To learn more about the leveled literacy homework series, please watch the video, and then read the FAQs below:

FAQs

What is the purpose of the leveled literacy homework product series?

The purpose of this series is to provide you with ready-to-go materials that you can use to assign meaningful literacy homework to your Kindergarten or first grade students. As a former Kindergarten teacher, I struggled to find the time to create homework that was:

• Engaging for students
• Differentiated to meet my students’ diverse needs
• Appropriate for children whose families could support them, as well as children whose families were not able to provide support

The leveled literacy homework series provides you with materials that solve all of these problems. Each pack in the series includes a variety of assignments, is leveled for differentiation, and provides many different options to meet the needs of families.

The materials will save you hours of prep time. Moreover, you will feel confident that you are sending home quality materials to accelerate students’ learning!

What’s included in the leveled literacy homework series?

For each level that you purchase, you will find take-home books, family literacy games / activities, and no-prep literacy worksheets. The games, activities, and worksheets are designed specifically for students whose instructional reading level matches the level of the pack. For example, the literacy activities included in the Level A pack address skills that readers at Level A are working on (like identifying rhyming words, writing the first letter of a word, matching upper and lowercase letters, etc.).

For specific lists of the books, games, and activities for each level, click HERE.

Can I take a look at some of the books and activities?

Absolutely! For some sample books and activities, click on any of the links below:

Level A          Level B          Level C          Level D          Level E

Will I spend a lot of time preparing these materials?

Not at all! There are many activities that require no prep at all. When an activity does require prep work, it is very simple and clearly listed. There are also 2 different parent instruction sheet options for those activities – one sheet requests that the children complete the cutting at home, and the other can be sent home when you’ve already done the prep work.

How are parent needs addressed by these materials?

Each book and activity (with the exception of the simple worksheets) is accompanied by an instruction sheet for parents. Every instruction sheet provides clear directions and a link to an instructional video. Viewing any of the videos is optional – parents can also choose to read the instructions instead.

Student learning is positively impacted when parents receive information / training about how to work with their children. These instruction sheets and videos provide mini-trainings for families in the comfort of their homes!

With the exception of the worksheets, all books and activities come with different options for parent instruction sheets in English, as well as a sheet of instructions in Spanish.

What are the parent videos like?

The parent videos are simple, 1-3 minute clips that provide parents with some guidance in implementing the activity. Each parent video uses clear language to provide directions and tips to help parents create meaningful learning experiences for their children. The videos can be accessed on phones, tablets, or computers. Click on any of the links below to see a sample video from that level:

Level A          Level B          Level C          Level D          Level E

What if my students’ families are not able to support them at home?

Although it’s wonderful when students’ families can provide guidance as the children complete their homework, I know firsthand that this is not always the case (for a variety of reasons). For this reason, within each pack, there are activities for every single skill that be completed without parent help. Children can read the take-home books, for example, to a stuffed animal. In addition, there are simple literacy worksheets that students can complete without family support (if they are given the directions beforehand).

How will I know which level is right for my students?

The packs are leveled with the Guided Reading (Fountas & Pinnell) levels (levels A-E are available). If you use a different leveling system, please consult this leveling chart to determine which pack(s) would best fit your students’ needs. I recommend using multiple packs so that you can differentiate your homework assignments (as much as possible).

The packs were designed around students’ instructional levels (if a child can read a book at a given level A-E with 90-94% accuracy and good comprehension, that is the child’s instructional level). When we ask a child to read a book at her instructional level, we (as teachers) support the child’s reading with our instruction. Since you will not be there to provide that supportive teaching as your students complete their homework, students’ take-home books should be at their independent levels, which are slightly lower than their instructional levels. For this reason, the books in a given pack are slightly lower than the pack’s level.  (Example: The books in the Level B pack begin at a Level A and gradually work up to an easier Level B.)

What sight words are covered in each level?

You can click here to view a list of the sight words by level. If these words do not match up to the words you want your students to study, simply use the blank options for the sight word activities. You can have students play the same games and complete the same activities, using words of your choice.

What if I don’t have time to differentiate homework for my students?

Purchasing multiple levels should make it MUCH easier for you to differentiate your assignments. However, if you still want to give the same homework to all of your students, purchase the pack(s) that are closest to most of your students’ reading levels.

What bundles are available for purchase?

You can purchase each level individually, or in discounted bundles of A-B, A-C, A-D, or A-E. In addition, you can purchase sets of the take-home books only, a set of family literacy games for Kindergarten, or homework packs for CVC words, blends and digraphs, or word families.

What if I need a combination of levels that is not already available?

If you need another combination of levels that is not currently posted, please email Alison at LearningAtThePrimaryPond@gmail.com so that we can set up a custom bundle for you.