Homework, Oh Homework....

S

sarab

Cathlete
Hi Ladies!

First of all, I have been MIA....sorry, have been either taking care of my sick children (if it is not the flu or strep, they have colds), painting my living, and trying to stick to a workout schedule. Anyway, some of you might remember my thread last fall about ds's teacher and principal witholding snack for a punishment. Well, it happened again!!! I am so upset about it!

Plus, the homework (he is in kindergarten)....oh my!!! The other night we did homework for 40 minutes....and....I DID HALF OF IT! Last night, he had to write numbers 1-100. What is the education system coming to???

When I was a child up to 8th grade, I never had a that much homework! My evenings were taken up by gymnastics and dance classes. When I wasn't doing that, I was reading (for fun) or talking on the phone to my friends. Now, I am dreading when my kids start extra activities plus all the homework.

Anybody else feeling this way???? Any teachers out there who can give any insight as to why our kids are being overwhelmed with homework? My poor kindergartner is stressed out....how sad!!!!

Sara
 
I'm so sorry you are having to deal with this. It sounds so archaic using food as a punishment and reward. No wonder people grow up with a dysfunctional relationship with food! I would seriously have a sit down with the teacher and principal about with holding snack. I would bring it up to the superintendent and school board if things didn't change.

As for the homework... I'm not a teacher. I homeschool my children. When I first started homeschooling, I used the same curriculum as the Christian school in my area. I no longer use much curriculum written for schools since it's more difficult to tailor it to meet the needs of my dc's levels while still being challenging. Anyhow, our school day in kindergarten lasted 1.5 hours including homework. I was able to teach my child what she needed to learn in order to achieve the objective. I was also able to incorporate objectives into our normal day. I didn't have to recreate a learning environment. OTOH, teachers have to teach a lesson that will reach a classroom of children with different learning styles and abilities. I have to applaud teachers who can do this consistently while not boring or challenging those who get it and not leaving those behind who are not grasping it. Teachers have to spend more time on a subject with a large group of children. Often this leaves no time for the child to apply what he's learned independently (homework).

I'm with you. I barely had any homework in elementary school. I also did extremely well throughout my school years with little homework done at home. We had mandatory study hall. It wasn't until college before I truly experienced homework for the first time.

Now, as far as the amount of homework. Writing from 1-100 in a single period does seem like a lot. Not so much mentally as physically. They are just learning to write with proper form and pressure at this age. It can be especially taxing on some children. When my dd was in kindergarten, writing numerals in order from 1 to 100 was broken down by 10's and 20's. I hate to blame the curriculum since teachers *usually* have a lot of flexibility when it comes to how they will implement a particular curriculum.

My close friend used to tell me how the teacher in the next grade would always comment about students abilities and lack thereof. She would make my friend feel as if it was her fault if a group of students didn't meet her standards. I'm wondering if something like this may be happening.
 
Sara, I feel you, and am PMing you! DH and I are homeschooling next year, and I just got a book on which curriculum to use for each child's needs/learning style. I AM EXCITED! I hate that for most of the day, our children are with teachers that feel as frustrated as we do (most of the time, if they are good teachers) by their restrictions, deadlines, lack of time or whatever. The kids are the ones that suffer, and it is so unfair! (not to mention the trash they pick up while they are unsupervised on the playground)

6Swans, I am curious as to how old your child is now and what curriculum you started with. I am going to start out with the schedule kind of like what they have in school until I get more of a feel for what I am doing. I REALLY can't wait for all of the field trips we are going to get to do! :D

Missy
 
I am extremely upset with our school system. My 13 year old does homework until 9:00 every night. He starts it right when he gets home from school at 4:00. He has homework in every class that usually requires one chapter of reading to answer the worksheet that has been given to him. He does have a comprehension problem so we understand that it will take him longer than most kids, but he works real hard and struggles to keep up. I enrolled him in Sylvan for 1 1/2 years and it did wonders for him. His grades came up. Now, however, the teachers are not trusting him in doing his own work and accuse him of me doing it for him. I have not had to look at his homework at all this year and I have been real proud of the grades that he has been brining home. Not to say that he doesn't slip up with his grades now and then and becomes lazy, he does. But overall he is doing a pretty good job in my eyes, he gets mainly B's and one or two C's and the teachers are not giving any him any positive feedback. Throughout the years 4 teachers have told him that he was stupid and that happened twice in front of me. To say the least, they got a piece of my mind as will this teacher who is accusing him of not doing his own homework. I just wish teachers were like they were when I was growing up. They taught my son how to multliply using his fingers - What is that all about? I am 40 and still can't understand how they do it.
 
