1st Grade Homework
In first grade, children are at a very basic level beginning to learn the fundamentals of the language including spelling, reading, writing and simple grammar rules. Homework should be structured to give them reinforcement of those ideas without making the time they study at home tedious and difficult. Keep in mind that the first grade is really the first time these children have been in school in a formal sense. They may have been in pre-k or kindergarten but at the first grade level, they are just beginning to see a real academic curriculum for the first time. That is going to take some getting used to as will the idea of homework in the first place.
All homework you send home with first grade children should incorporate the close bond young children have with family. To expect children at such a tender age to complete homework on their own may be unreasonable. But in that parents of first graders are often as excited or more excited about their little ones going to school as the kids are, it is easy to get young moms and dads engaged in helping to teach the children basic language skills through at home activities that are social and fun.
There are a wide diversity of first grade activities that make for good homework assignments. If you have a reading list of words you want the children to study, sending home short stories that are complimented with cartoon illustrations is a perfect way to make those words come to life for the children. With the vocabulary words highlighted so the children notice them as they read the book with a parent, the first grader sees the word in context which teaches grammar and usage concepts very naturally. They also understand the meaning of words based on context and they see the word on the page which helps teach spelling.
By sending along questions about the story that the parent reads to the child, those questions can focus on word meanings and even simple grammar ideas that surround the words you wish to see the children learn. The parents can go back and show the child the word in context as they answer each question and the young student learns in a loving relationship setting which is ideal for first graders just beginning to explore the world of educations, school and homework. When these exercises are a success, not only will the children begin their journey toward greater language skills, they begin a love of learning and even homework that will serve them well for the rest of their academic careers.