In my many years of teaching, I’ve certainly tried A LOT of things for first grade homework. In the early years, I tried sending home a weekly packet, but then realized that it wasted a lot of paper and it was just busy work for kids and parents to rush through during the week {or crammed all into one night!}.
A few years later, I tried sending home math and language arts games with lots of cards and pieces…and I think you can imagine what happened to those cards and pieces!
So as I was thinking ahead to the year {at the end of last school year!} it hit me – I had to make a meaningful activity for students and parents, yet easy to manage for teachers.
Sound the trumpets…
Meet Take Home Tasks!
The goal of Take Home Tasks is to be a quick-to-set up, yet meaningful homework experience for families! Most of the activities can be put together with supplies you already have in your classroom {dice, counters, decks of cards, magnetic letters, etc.} The tasks can quickly filled at the end of the week with a new activity sheet so it’s ready for the next home!
Related Product: Homework Stamp for Teachers
* For most tasks, I’ve included a QR Code linking parents to an extension activity such as a song, video, or online game to play.
I’ve included a wide variety of Take Home tasks from Math Skills, Language Arts, Social Studies, and Life Skills. My hope is that parents will spend
Here’s a peek at a few Tasks Included!
Ring! Ring!
Students spend the week learning {or practicing!} their parents’ phone number. Sadly with cell phones, far too many students do not know this very important piece of information!
Tally Time!
This simple & fun game works on the skill of tally marks!
Roll the Dice!
Building on the skills of tally marks, this game goes a step further and adds addition into the game!
What a Wonderful World
This activity helps students understand that there is a world much larger than their small town!
Whoa Domino!
Kids practice their “turn around fact” knowledge with this Take Home Task!
Type it Up!
As primary teachers, we know the importance of sight words! This fun Take Home Task incorporates keyboarding skills and those sight words!
* I’ve tried to keep copies to a minimum for the activities. For most activities, the reproducible worksheet appears twice on a page so you can cut your copies in half!
The tasks are easy to set up. Simply copy onto colored paper, laminate and drop the supplies into the box! Back to School time is a perfect time to snag those inexpensive supply boxes at Target, Walmart, the Dollar Tree or even on Amazon! I paid 97 cents for my boxes at WalMart!
Use the checklist to keep track of where the box has been and where it’s going!
Check out Take Home Tasks to learn even more & see what other tasks are included in the Take Home Tasks!
6 Responses
Hey Molly,
I love this idea! I have never seen homework buckets like this before.
I see you have a list to mange who gets which bucket. I was just wondering how often do you send them? Does Each student get one or do they alternate? DO you have the students keep them for one for week or just one for night?
Thank You for the brilliant idea!
Hello, Kaylee! Thanks so much for your kind words! They have worked out great! I send one box home to each student. There are enough that they each get a turn with each box once! They go home on Monday and are returned on Friday. My grade level partner sends them home on Friday and they’re returned the following Friday, so parents have a weekend to “get it done!” Hope that helps 🙂
I asked my parents at Back to School night which they would prefer: Monday to Friday or Friday to Friday and they picked Monday to Friday, which is easier for me too. I got my boxes at Staples for a $1 at back to school time.
Does every student get the same task or do you rotate them through?
Hi Alison!
I rotate through. So I just make one box and eventually each child receives it 🙂Â
Have you had issues with boxes not being returned? Or pieces missing? I love this idea but I worry about not getting them back and wasting my time and money.