stripe Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 There are stories every year about students graduating as young teens and going on to college. Remember when Chris Buttars of Utah suggested getting rid of 12th grade because no one does much that year anyway? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaKinVA Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 I was one of those assigned "more" of things to do in elementary school to keep me busy (most students got 15 class problems, I got 30). I had a few *excellent* teachers who allowed me to self pace... self-pacing so much she had to create new assignments for me, because I went through the typical 4th AND 5th grade assignments in record time. But, she was a gem. She didn't complain and I was excited to be there. My children were in the Virtual Academy here in VA for the past two years. Their extra work was all test prep. There were days the children had 2-3 HOURS of test prep scheduled each day... and in the VA that was "on top of" their regular school work (which was still pretty hefty). I thought THAT was too much. We're back to homeschooling this year. I have done a 180 on composition in the younger years, now believing that "less is more." Focusing instead on narration and copy work than all of the endless reports, etc. My dd's 3rd grade friends had 2 hours of homework a night this past year. Not work left "uncompleted," but it was either busywork or extra work. At that age, I would expect some homework (work on multiplication flash cards for 15 min, reading log, maybe some penmanship if they were learning cursive), but this was well beyond that. That is why their troop decided to meet on Friday right after school... it wouldn't interfere with homework time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyD Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 I think it's such a mistake to assign homework before it can be completed independently. Friends of mine say that then there's this whole additional process of teaching the child to do their homework withOUT parental help as they get older. But lots of parents really like it the connection to their kids' schoolwork, not to mention the perception of rigor. The schools here assign plenty of homework in K and 1 -- to be completed after a full day of school, mind you. Yet, recently on my local parents' email list some folks were complaining that their first graders were not bringing home enough homework. Not for me, thanks. If I'm going to have to spend every evening doing homework, I'd rather homeschool. As one of the previous posters said, at least this way it's my agenda, and my timeframe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m0mmaBuck Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Not for me, thanks. If I'm going to have to spend every evening doing homework, I'd rather homeschool. As one of the previous posters said, at least this way it's my agenda, and my timeframe. Yes! I mentioned DS's PS experience earlier (complete the day's work ahead of schedule and be given extra work at the same level to complete while he waited for the rest of the class and then be given homework consisting of more work at the same level). Nothing was more frustrating for DS, DH, and myself than knowing that the homework that ate up 1-2 hrs of our family time and pushed DS to tears of boredom and frustration every night was no different than the work he had already done twice that day at school! Yet heaven forbid we skip a night's homework because DS would lose his recesses to working on the homework from the day before... While doing that day's work twice during class time and getting more of the same again that night.... It was insane. The only "connection" that homework gave us was the connection to the idea of homeschooling! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovelaughs_times_three Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 But lots of parents really like it the connection to their kids' schoolwork, not to mention the perception of rigor. Ok. Jumping out on a limb here, be gentle if you need to cut me down... :D (duck and cover)....but I don't think most parents give near as much thought to what is truly happening in their kid's education as we do. I know I didn't before I started homeschooling. I think they care, but they are living busy lives with other responsibilities. They trust the schools with that part of their kids' lives, and they assume that all the homework and school time is a necessary part of the process. If the school seems rigorous and is assigning lots of work and especially if the kids are getting good scores on those standardized tests, then they have this inner *sigh*. They check that box off in their mind "Kid has a good education?" "CHECK", without a lot of real thought as to the quality or effenciency of the education. I guess I'm trying to say, I don't think most parents give enough thought-time to form any real philosophy of education. Thus, it benefits the school system to keep them happy by keeping up appearances over substance. (ok...do I need to hide now?? Too judgemental???) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst Posted June 16, 2011 Author Share Posted June 16, 2011 Wow--I thought this was an article that folks here would find interesting but...wow. I was a bit disheartened by the article. I'm not sure every age level should be homework free. I think the problem isn't just that kids have too much homework but rather that they have too much pointless work or work that the teachers haven't prepared them to complete. A early elementary kid (as in the article) who spends an hour at math every night and cries about it doesn't necessarily have too much work-I would bet that either the child is just a kid who hates doing homework or is tired from other activities or that the teacher isn't preparing the kids for the assignment and leaving the parents to assume the kid knows what to do or to teach themselves-both of which lead to frustration. I think homework is fine but it has to relate to what is happening in the classroom, be achievable by the child (because if parents do all the work what is the point), and not be new material that parents are suddenly teaching. I don't think that the problem is necessarily the work but rather how the work fits into the overall education plan. But most school districts rather than plan appropriately or teach appropriately will simply dump homework because that is the easiest solution. I also think that by dumping homework we are loosing out on another training method. When I was in school we had increasing responsibilities as students. Some homework in elementary, a significant increase in middle school and by the end of high school a work load designed to help us prepare for going to college. Similarly we were trained to meet deadlines with the work, be responsible, etc. All aside from the actual value/informational content of the work being done. To remove this element of personal responsibility and meeting deadlines (even if they are only tomorrow) from students will make it difficult for them to function when they reach high school or university not to mention when employed. I actually think that as homeschoolers meeting these training goals is a challenge we face. That as our children age we need to remember to train them to work on long term projects, complete assignments on a deadline, etc. Working both individually and collaboratively and completing work on a deadline is a responsibility that kids need to learn to handle no matter if they will be going on to work at a fast food place or at the highest paid law firm in town. