of these words!
You will also find book logs and a dual June/July Menu for continued learning through the summer. The August Menu serves as an introduction to this home learning format. You will see a practice book log and an abbreviated Menu with simplified tasks.
Kindergarten Book Logs First Grade Book Logs
Both
Kindergarten and
First Grade Homework Menu downloads come in the form of a compressed file. In each download you will find:
1. Completed print and go Homework Menus (1st grade also includes the old Calendars).
2. Monthly High Frequency Word assessments.
3. The Three EDITABLE options:
- Blank, fully editable PDF of the monthly Menus.
- Menus with set tasks and editable high frequency words.
- Menus with set high frequency words and editable tasks.
4. Blank, EDITABLE Calendars that can be used for a multitude of purposes. I use mine to communicate behavior grades with parents.
Fully editable Editable
(tasks & words) Editable tasks High Frequency Words
Please note that the directions are not editable on any of these forms. Please review them to ensure your satisfaction! I will add this option in the future but that is not something I will be working on anytime soon!
 |
| Editable Monthly Calendars that can be used for multiple purposes. I use them to communicate daily behavior. |
For more information about
Kindergarten Homework Menus or
First Grade Homework Menus please check out the product descriptions and the FREE PREVIEW!
I can't tell you how excited I was to start this school year! I'm working at a new school in a new county with my oldest teacher friend! 
