Homework Highlights

Next week we will be starting Week 18 in our Systematic Sight Word Instruction. Week 18 is a review week so there will be no new Spelling or Sight Words for next week. We will be reviewing the 107 sight words that we have covered so far. I will be sending home a list of all the review words next Tuesday. It is very important that each child knows as many of these words as possible. We will be covering an additional 60-80 words before the end of the year. To make sight word instruction and spelling more fun for you and your child you may want to try some of the ideas listed below. Thank you so much for all of your hard work at home. The spelling tests are improving each week and this class is reading wonderfully!

Jump on It!
Copy sight words on index cards (one per card). Make a second set of the same words. Scatter one set faceup on the floow, leaving a bout a foot between each card. Place the other set in a stack facedown. Turn over the first card in the stack. Have your child read the word and then jump on the corresponding card on the floor. Turn over the next card and have your child read it or spell it and then jump to that word. Continue until your child has jumped on all of the words. Mix up the cards and play again!

Read My Back!
"Write" a sight word on your child's back. Can your child guess the word? Trade places--let your child trace a word from the list on your back. Continue taking turns tracing and guessing sight words.

Spill a Sight Word
Copy sight words onto small cards. (You can cut index cards in quarters or cut sturdy paper into pieces.) Place the word cards in an empty container, such as a tall plastic tumbler or an empty tennis ball can (Pringles cans work great too). Invite your child to shake the container, spill out the words, and read the ones that fall faceup. Give each word your child reads a score that is equal to the number of letters in the word. Record the total, then place the remaining words back in the can and shake and spill again. Add the total to the first score. Play until your child has spilled and read all of the words.

Sing a Song of Sight Words
Practice sight words by singing them to a familiar tune or making up your own. If you run out of words before you get to the end of the song, just start at the top of the list again. Some songs to try include "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" and "Row, Row, Row Your Boat."