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristineW Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Wow--I thought this was an article that folks here would find interesting but...wow. I was a bit disheartened by the article. I'm not sure every age level should be homework free. I think the problem isn't just that kids have too much homework but rather that they have too much pointless work or work that the teachers haven't prepared them to complete. A early elementary kid (as in the article) who spends an hour at math every night and cries about it doesn't necessarily have too much work-I would bet that either the child is just a kid who hates doing homework or is tired from other activities or that the teacher isn't preparing the kids for the assignment and leaving the parents to assume the kid knows what to do or to teach themselves-both of which lead to frustration. I think homework is fine but it has to relate to what is happening in the classroom, be achievable by the child (because if parents do all the work what is the point), and not be new material that parents are suddenly teaching. I don't think that the problem is necessarily the work but rather how the work fits into the overall education plan. But most school districts rather than plan appropriately or teach appropriately will simply dump homework because that is the easiest solution. I also think that by dumping homework we are loosing out on another training method. When I was in school we had increasing responsibilities as students. Some homework in elementary, a significant increase in middle school and by the end of high school a work load designed to help us prepare for going to college. Similarly we were trained to meet deadlines with the work, be responsible, etc. All aside from the actual value/informational content of the work being done. To remove this element of personal responsibility and meeting deadlines (even if they are only tomorrow) from students will make it difficult for them to function when they reach high school or university not to mention when employed. I actually think that as homeschoolers meeting these training goals is a challenge we face. That as our children age we need to remember to train them to work on long term projects, complete assignments on a deadline, etc. Working both individually and collaboratively and completing work on a deadline is a responsibility that kids need to learn to handle no matter if they will be going on to work at a fast food place or at the highest paid law firm in town. I agree with you. However, my nephew who just completed kindy had an hour of homework EVERY night. The ten minutes for every grade level makes sense to me; it should be ten minutes for the average student so that in third grade the assignment the average kid takes 30-40 minutes (some might take 15 and another might take an hour). Under this formula an eighth grader would get 80-90 minutes of homework which seems reasonable--much of middle school is team taught so that if an English paper is due on Friday, the math teacher can give 20 problems on Weds and Thurs rather than 40. Christine W Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoforjoy Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 I agree with you. However, my nephew who just completed kindy had an hour of homework EVERY night. The ten minutes for every grade level makes sense to me; it should be ten minutes for the average student so that in third grade the assignment the average kid takes 30-40 minutes (some might take 15 and another might take an hour). Under this formula an eighth grader would get 80-90 minutes of homework which seems reasonable--much of middle school is team taught so that if an English paper is due on Friday, the math teacher can give 20 problems on Weds and Thurs rather than 40. Christine W I agree that 10 minutes per grade level seems reasonable. But, that is just not what is happening, as you say. Most kindergartners I know are getting 30-60 minutes of homework a night, and by the time kids are in second and third grade, they are doing 2-3 hours of work per night. I see nothing wrong, at all with a middle school student doing an hour or an hour and a half of homework, or with a high school student doing an hour and a half to two hours of homework. But I know kids in fourth grade--not kids who are inclined to dawdle or who have particular academic issues--who are getting 2-3 hours of homework per night. That is not productive, and it is such a huge intrusion on the family's time that I think it's entirely unacceptable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBM Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 (edited) Not all schools dole out homework early on. It varies by school. For example, my youngest had no homework in kindergarden or first, but the school asked parents to read to their children at night. Seems sensible to me. Thereafter, the amount of homework was usually reasonable. This was our experience for the most part. My biggest gripe would be with the projects. ETA: As much as I complain about our school experiences (I'm a complainer!), my kids have had many wonderful teachers, friends and experiences, too. At least for us, it wasn't all bad. :) Edited June 16, 2011 by MBM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aubrey Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Come on--what's the alternative? Do all that socialization at home? *Everybody* knows you can't socialize at home! :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TX Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 One of the things I loved about hsing is no more homework. Losing out on family time for it was just wrong. I'd write notes telling the teacher that the hw wasn't done b/c of family commitments, and find out my kid still was punished. Blech. :iagree: I put my 1st, 3rd, and 5th graders is a public charter school a year or so ago. I spent almost as much time working with them on homework after school as I had spent homeschooling. My 1st and 3rd graders had much more homework than the 5th graders did. They had no time to play. It is one of the