Weekly Homework



Weekly Homework

I believe homework is very important and it is required. It will be reviewed and graded each week. I do not believe your child can work to his/her potential unless homework is done completely and consistently each week.

Homework runs from Thursday to Thursday. On Thursday, your child will be given an empty folder to take home and fill with study evidence! What does this mean? You and your child will need to study, as needed, to score 80% or above on our weekly tests. The “study evidence” will be different for each child. For example, if your child chooses to write a “silly story” using the week’s vocabulary words, the story can be placed in the homework folder as “evidence of study”. Another piece of evidence could be spelling words that are written in different colors to highlight the phonics patterns found in each word. Perhaps, a family member will write a short note explaining that the spelling words or vocabulary words were studied orally and sign it for verification. Finally, “study evidence” for multiplication facts may be flash cards or a note verifying “skip counting” or completed multiplication worksheets found on the computer. The point is I want to reduce busy work without sacrificing your child’s education. I want your child to have a choice in how he/she studies. I need proof of study and most importantly I need to see your child progressing at school.

There are SIX areas of homework study. I will describe each in detail.

Multiplication Facts – Your child needs to strive to learn his/her multiplication tables 0 – 12 by February. Why? I have found that students are unable to understand and complete their math homework if they don’t have a firm grasp of the multiplication tables mid-way through the year.

How often should multiplication facts be studied? Every day (Small amount of time each day through the 12’s table.)

How should they be studied? It’s your choice but “study evidence” must be turned in each week and your child must be making consistent progress through the tables. Here are a few suggestions but I want you to feel free to use what works for your child.

• Write the multiplication fact table once or several times and place the work in the homework folder as “study evidence”. IE. 2x0=0 2x1=2 2x2=4 2x3=6……

• Skip-count the multiplication table. Have your child use their written fact table to march, skip, hop, etc. around saying the answers to each fact until he/she can “skip count” the answers quickly and easily without using the written table. For example, if your child is studying the 3’s multiplication table he/she would chant, “0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, 36” Place a note in the homework folder as “study evidence” verifying the skip counting activity.

• Write own flash cards. Have your child write each multiplication problem on one side of a piece of scrap paper or index card and write the answer on the other. Making the flash cards is study! Using them is study! This system allows your child to study with you or independently. Place the cards in the homework folder as “study evidence”.

• Verbally quiz your child while walking, making dinner, or waiting for other siblings to finish basketball practice etc. Place a note in the homework folder as “study evidence” verifying the activity.

• Play a computer, electronic, or board game that teaches multiplication facts. Place a note in the homework folder as “study evidence” verifying the activity.

• **Print out and complete TWO (100 problem) multiplication worksheets from this web site and place them in the homework folder as study evidence. Note: Students who studied in this way finished their multiplication tables, quickest, in years past.

• Other ??????

If your child’s folder is consistently filled with notes verifying that “study” is mostly done verbally AND your child is not progressing through the multiplication tables, I may ask you to choose other study activities and present “study evidence”.

Spelling – A list of 25 spelling words must be studied and mastered for each curricular story we read in class. Words will be posted on the internet each Thursday unless I post otherwise. Each Thursday or Friday I will thoroughly review the list with the class and give your child a pre-test. I will send it home to you. This will tell you which words your child already knows how to spell and which words need further study.

How often should the spelling words be studied? The answer is as often as needed. Obviously, if your child gets 100% on his/her pre-test, no study is needed. This will free up more time for other areas of study. If your child is not a good speller, more time will be required to score 80% or above on our weekly tests.

How should they be studied? Again, it’s your choice as long as I find “evidence of study” in your child’s homework each week AND your child is scoring 80% or better on each test with one exception. Your child needs to take a “practice test” at home so you can see how he/she will do on his/her test at school. Place the practice test in the homework folder as “evidence” each week. This will give you and your child one last opportunity to study the missed words before our test at school.