Missy,

My oldest dd is 9 and in the 4th grade. We started with BJU. This year we are using:

Bible: Children Desiring God family series, after school weekly Bible Club at a local elementary school
Spelling: Spell to Write and Read
Grammar & Writing: Rod & Staff English 4
Writing: Institute for Excellence in Writing integrated w/ other subjects (music, art, history & science)
Reading: integrated with science and history studies
Literature Analysis: Teaching the Classics, Reading Dectective
Latin: Minimus, Latina Christiana 1,Rummy Roots, Memoria Press The Book of Roots
History: Mystery of History Vol.2 The Early Church & Middle Ages (MOH weaves biblical history into our history studies.)
Geography: integrated with history
Science 1st semester: Apologia Elementary Astronomy
Science 2nd semester: A Child's Geography Vol.1 (earth science)
Math: Singapore 4 & Challenging Word Problems & Intensive Practice
Music: Harp lessons, Hymns for a Kid's Heart, learn about different composers and their music, attending symphonies & children's operas
Drama: rehearsal and performance one week Academy of the Art's children's play
Art: weekly private art lessons with a local artist

I think that about covers it. We loosely follow The Well Trained Mind's history and science rotation. Last year we focused on biology. Next year it will be chemistry.

There isn't anything wrong with schedules. We do history 3 times a week, science 2 times a week, and most everything else daily. Most of the curriculum I use can be used for different grade levels. This helps since I combine history and science my 9 yr. old and 8 yr. old twins. They all use Spell to Write and Read. They are just on different lists.

My twins also use BJU for math, First Language Lessons for english, Artistic Pursuits for art, and take viola and cello lessons for music. I use a variety of early readers and Spell to Read and Write for phonics and reading.
 
I am a teacher and I give little or no homework every night. I feel that there is enough time taken away from the families already (practices, church, games, etc.). I teach 4th grade, and we try to finish everything that we need to during the school day. About 5-6 students finish up a few problems for homework. Some even choose to stay in for recess to finish up, so that they won't have any homework. Many elementary teachers in my district have the same philosophy.
 
This post totally made me laugh. My DS(first grader) came home today and I said how much homework do we have tonight. I told my DH that I thought I was done with homework when I got out of school! I really do dread it though. Once in awhile is fine but every night and so much of it! I wonder what they actually do during the school day!
LD
 
WOW! You are reading my mind !!! My twins are in first grade and I am AMAZED with the amount of homework. I am also amazed with some of the things they are learning (identifiying nouns and verbs, antonyms, homonyms). Everyone talks about how our education system is failing our kids because it isn't pushing hard enough and I feel just the oppostite (at least so far). We have about 45 minutes of homework per child each night (I do homework separately so each child gets special attention)and then each child is supposed to read to me for at least 15 minutes each night. That's 2 hours of homework. Plus, if it's bath night and if I have to cook dinner, it is an overwelming afternoon for me. Goodness help me if there's a tantrum in there somewhere. Then I never get it all done before the 7:30 bedtime.

I don't remember having homework until the 3rd grade and then, I was able to do it myself without assistance, usually I could get it done in school during free time.

The homework is usually worthwhile and is a reveiw of what was learned in class recently. It's just meant to reinforce. But I do get overwhelmed with it all.

To those who homeschool . . . I really, really marvel at you. I have a hard time getting my children to see me as "teacher" they are more interested in proving their knowledge to me. When I try to "teach" something, they get very impatient with me. Maybe I don't have good technique. I really respect your commitment to your children's education and your family values.
 
I have ten children and I home schooled my children for 13 years. This past school year, I decided to put them in school. There were several reasons why I decided to do this.

I put my youngest 4 boys in school. Let me tell you, it is unreal with this homework stuff. First of all, I put 3 of the boys back a grade because it was so hard. The youngest is in kindergarten, so he was fine. He gets homework that consists of word searches, crossword puzzles, fill in the missing numbers, fill in the blanks with words. They expect him to be reading already. They are also teaching him all the components of a computer and how to keyboard.

My third grader is really struggling. He has had to do two research papers already this year. All of his spelliing words he has to fit in 25 words in a diagramless crossword puzzle, which takes me at least an hour to do for him. I have had 4 years of college.

