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this may be reinforced at home by having the student choose a character and a person from home to compare/contrast the character with. They may draw a picture or bring in a photograph to share with the class. Journal shares are an excellent way to include parents in their child's school experiences. I send the journal (writing, math, science) with a student/parent questionnaire. Typically, this involves the student choosing their favorite entry and explaining why it is their favorite. Likewise, the parents do the same. This encourages communication between the student, their parent and the teacher. A weekly journal share is the students' poetry journals. Their homework related to this journal involves reading the poem with a family member each day, circling our new sight word within the poem and a small assignment on the next page, such as drawing a picture, completing an open ended sentence, etc. Information seeking activities can be as simple as counting how many electrical outlets there are in the house or as involved as interviewing a family member.

Another important aspect of homework is predictability and routine. Busy families appreciate knowing what to expect; I follow the same pattern each week for this reason. On Monday, the students receive math homework, Wednesdays I send homework related to Language Arts and on Friday they take home their poetry journal. In my class, it is rare that a student is unprepared when it comes to homework. I think the reason for this is that homework is predictable, skill reinforcing and a builds communication. Once established, homework routines and expectations benefit everyone involved.

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