I have attached a list of many other study suggestions below but I will also paste this list to the bottom of each spelling list, posted on the web to help you. Remember, the spelling list is found on the right-hand side of my web page, updated each Thursday. You may choose these activities or develop your own BUT “study evidence” must be placed in your child’s homework folder, each week, in the form of completed work or a note from you describing and verifying the study activity.

Spelling Activities

1. Highlight the vowel spelling in each word.  I.e. bean, tape,  program, babies, blind, gym

2. Explain the phonics rule(s) in each word. For example,  

bean = The long e sound is made by a vowel pair where the first vowel says its name and the second is silent. (Ea can also be a jail vowel pair when saying the short e sound, but it’s not in this word.) 

tape = The long a is created by the power of the Magic e 

program = The long o sound in the first clap happens because a vowel on a clap (syllable) is usually long.  Also, the short a sound in the second clap comes from a consonant blend-vowel-consonant spelling pattern which most often leaves a vowel saying its short sound.

babies = The long a sound in the first clap is because a vowel on a clap is usually long.  Some people see the long a because of the Magic i.  The long e sound in the second clap is from the copy cat y saying the e sound. Also, to make the word “baby” plural, we need to change the y to an i and add es.

blind = The long i sound is long for “no reason in a one syllable word”.

gym = The short i sound is made from a consonant-vowel-consonant pattern where the vowel sound is most often short.  Also, a “g” followed by an e, i, or y says j.  Finally, y often copies the vowel I and is long or short as the I would have been in the word ….   I believe these are the best ways to really study spelling.  Parents, if you don’t know many phonics rules, your child would probably love to teach you! 

3. Use a dictionary and write each spelling word in syllables.  Ie. Back/pack  or so/fa.  This is also a third grade skill.

4. Rainbow write - write each word using at least three colors. (One on top of the other)

5. Make flash cards and play school.

6. Write the spelling word and then a synonym (similar meaning word).  Also, a third grade skill.

7. Write the spelling word and then an antonym (opposite meaning word).  Again, a third grade skill.

8. Write a silly story using all the words.  Use proper punctuation and your child will be practicing another third grade skill. ϑ

9. Write each spelling word and then categorize it as a noun, verb, adjective, pronoun, adverb, or compound word.  Yep, another 3rd grade skill. 

10. Alphabetize the spelling words.  *Third grade skill. 

11. Write each spelling word and then look them up in the dictionary.  On either side of each spelling word, write the guide words of the page.  *Third grade skill. 

12. Write the spelling words and then look each up in the dictionary.  Then write the phonetic spelling of the word found in the ( ) of the entry.  *Third grade skill. 

13. Write each spelling word and then add a prefix, suffix, or both to alter the meaning of the word. (Word Forms) *Third grade skill.

14. Use the spelling words in similes using the words “like” or “as”.  *Third grade skill.

15. Write a tongue twister or twisters using all the words. 

16. Go to puzzlemaker. or similar site and make a word search or cross word puzzle and solve. Making and solving the puzzle are both study activities.

17. Cut the words from a newspaper or magazine and make a word collage.

18. Mandatory - Take or give a spelling test.  Grade it. Study the words you miss and be prepared for the test ϑ

19. Write each spelling word and its meaning from the dictionary.  Is it a multi-meaning word?  How many definitions does it have?  Is the word used as a noun, verb, adjective, adverb, or several of these?  *All third grade skills. 

If your child’s folder is consistently filled with notes verifying that “study” is mostly done verbally AND your child is not scoring 80% or above, I may ask you to choose other study activities and present “study evidence”.

Vocabulary – Your child will be tested on six or seven vocabulary words each week unless I post otherwise. Again, I will review the words with the class, help them complete a “matching” work sheet to begin the learning process and that will be sent home for your review. Further “vocabulary development” continues in the classroom as we read the story each day and complete homework pages and center activities but vocabulary is more difficult in third grade because the tests do not use the exact definition. This is why additional study at home is so important. Your child will have to read a sentence and fill in a blank with the correct vocabulary word. This is very different from second grade. This means your child cannot simply memorize the definition. He/she must have a complete understanding of the word and be able to apply it.

