Each Monday, your child will bring home his/her orange homework folder.  On the left side, there will be extra practice and home/school connection papers. These papers have optional activities that you may choose to do with your child to reinforce classroom skills.  The papers on the left should not be returned to school.  The papers on the right side of the folder are homework papers that should be done throughout the week.  The papers and orange folder should be returned each Friday.

 Below is a list of quick and easy ideas that you and your family can do together to strengthen your child's academic foundation.

•   Write each lower case and up case letter on a card.  Time your child and see how many letters they can name in 1 minute.
• Make a flash card for each sight word we have learned.  In addition to reading the words, ask your child to use the words in complete sentences.
• Play a rhyming game.  We suggest you begin with the short a sound. (example -at: cat, hat, bat;   -ad: mad, sad, dad;  -ap: cap, lap, tap)
• Before reading, ask your child to predict what will happen in the story.  During reading, continue to encourage your child to make predictions.  After reading, ask your child what they enjoyed about the story and have them retell what happened in the beginning, middle, and end of the story. 

• Practice counting by 1's.  Our goal is to count to 100.
  
• Practice counting by  2's to 20 and by 5's and 10's to 100.
• Use flashcards to help your child recognize numbers.  Begin with 1-9.  Eventually our goal will be to recognize numbers 1-30.
• Practice saying the days of the week and the months of the year.  Ask you child what yesterday was and what tomorrow will be.