Send homework or don’t send homework – that is the question. Research says nope. Districts say yep. Teachers are split. Parents say there’s too much. Thoughts and opinions are all over the place! Homework, like most education related topics, tends to trend like popular posts on social media.

Personally, I’m not in favor of required, graded, abundant, childhood zapping homework. That said this next statement may shock you. I do send homework home. Whoa!! You are contradicting yourself you say. I know so let me elaborate.

On Mondays I send home a homework packet. In that packet I include the same things each week.

• Name Practice Page – they trace twice, write once beginning with their first name then adding their last name when first is mastered
• Letter Practice Page – there are several I use here but there is always a letter page, until they become readers (Below you will find printable Handwriting and Beginning Sound Homework Pages)
• Number Practice Page – progressing from single numbers to more complicated concepts
• Shape/Color Page – shapes first then colors
• Cutting Page – at first simple lines then simple shapes

Homework is due on Friday morning giving my children and their families the whole week to complete the work. The pages reinforce what we are doing in the classroom during the week so the concepts are not new to my students. On top of that, because I believe in predictable patterns, my students can complete the work by themselves, yes even pre-kinders, after a few weeks with help.

How does this fit into my belief that no homework is best? Here’s an excerpt from my Pre-K Handbook explaining my homework policy.

Homework in our class is a little different. It’s optional. Beginning with the introduction of our first letter, homework will come home on Mondays and will be removed on Friday morning. Because homework is optional no late work will be accepted.

Our homework is made up of practice pages that reinforce the focus concepts of the week. Students who complete ALL the homework and turn it in on time will receive a treat.

Homework is optional. Students who complete their homework get a payday and those who don’t have no consequences. I don’t make a big deal about who turns it in. I don’t even keep track of it. But I review every piece that comes back. If my students take the time to do the work I take the time to look at it. I leave my mark on each page so that they know I saw it, usually a stamp. I also make comments where I see great or improved work and respond to parent notes left in the margins. Then I tape a reward, candy or small trinket, to the front and send it back home. Making homework optional removes stress from both parents and children.

You may be thinking, why even send homework at all? Because what I send home is intentional. In families where there are older siblings, younger siblings want to be just like the older. If big brother or sister has homework the younger wants some too. I’d much rather provide the parents of my pre-kinders with work that coincides with what we are learning then have them pull something random from somewhere else.

I also send home child specific homework. Child A knows some uppercase and lowercase letters and a few sounds. This child is practicing letter and sound identification. Their homework has a letter focus page. Child B may know all twenty six letters upper and lowercase along with their respective sounds. This child is ready to begin reading. Their homework no longer has a letter page but a page for them to practice sight words. Homework in our classroom is very fluid. It changes as my children grow in their abilities. I am as intentional about what goes home as I am about what is in our classroom.

Homework or no homework remains the question. My answer, if you send it be intentionally specific and remove the stressors.

Here are some of the pages I use for letter homework. Although since they don’t actually say homework you could use them for anything.

Enjoy!

A Handwriting & Beginning Sound Homework          B Handwriting & Beginning Sound Homework

C Handwriting & Beginning Sound Homework          D Handwriting & Beginning Sound Homework

E Handwriting & Beginning Sound Homework          F Handwriting & Beginning Sound Homework

G Handwriting & Beginning Sound Homework          H Handwriting & Beginning Sound Homework

I Handwriting & Beginning Sound Homework           J Handwriting & Beginning Sound Homework

K Handwriting & Beginning Sound Homework          L Handwriting & Beginning Sound Homework

M Handwriting & Beginning Sound Homework         N Handwriting & Beginning Sound Homework

O Handwriting & Beginning Sound Homework          P Handwriting & Beginning Sound Homework

Q Handwriting & Beginning Sound Homework          R Handwriting & Beginning Sound Homework

S Handwriting & Beginning Sound Homework           T Handwriting & Beginning Sound Homework

U Handwriting & Beginning Sound Homework           V Handwriting & Beginning Sound Homework

W Handwriting & Beginning Sound Homework          X Handwriting & Beginning Sound Homework

Y Handwriting & Beginning Sound Homework           Z Handwriting & Beginning Sound Homework