How often should my child study vocabulary? Again, the answer is as often as necessary to “truly” learn the meaning of each word.

How should vocabulary be studied? I will attach study suggestions to the bottom of each vocabulary list along with numerous “thinking maps” that can be completed and turned in as “study evidence”. (See the completed thinking maps sample completed in school and sent home the first week) The vocabulary list, per story, will be posted on Thursday night. Remember, the vocabulary list is found on the right-hand side of my web page. You may choose these activities or develop your own BUT “study evidence” must be placed in your child’s homework folder, each week, in the form of completed work or a note from you describing and verifying the study activity. Also, a vocabulary pre-test is required each week as “study evidence” so you know your child is ready for his/her test.

I believe the “thinking maps” are the best way to study vocabulary because they also reinforce many other third grade standards like muti-meaning words, dictionary use, antonyms, synonyms, writing a complete sentence, vocabulary development, word forms, alphabetizing, parts of speech……

To effectively study vocabulary, your child will need a good dictionary and thesaurus or additional instruction on how to use or another similar web site.

Ticket to Read – Ticket to Read is a comprehension component to our homework. I like Ticket to Read and the students seem to enjoy it. I favor another reading comprehension program that I will discuss in a moment so I only require your child READ and PASS one or more passages each week. I have a link on the right hand side of my web page. Note: The computer considers a passage has been read and passed with a score of 70%. Your child will be instructed that a passing score is actually an 80%. If your child dos not pass, he/she must try again until at least one passage is read and scored at 80% or above. The username and passwords have changed this year. I will post log-in information when this computer program is up and running and after we have logged on at school. I don’t need any study evidence because I will be looking at a computerized log of your child’s efforts.

- Our goal is to have each child master all 213 third grade math standards by state testing. This is different than last years program. I will no longer be pulling reports on “time spent” on IXL but rather on how many standards have been played and passed. I have a link on the right-hand side of my web page. Your child is required to turn in IXL “study evidence” but only of problems that require pencil and paper to complete them correctly. For example, if your child is answering questions about shapes or place value (no pencil and paper is required to correctly answer) he/she simply plays the program. (No evidence is needed or required.) However, if your child is adding three or four digit numbers with borrowing he/she will need to write that problem on a scrap piece of paper to answer correctly. Any written computations must be turned in as IXL “study evidence”. There are two ways to play IXL. There is a game format that awards your child tickets and simple playing and passing the skills more or less in order (unless I specifically let you know you child can play a standard of group). This year I will be playing IXL with your child for short periods of time, first thing each morning. As soon as I introduce each standard to the class and feel the class, as a whole, has a pretty good understanding of the standard, I will post it in the Norris News letter and than your child can play to pass that standard. This allows me to pre-teach, teach, and model, each standard before your child plays AND it will alleviate students being bounced all over the program spending much time but accomplishing little. I will discuss this in detail at Back to School Night.

This program needs some parental supervision. It is very important that you are monitoring your child efforts in the following areas:

• Monitor to ensure they are playing third grade skills that I have assigned. NO ONE may play a different grade level without discussing it with me first.

• For accuracy – Occasionally, you will need to pull a report that shows you the percentage of problems correct vs. the number of problems attempted. If your child has a low “correct” percentage, he/she needs support with the concepts or your child simply may be guessing instead of taking the time to write out problems to solve them. Is IXL evidence being done on problems that can’t be done mentally?

• Help – There is a help box or “explanation box” available to you and your child each time a question is missed. It is VERY IMPORTANT you train your child to read this explanation box and learn how to do the problem correctly. (At first, many students just want to skip it and try another problem.) Many times, if students take the time to read the explanation box, they can learn to solve that type of problem independently. However, your child may simply need help reading the explanation box and understanding it. Your willingness to help is needed and very much appreciated. The good news is the explanation boxes are easy to understand and short so you’ll look like a math genius and be a hero to your child each and every time.

