Parents, thank you so much for your efforts in helping your children complete their homework. It has such an impact on your child’s learning. Here are some Frequently Asked Questions that I received last week that may be helpful to you:Question #1. Should ALL homework papers be stapled together?
Answer: Yes, PLEASE! Please try to imagine 26 six-year-olds cramming their homework papers into the tray and you can easily see why it would be beneficial for your child to have his/her homework all stapled neatly together. Paper clips are not as helpful because papers still tend to slide in and out of the paper clip. Feel free to purchase a small, inexpensive stapler for home – I know that even Dollar Tree sells staplers.
Question #2: Should I have my child turn in a Homework Form during the weeks that there is only reading homework?
Answer: No, that is not necessary. During “Reading Homework Only” weeks, simply sign the reading slip in your child’s Book Buddy bag each day. Your signature each day is sufficient.
Question #3: Why do you post the My Math Homework pages to the blog when copies of the pages are being sent home with my child for each unit?
Answer: Every time we begin a new unit, I will have your child bring home the copies of their My Math Homework pages that are needed for that unit’s math homework. However, sometimes accidents happen! I post the pages on the blog in case your child is absent the day the pages are sent home, or in case your child loses the pages, etc. That way, you can print the pages at home, if necessary.
Question #4: What should the goal be for math fluency timings, and why is math fluency important?
Answer: By the end of first grade, the target goal is to finish all 25 problems in 1 minute and 15 seconds, with 90% accuracy (23 out of 25 problems correct). Math fact fluency, or the ability for students to recall basic math facts quickly, accurately, and effortlessly, is an essential component of students’ math knowledge. It would take you ages to write a paper if you had to look up the spelling of each individual word: In the same way, lack of fact fluency can slow down students’ processing of more complex math problems and situations. Research shows the importance of fact fluency as a foundation for more difficult math, and even as a predictor of future math success. For these reasons, fact fluency is one important component of our math curriculum in first grade.