What is the point of parents doing their children's homework. I thought home schooling was hard, but this school work they bring home is UNREAL!

Cheryl
 
I am an elementary school counselor and 40 minutes of homework for a kindergartner is a bit much. Homework is meant to be a review of a skill and it let's parents know whether their child has understood the concepts learned that day at school. I can't imagine that a child that age should need to do numbers 1 - 100 at one sitting. That is ridiculous. As a counselor, I am seeing more kids overwhelmed and stressed out because of this. They have so much homework and they are involved in many activities that require them to be away from one to one and half hour 2 or 3 days a week. We want our kids to be balanced, but it is a difficult decision for parents when teachers are requiring so much homework. It stresses the kids out. I see it everyday. I have had to have parent conferences because some children are so overwhelmed by homework and other things.

I just hope your child get's a teacher next year who is more reasonable.
 
In my case, I don't think the teacher is being unreasonable, I just think she doesn't know better. I think that the kids while in school are better able to focus and get their work done in a timely manner. But once they are home, they are just burnt out and their ability to concentrate is shot. What would take 20 minutes at school is taking 40 minutes at home.


My kids will be tested in April (CRCT testing). We did a sample test last week for practice, I was blown away. There are passages they have to read and answer questions on (first grade). My daughter can read (within her grade level) and she had a tough time with the passage (words like firefighter and names like Juan). When she gets to a word she doesn't know or can't figure out, she panics. And then, her ability to think is gone. I'm going to work with her and hopefully help, but this was the practice test, I have no idea what words will be on the real test. Nothing in a first grader's life should cause her to Panic. We just shouldn't be putting them in this position.
 
Thank you for all of the replies. It seems as if a lot of us are going through the same thing. My question is what can we do about it?

I am reading a book right now called "The Case Against Homework". One thing it discusses is the lack of training teachers have for homework. I have taken many classes on education (I have taken all of my basic classes, but am now taking special education)and not one has taught me anything about homework. Also, countries that are well beyond us (such as Denmark) have teachers who do not give much homework. Two years ago, dh's Danish exchange student (from high school) came to USA with his girlfriend. They knew like 6 or 7 languages including English, French, Spanish, German, etc. They never speak these languages at home, but they came here speaking English as if they use it all of the time!!!! They would get some words confused (such as save and spend), but they were very smart! I felt like an idiot compared to them.

I like the reply from the teacher who gives little to no homework. It sounds like your school is teaching the kids responsibility by allowing them to choose to do their homework during recess. Here, kids are SENT to study hall during recess if they do not get their homework done!!! They are punished!!! Crazy.......

Sara
 
I have two children and based on my experience thus far, it really depends on the teacher they get. My DD who is 16 now had an extreme amount of homework when she was in grade 3 and 10. In grade 3, she would have 2-3 hours of homework EVERY night and by the time she ate supper, did homework, had a bath, it was time for bed. I was not the only parent complaining but this continued throughout most of the year. Grade 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 was average – some nights no homework and some nights small amounts and others more. Then in Grade 10, she had approximately 5 hours of MATH homework EVERY night and on Weekends even more and holidays there was no mercy. That does not include other subjects. This continued throughout the whole year. I complained but the teacher told me that I was the only parent complaining. Now she is in grade 11 and again things are back to normal.

I am finding the same pattern with my now 10 year old. She is currently in grade 5 and I would say homework is not a problem this year but in grade 2, it was like 3 hours EVERY night, no mercy.

When kids get too much homework, it really takes away from being a child. They are at school ALL day and there is no reason for them to have to do homework ALL night.
 
I am a middle school language arts teacher, and I must say, I feel bad that so many of our students are getting buried in HW every night. Homework in kindergarten? That just sounds absurd to me.

When I went back to school to obtain my teaching certification, I'll never forget the words of one of my classmates - a busy mom of two who put it this way: Imagine if your boss dumped two hours of overtime on you every single night. You'd wind up *hating* your job, so it's not hard to imagine how KIDS feel. Those words have stayed with me.

I ask my students to read an independently-selected novel for 20 minutes a night Monday - Thursday nights. Each night, they write a 3-6 sentence personal response in a reading log; this is due on Fridays. I do not assign any HW on weekends or over holiday breaks. I tell my students that is time for them to relax, be with their families and friends, and pursue their outside interests, so they can come back ready to learn again on Monday.

Cathy :)
 
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