• Your child needs to strive to pass each standard with 80% accuracy or better. Reluctant math students like to play and re-play the same standards because they understand them and it becomes fun. Your job is to pace your child so all 213 standards are passed by testing time.

I will be pulling individual and class reports for re-teaching and individual support. However, throughout the course of the year you will find many reports that help you understand where you could give your child support in math including the exact questions they miss! (

Read and Log it! – Your child must read and “log it” everyday! The reading log must be turned in as “study evidence” each Thursday. Yes, I said everyday! ( Remember, practice makes perfect. The more your child reads, the easier it becomes. With this, your child enjoys reading more and will WANT to read everyday. Our goal is to inspire life long readers and learners.

A reading log can be found on the right-hand side of my web page but a scrape of paper works just as well. I’m not going to require a number of pages read, or even a time limit. Just begin to read daily and I assure you, the time and pages read with naturally increase if you honestly make reading a daily endeavor. Simply log what’s easiest. Write the date, the book title and the number or pages read, or the chapter read, or the time. This process will automatically help you and your child make reading a priority in your home.

There are TWO reading programs and it’s very important that you follow my directions. The process becomes second nature to the students, in time, but it can be confusing in the beginning of the year. If you are directing your child one way and I another it just takes us all longer to get where we need to go. Here is an outline of each reading program.

• AR (Accelerated Reader) Alta Library Book – Tuesday Night – We will visit the Alta Library each Tuesday and your child will choose a “short” AR library book at his/her reading level. It needs to be read Tuesday night (Log it) or Tuesday and Wednesday night (Log it) if needed. Your child will then take a computerized AR quiz so we can monitor his/her authentic reading comprehension on a weekly basis. Your child must read and pass one “short” ALTA AR book “at your child’s reading level” each week. Periodically, I will send home reports for you to review.

• AR Independent Reading Program (AR IRP) All Other Nights – Your child will read and log his/her AR IRP efforts and turn in the reading log “study evidence” for every other night of the week and turn in a completed 7 day log each Thursday.

How does the program actually work? Every six weeks or so, your child will read his/her AR IRP book (Full length book, close to 200 pages with few illustrations), write a summary rough draft, have you edit it, rewrite it as a final copy, complete a project, and present this work to the class. Four AR IRP books will be needed this year. This is our AR IRP schedule:

#1 8/29 – 10/10 42 days (Must be a biography vest.)

#2 10/10 – 11/21 43 days (Any genre)

#3 11/21 – 1/9 50 days (Any genre)

#4 1/9 – 2/27 50 days (Any genre)

#5 2/27 – 4/16 Indian Project 50 days (More information to follow)

#6 4/16 – 5/16 Science Project 31 Days (More information to follow)

Project #5, and #6 are not AR Independent Reading Projects but they are required projects so I wrote them in so you can start getting a feel for the work load. Instructions can be found for these projects on the right-hand side of my site and I have samples in class for you to see.

Parents are responsible to get the AR IRP books. Please get all four needed AR IRP books at once or get them one at a time but don’t let your child lose time because he/she doesn’t have an AR IRP book available! It is imperative that your child transition from picture chapter books to full length books in third grade. The objective or goal is for your child to be able to read and understand a full-length book (as close to 200 pages as your child can get) by the end of the year. I have students who can do this already. I have students who are no where near this goal. The idea is to begin stretching your child by starting off with the longest book (very few illustrations) he/she can successfully read at his/her current reading level and grow from there. (The first project is a biography and as non-fiction is can be a slightly shorter book. Aim for around 50 – 100 pages with some pictures.)

The AR IRP book must be an AR book. The AR computerized quizzes are very different for longer length books and these combined programs give us a wonderful picture of your child’s comprehension for both full-length and short books. How do I find an AR book? Go to or visit the Alta web page, go to School Directory, Library, and Mrs. Komenda has several lists sorted by author, book title, and reading level.

