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Learning at Home, PreK–3

Homework Activities That Engage Children and Families

By: Ann C. Barbour

Packed with engaging activities, this resource helps teachers plan developmentally appropriate homework assignments that encourage positive learning experiences and reinforce home-school connections.

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Product Details

Grade Level: PreK-3
ISBN: 9781412963282
Published By: Corwin
Year: 2009
Page Count: 208
Publication date: October 15, 2009

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This book is not available as a review copy.

Description

"This book is a great resource for educators and families and is filled with practical ideas to engage everyone in the fun of learning."
—Susan Stewart, Curriculum Consultant, Supervisor, Adjunct Instructor
Stark County Education Service Center, Ashland University

"Wonderful! The author has done an excellent job of providing a wealth of materials for the educator and/or parent, as well as answering some tough questions about home learning for young children."
—Ken Klopack, Art and Gifted Educational Consultant
Chicago Public Schools, IL

Create a strong home-school connection through family activities that extend learning!

Because families play a critical role in helping young children develop a strong academic foundation and a love of learning, teachers need to involve caregivers as partners in education and extend learning to the home environment. Learning at Home, PreK–3 helps teachers plan developmentally appropriate, creative homework activities that encourage positive learning experiences and reinforce important home-school connections.

Packed with hundreds of engaging and interesting activities, this resource expands the concept of what constitutes homework and family involvement. Focused mainly on social interactions within the family, these playful, fun activities:

Relate directly to children's own experiences
Employ concrete, easily accessible materials
Include shared reading experiences, family projects, and games
Integrate developmental and content areas, including language and literacy, mathematics, science, and the creative arts
Promote literacy learning in homes where English is not the primary language

These tools and strategies help teachers reach out to families and reinforce learning both in school and at home, ensuring that all students have the chance to achieve and become lifelong learners.

Key features

Children now get homework at a very young age and this hot topic revolves around what kind of homework and how much of it to give
Builds on the relationship that children have with their families and aims to strengthen the connection between home and school
Makes homework fun, creating positive experiences rather than dread
Based on the knowledge that involving the child's home experiences and culture are keys to more successful and positive school experiences

Author(s)

Ann C. Barbour

Ann C. Barbour is professor emerita of early childhood education at California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA). A former preschool and elementary teacher, she has over 30 years’ experience in the field of early education. At CSULA, she teaches courses in best practices and trends and issues in early education, the role of play in learning, and school-family partnerships. She has coauthored two books: Prop Box Play: 50 Themes to Inspire Dramatic Play and Portfolio Assessment: A Handbook for Preschool and Elementary Teachers, as well as numerous articles on early childhood education.

Barbour has worked with teachers, district administrators, parent representatives, and her own students in learning-at-home projects based on materials children take home from school. She also helped develop the Peabody Award-winning television series, A Place of Our Own and Los Niños en Su Casa, and was content advisor for each of the 325 episodes produced in English and in Spanish. These series are designed to help parents and caregivers nurture the development and enrich the learning experiences of preschool-age children. They are broadcast daily on public television stations throughout the nation.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Introduction

1. What We Know About Children’s Learning

Learning Principles

Early Learning Practices

2. Involving Families

Family Involvement Matters

Making Connections

Why Families Don't Get Involved

Teachers' and Parents' Viewpoints and Expectations

A Multidimensional View of Family Involvement

The Importance of Home-Culture Connections

What Works

3. What About Homework?

Benefits and Drawbacks

Trends and Issues

Responding to Challenges

Promising Practices

The Bottom Line

4. Encouraging Learning at Home

What to Consider

How to Make It Happen

5. Language and Literacy Kits

Writing Suitcase

Backpack Buddies

Puppet Packet

Rhythm and Rhyme

On the Road

Friends and Neighbors

All in a Day

Opposites

I Love Spiders!

Sharing Stories

Then and Now: African American History

Family Pictures / Cuadros de Familia

What's in a Name?

Legends

Grandparents

Yum! Yum!

Fact or Fiction

6. Mathematics and Science Kits

Count Up and Count Down

Treasure Box Math

Measurement and Me

Patterns and Symmetry Everywhere

Time and Time Again

Tangrams

Numbers Make Sense

Big Numbers

Fractions Are Fun

It All Adds Up!

Adventure Backpack

Amazing Magnets

My Five Senses

Weather

Shapes and Shadows

Sink and Float

Shells

Trees

Birds

Insects and Bugs

The Night Sky

7. Creative Arts Kits

The Music in Me

Let's Pretend

Dance!

Something Beautiful

Color My World

Let's Get Physical

My Crayons Talk

Twisting and Turning

Imagination Creations

Jolly Junk

Fiesta!

Artists Everywhere!

8. More Learning Activities: No Materials Required

75 Family Activities

Family Fieldtrips

9. Family Projects

Time Capsule

Our Family Cube

Timeline

All About Me

Family Calendar

Class Cookbook

100-Item Creation

Neighborhood Map

Here's Where I Live

Milk Carton Creations

Recycled Junk Sculpture

Word Rings

Mystery Bag

Family Decorate and Dress-Up Projects

Resources

Family Survey

Sample Family Letter 1

Sample Family Letter 2

Sample Literacy Bag Agreement

Poetry Award Cards Sample 1

Poetry Award Cards Sample 2

Neighborhood Walk Game

Making Progress Game

Road to Freedom Game

Cake Walk / Endureza la Caminata Board Game

Calendar Template

Family Recipe Form

Grand-Person or Grandparent Interview Questions

Tangram Pattern

Bar Graph Template

Bird Puzzle

Online Resources

References

Reviews

“This book has so many rich choices for families to work together at home. The School Home activities are categorized by academic subject and would be extremely easy for teachers or even an entire elementary school to incorporate as homework practices.”

Stephanie Malin, Instructional Coach
Beaverton School District, OR

“This book is a great resource for educators and families and is filled with practical ideas to engage everyone in the fun of learning.”

Susan Stewart, Curriculum Consultant, Supervisor, Adjunct Instructor
Stark County Education Service Center, Ashland University

“I am going to use this book and these wonderful ideas in writing my own professional goals for next year. The research, ideas, uses, materials are all very appropriate for me as I continue to grow as an experienced teacher who is interested in getting better every year!”

Carol Forrest, Primary Teacher
Nyssa Elementary School, OR

“I loved this book. What a great resource, full of activities and directions for those activities that parents and other caretakers can easily do at home.”

Nadia Mykysey, Educator
Temple University

“Wonderful! The author has done an excellent job of providing a wealth of materials for the educator and/or parent, as well as answering some tough questions about home learning for young children.”

Ken Klopack, Art and Gifted Educational Consultant
Chicago Public Schools, IL

“For young children (and their parents), homework is often a painful, empty experience. Barbour rethinks this age-old task with meaningful and powerful ways parents can joyfully connect with their children with the skills they need for school.”

Steven Hicks, Teacher
The Accelerated School, Los Angeles, CA

“At this critical time in early childhood education, Barbour’s book provides a valuable resource for programs seeking to strengthen ties between home and school. Grounded in the research on play and the benefits of family involvement in the learning process, this book provides a rich menu of ideas and resources that can be easily implemented in any early childhood setting.”

Blanche Desjean-Perrotta, Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education
University of Texas at San Antonio

"There is no doubt that connecting with family members is of great benefit to a student’s learning. Barbour presents clear and easy-to-implement strategies for successfully making this connection, with an emphasis on building positive home-school relationships and promoting learning together as an enjoyable experience for everyone involved."

Leah M. Melber, Director of Student and Teacher Programs
Lincoln Park Zoo

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