Learning at Home, PreK–3
Homework Activities That Engage Children and Families
"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.
| Learning Principles |
| Early Learning Practices |
| 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 |
| Benefits and Drawbacks |
| Trends and Issues |
| Responding to Challenges |
| Promising Practices |
| The Bottom Line |
| What to Consider |
| How to Make It Happen |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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! |
| 75 Family Activities |
| Family Fieldtrips |
| 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 |
| 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 |
“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.”
“This book is a great resource for educators and families and is filled with practical ideas to engage everyone in the fun of learning.”
“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!”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
"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."
HEOA Compliance
Available formats
| ISBN: 9781412963275 | Hardcover | Suggested Retail Price: $76.95 | Bookstore Price: $61.56 |
| ISBN: 9781412963282 | Paperback | Suggested Retail Price: $31.95 | Bookstore Price: $25.56 |
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