reasons I brought them back home after one semester. Susan in TX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TX Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 This was our short-lived public school experience, too. Running out to Hobby Lobby at 7pm for a 100 pack of sticker horsies and posterboard...or worksheets ...or the endless permission slips, fundraisers, etc... It really was ridiculous. My daughter was NOT getting any downtime and she would spend about an hour every day screaming and kicking the wall in her bedroom. It was horrible and stupid. Same here. The break I got while the kids were gone all day didn't make up for the stress. They weren't learning as much as they learned homeschooling, and I missed them. Susan in TX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyinTN Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 This is one of the mail reasons we started homeschooling when living in CA. Our oldest wouldn't get home until 4:30 or 5pm then we had 3 to 4 hours of homework a night (this was 9th grade). She had to get up at 5am and be at the bus stop by 6am for a 45 to 60 minute ride to school. We last 2 months at this pace. I gave her a month off to sleep and relax and then we started homeschooling. We haven't looked back! :auto: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murmer Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 I see the need for some form of "homework" in early elementary school especially in the realm of reading daily. Every child should be read to or read after school, but good parents already to this when they read before bedtime. I can also see some sort of math sheet/game a couple of times a week just to solidify (not teach new material) what is going on in the classroom and show parents what their child is learning. I could also see some teachers to assign individual things to students...ie a child having a really hard time with money the teacher could talk to the parent about sending home more things to work on money. So specific individual work that is with the parents to make sure a child can reach mastery in a subject. Also practicing spelling words is a valuable thing for early elementary school. But I hate the idea of sending home homework just to help the child "practice" homework for the future...and you would not believe how many times I hear that as the reason a teacher assigned the homework. Also I have worked with teachers who sent home homework that included stuff the children have never done for the parents to teach so they could do more fun stuff in the classroom...and the parents seemed to be ok with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 I'm living proof of that. We are the goofiest and beastliest people I know. No, wait! WE are! Didn't you know we have a total Nerd Factory in our house? I just got a package in the mail today with owl pellets, beakers and graduated cylinders. We're NOT normal! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Same here. The break I got while the kids were gone all day didn't make up for the stress. They weren't learning as much as they learned homeschooling, and I missed them. Susan in TX Yeah, it seemed like I was constantly driving up to the school for something, too. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 You know what my youngest (5) said to an older woman at the park yesterday? "The scariest thing I ever saw was my grandmother naked." He heard that on a TV show. I was mortified. He has this knack for remembering whatever he saw on TV. Maybe I should get him an instructional video for Calculus so he can at least learn something useful. :glare::D :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilymax Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 There is also the fact that outside a few private schools I do not think that the education I received is available in a PS. My sister and I talk about that all the time. We live in the same community we grew up in, and it's sad to compare the good education we got back then to what kids are receiving now in the same schools. As I was going through the book, I turned pages and made a quick comment that "We can skip that part since you already know it. Good thing we homeschool, because we can do that." He responded with an incredulous, "You mean in school you can't skip what you already know?" :lol: In first grade, I read at a fifth grade level. So my teacher had me help tutor the other kids in reading. It was fun--I wonder if schools can even do that now? Even math teachers grade "for completion." Do you know what that means? They scan the page and if it looks like you did the problems - right or wrong - they give you 100 (or some percentage based on how much effort they think you put forth)! Can you believe it? This was typical for all my son's math and science classes. And I'm told it's standard practice in all the public high schools here, too.... . Truly speechless. :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 :lol: In first grade, I read at a fifth grade level. So my teacher had me help tutor the other kids in reading. It was fun--I wonder if schools can even do that now? Hey, I was sent to take care of younger kids! That was at a private school. My mom promptly took me out of! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 :iagree: I put my 1st, 3rd, and 5th graders is a public charter school a year or so ago. I spent almost as much time working with them on homework after school as I had spent homeschooling. My 1st and 3rd graders had much more homework than the 5th graders did. They had no time to play. It is one of the reasons I brought them back home after one semester. Susan in TX My dc who have been in PS have had more homework than they had schoolwork when they were home and they weren't learning a whole lot more. Honestly, their days consisted of getting up at 6:00, going to school, coming home and eating (because school lunch wasn't worth eating), some family time, sports or activities if they had them (which throws off the schedule terribly), dinner, homework, shower and then bedtime, only to get up and do it all over again. At the end of the year, they would send home workbooks that they were supposed to do in school that hadn't even been used at all. Anytime my kids had questions about homework, I would find that they material had not been covered in class. Last year the school sent home a noticed that since we had so many snow days the teachers had not had time to cover all the material in class so they sent it home for the kids to do at home. There were always long projects over the holidays which was the only time we had for family get togethers. And I really don't feel that my children learned anymore by doing homework than they would have if they hadn't done it at all. Unfortunately, it always reflects part of the grade. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.