The AR IRP periods are a very long time to read a book and complete a project. Since I am giving such long periods for completion this year, I hope each child can turn their work in timely and well done. (

Bonus – I encourage any student to work ahead. If your child completes more than four AR IRP projects, I will give much encouragement and support. Reading a book of poetry by Shel Silverstein and memorizing one of his poems to recite in class would be a wonderful way to explore poetry, share it, and earn extra credit.

How do I help my child choose a project or find instructions? I have many project choices and directions on the right-hand side of my web page. Help your child choose a project that appeals to him/her and is appropriate for the book. I will have many samples to share with you at Back to School night.

Please refer to the Back to School section on my web page for a list of book genres. This year, let’s ask your child to read several different genres. Who knows, maybe your child will fall in love with mysteries, poetry, or historical fiction! We won’t know what your child likes until we get him/her to read a variety of books.

Your child needs to have his/her AR IRP book in his/her backpack. Throughout the day, your child will find time to read the AR IRP book here at school. This will help your child make the best use of his/her time. Also, if it is kept in the backpack, your child will always have it to read when waiting at practices for siblings, as you run errands, or when staying at two household throughout the week. (

Copy and Past the following Check List and place it on your refrigerator until the homework process become routine. (

Homework Check List [pic]

Homework Sample Week:

Thursday:

• Read my AR Independent Book and Logged it. Log attached as evidence.

• Skip counted my 4’s times table, created 4’s flash cards. They are attached.

• Played IXL number sense standard 1.6 – did not pass it. No evidence needed.

• Read and passes 1 Ticket to Read Passage – no evidence needed.

• On , I made a cross word puzzle for my 6 vocabulary words. I’ll solve it tomorrow.

Friday:

• Read my AR Independent Book and logged it.

• Played my 4 flash cards and skip counted by 4’s. I also wrote one 4’s table.

• Played IXL number sense 1.6 and passed. Started Number Sense 1.7. IXL evidence attached.

• Wrote my spelling words and highlighted the phonics rules – attached.

• I solved the vocabulary cross word puzzle – attached.

Saturday

• Read my AR Independent Book and logged it. I’m on Chapter 8 already.

• Played my 4’s flashcards, skip counted 3 times while hopping, and printed/completed 100 x4 problems from Mrs. Norris’ web site – attached

• Printed my vocabulary words, cut the form apart, studied it, and glued it back together matching the word with the correct definition –attached.

• Rainbow writing of my spelling words – attached.

• Played IXL number sense 1.7 – evidence attached. Didn’t pass.

Sunday

• Read my AR Independent Book and logged it.

• Completed another 100 x4 worksheet – attached.

• Completed the thinking maps for three of the vocabulary words – attached.

• Went to and made a word search for only the spelling words I’m having trouble with. Found each word – attached.

• IXL number sense 1.7 – evidence attached. Passed it with 80% or better!

Monday

• Read my AR Independent Book and logged it. I’m on chapter 14.

• Wrote my x4 tables, twice – attached. My dad verbally quizzed me too.

• Completed the other thinking maps for the remaining 3 vocabulary words – attached.

• Played IXL number sense 1.8 – no evidence required. Didn’t pass it.

• Packed my Alta AR library book for tomorrow.

Tuesday

• Read my AR Independent Book and logged it. I’m almost done with it.

• Skip Counted my x4, wrote my x4 table, twice – attached.

• Wrote my vocabulary words in complete sentences with capitals and end marks.

• Played IXL number sense 1.8 – evidence needed and attached. Passed it!

Wednesday

• Read my AR Independent Book and logged it. I finished it. Will start my summary template this weekend.

• Took a spelling test – missed two words and wrote each 5 times – all attached.

• Took a vocabulary test – (any format you choose) and attached it. I got them all correct.

• Played IXL number sense 1.8 and passed it. No evidence required.

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