At what point do you have your kids start working on assignments?

[Kate in VA]

What I am trying to ask is, at what point do you stop walking them through the subjects and start giving assignments to be worked on and turned in? How do you go about doing this and/or transitioning over to this? just curious about how this works in your home.... maybe its strange to me because I have an only.

Thanks,

Kate

[patchfire]

I started giving dd an assignment book last year (3rd grade). We still went over it together the majority of the time at first but it helped her to see what was required for each day. As the year went on, she began taking more initiative in terms of completing assignments that didn't require my involvement. This was especially nice as I was in the last trimester of pregnancy & then had a newborn - waking up just a little late to find out grammar or math or what have you was complete was great!

 

This year I've given her a few 'weekly' assignments, where she has to choose when she's going to complete them. She knows that on Fridays, I expect all assigned reading finished, all her history assignments (mapwork & a summary) completed, and a certain number of pages in her logic workbook done. When she does them is up to her. I've given her a few multiple step assignments with regard to history but not too many just yet.

 

HTH

[missmoe]

I try to have mykids work through some school work on their own from the time they read well enough to understand what they are doing on their own. My kids at home are 10 and 11. We have certain times set aside for certain subjects. For example 9 to 10 is math time. I go over the lesson with them and then it is homework time. They know it must be completed during that time. Every once in a while they are not able to do it in the time set aside and then I make sure they have time in the evening to finish it. or they squeeze it in during some extra time later in the day. I think it is good to give independent work but also have a specific time for work to be done.

[kalanamak]

I am using the "wander away technique".

 

This is working best with GWG and with some math pages. Kiddo likes me to be there, so I have taken to getting him on a page where he understands the instructions and then suddenly needing a bladder break, or to make a quick phone call "to the nurse" so he knows it trumps him.

 

Kiddo will keep on working, but sometimes keep his finger on a word he wants a definition for. Math isn't so good. It is too easy to suddenly realize your eraser is asymmetrical and needs to be rubbed a bit on the other side to even it out. I'm about to lay down the law.:)

 

Once he is doing this smoothly, I will start requiring it. I think I'm starting young (when I was a child we had no homework until the 4th grade), so thus the gentle approach.

[robsiew]

I use the workbox system down to my 6 y/o. This has been great for us. The kids know exactly what they are to do. They do this work while I am working with kids individually. The older three all have things they can do independently in there. For my 6 y/o it's a math sheet, 10 min. of independent reading (timer included) and handwriting. For the olders it's GWG, independent reading, math and handwriting. The rest they need to do one on one with me. I also go over everything they've worked on individually when they come to work with me. We correct everything on the spot so I can make sure they understand.

[prairie rose]

My oldest is just now able to do about half his work, maybe a little more, in "assign and report" mode. He's nearly 12. It has taken several years to get to this point. I still have to work with him one-on-one on subjects that trouble him.

 

My next oldest (6/00) can do a few things independently but still needs me for most of the instruction. I can assign book reading or a pretty self-explanatory worksheet for him to himself. He is the most academically inclined of all my kids so far. My oldest needed far more hand holding at the same age.

 

My oldest dd (7/01) can do somethings independently but I can't leave the room. She needs me nearby to clarify things and help her stay on task. She is not ready to work completely independently on anything. She's pretty average academically and attention span wise for her age. However, I am trying to train her to be ready to be more independent. When she askes questions, 95% of the time, I won't just give her the answer. I guide her to finding the answer herself. For instance, unless it's an unusual foreign word she is trying to spell, I won't spell a word for her. I ask her, "What's the first sound? What's the next sound?..." and so on. I ask her the questions she should be asking herself so that eventually, these questions will be ingrained as part of her thought process and eventually she will be able to work more independently because she won't need me to help her think problems through so much. Does that make sense?

 

All that said, it really depends on the child. Different children will be ready to work more independently at different times. Ideally, I think when they begin logic stage they should be able to work in some subjects independently and by 9th grade they should be able to work in all areas with just supervision. They can and would be expected to discuss things with mom and/or dad but 98% of the work would be independent. Those are our goals anyways.

[AudreyTN]

My 4th and 3rd grader have an assignment sheet each week. It includes simple stuff like assigned reading, flashcard reminders, and other assignments that don't need me. I'll look over their math for the week and if it's mostly review, or I think they can handle it without me, I'll assign that too.

[Laura Corin]

I started giving Hobbes a weekly list when he was eight. He comes to find me when he needs help - I specify on the list if there are things I definitely want to go over with him. Calvin didn't start until he was about eleven - he's a less independent soul.

 

Laura

[PeterPan]

We started with a daily checklist around 3rd grade. In 4th grade I added in some weekly assignments (book reports, that type thing) that she had to keep in mind and have ready at the end of the week. This year (5th) she has a weekly checklist with the realization that what doesn't get done today has to get done tomorrow, or it all piles up. And I've increased the number of tasks that are spread over the week. Start small like that, hold their hand, and SHOW them how to do it before you plop them. And have a consequence if it doesn't get done. ;)

 

If you want to do a multi-week project, I would have check-points so you can keep her on track. For a week-long project like a book report, I periodically check in on her during the week and just ask her if she's been working on it, has she been doing it completely and correctly (not skipping required steps), etc.

[PeterPan]

BTW, it was my evaluator who prompted me to start all this. I hadn't even noticed it or considered it as an issue before but just kept blindly guiding her in everything, all day long, lol. She had more kids and got a LOT done just with weekly checklists! I realized I was underestimating what she could do. :) So if you're thinking about this, you're one step ahead of where I was.

[mcconnellboys]

I have two "onlies" because they are so far apart in age. Because I tend to use the same series from year to year, and because the lay out for those remains pretty constant, it becomes pretty easy to make such a transition. I tend to introduce the subject each day and make the assignment, then leave them to do it. But as they get older, if I'm busy or they are impatient to get started, they'll just go to the next page/lesson and read it and get started themselves.