Sight Word Homework

Hi everyone,
I hope you all had a nice weekend. This week we will begin sight word homework. Each week (unless for some reason I do not assign it) students will come home with a sight word packet and about 5 new sight words on cardstock. We will have gone over these words in class already and practiced putting them in ABC order.

The homework packet has a cover sheet that outlines which part of the packet should be completed each night. The homework should not take more than 10 minutes to complete each night. If for some reason you have a hectic night, you can always put that night's assignment to the side for the next night but the key is to always be practicing these words and to have all activities complete by Friday. On Fridays I will collect the whole packet.

Each night you will notice I ask the students to do a quick practice of the words. This can be done in a variety of ways and I encourage you to mix it up for your child so he/she is not bored with the practicing. You can write the words on a piece of paper, tape index cards with the words around the house and have the students go on a word hunt for the words by checking off when they can find each one, you can have your child practice saying and spelling the sight words using white boards or magnetic letters, you can clap out the letters and say the words, use play-dough to form the letters of the words, make two sets and play memory, and much more. Some of these practice activities are things that can be done while you are making dinner or packing lunches. I do know how hard it is to find extra time on school nights but I also know how beneficial it is to practice, particularly those words that your child demonstrates difficulty with.

You might say that your child knows all of the words and doesn't need to practice - I would encourage you to have your child practice spelling them anyway in various ways as they may know how to read the words automatically but may have trouble spelling them correctly. Sight words will go on the word wall and students are encouraged to spell these words correctly in their everyday writing. The students will also accumulate their words onto a silver ring to keep in their binders. The ring can be used and read at home, in the car, on the plane, etc. Maybe your child is writing in a journal and having trouble with a word - tell him/her to take out their word ring and see if the word is there! I encourage students to use their resources! :)

Please contact me if you have any questions regarding the sight word homework! Thank you for your support.

Sight Word Homework

Sight Word homework has started this week. There are only two brief homework activities for each night. If your child would like more practice each night you can most certainly keep working on them by playing games (make sets of cards and play memory),play detective type games where you lay all the cards up and then give clues, and much more. Sight Word homework, while brief, should be practiced each night rather than doing it all one night and returning on Friday. The students need to develop automaticity and daily/nightly practice is very beneficial.

This homework is also short in length as they will begin Math homework tomorrow night as well. Then in the coming weeks I will also add on reading homework and spelling homework. As always, reading with your child nightly should happen anyway!

You don't need to bring in the sight word homework packet each day. However, if you want to keep it in the folder so you have a spot for it each night that is fine. I won't collect it until Friday.

Feel free to email me with any specific questions. There will only be five words per week and I will assess the students on their sight word recognition throughout the year.