jennynd Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 so. I had problem earlier with my DS's teacher not having spelling list.. I had another teacher conference with my daughter's teacher yesterday. What a great week....... Note my dd is only 3.. DD is in a mix preK 3/4 class, the teacher keep saying how great my DD did in the class and she want to move her her with kids year older.. yada yda yada.. I am all fine to this point.. then the teacher went on and told us that.. starting next year, they will have homework.. I was like.. WHAT.!!. she then said,, not a lot , just a page a day.. I told her that my dd doesn't need homework, she is 3,. Teacher said that it is prepare them for K. I replied that it is 1.5 year away// I am a bit annoyed by it. The teacher is really good, My DD really really love her. But homework for 3 years old??? there is no way I will force dd to sit for that after a WHOLE DAY pre-school. Am I overreact?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristinannie Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 That is insane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 3 words Pull. her. out. That is ridiculous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeeBeaks Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 I think homework is ridiculous at that age, and frankly up to and including K. I'm archaic I guess. You are saying these 3s/4s have a *full* day in the classroom and then homework at the age 4 level? It seems like too much work and not enough play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 Odds are it's a simple page that asks to connect dots between numbers or something of the sort. At least that's about what it was for my kids at that age in pre-K. Most likely she is going to love it because it will make her feel grown-up and will likely involve coloring. If it's anything serious, like spelling and real math, tell the teachers to back off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 I'm not a fan of preschool, so yeah, homework is way over that line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaHappy Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 What?? No, that is just crazy. I would politely opt out of the homework or just pull her out completely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 Odds are it's a simple page that asks to connect dots between numbers or something of the sort. At least that's about what it was for my kids at that age in pre-K. Most likely she is going to love it because it will make her feel grown-up and will likely involve coloring. If it's anything serious, like spelling and real math, tell the teachers to back off. :iagree::iagree::iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 Odds are it's a simple page that asks to connect dots between numbers or something of the sort. At least that's about what it was for my kids at that age in pre-K. Most likely she is going to love it because it will make her feel grown-up and will likely involve coloring. If it's anything serious, like spelling and real math, tell the teachers to back off. That's true... but I still say WHY??? All the studies say that homework does not help kids learn in the elementary grades at all (yep, all the way up to fifth). And doesn't buying into it so early just reinforce this false paradigm that it's somehow necessary, when in reality it is not? Gah. But, hey, that's part of why I, personally, could never stomach having a kid in school - little things (or things that start little!) like this just get me too riled up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 Unless her homework is play and hug your mom and dad after they read you a nice book, forget it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melbotoast Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 Odds are it's a simple page that asks to connect dots between numbers or something of the sort. At least that's about what it was for my kids at that age in pre-K. Most likely she is going to love it because it will make her feel grown-up and will likely involve coloring. If it's anything serious, like spelling and real math, tell the teachers to back off. :iagree:The kids at DS's preschool can do "homework" if they like, and I see the kids that do it love bringing in their scribbled-on pages to get another worksheet. DS does not need any homework though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 Unfortunately, K homework is all too common. :glare: I got lucky in that my son's private school did NOT do homework in K. They had 2-3 little projects throughout the year (making a poster with 100 items on it for the 100th day of school, making a poster about a particular animal and saying whether it hibernated or not... for the day that they all got to go to school in their PJ's :D). They didn't have math or reading homework or anything. In first grade, they'd have a simple math sheet (the second side of the Saxon 1 worksheet and sometimes a fact drill page) and a book to read. That was it. And they only had homework 3 days a week then too. Homework for PreK is silly and useless. I also think PreK should be play-based, not academic-based though. I didn't do PreK with any of my kids. My oldest had no problem socially and definitely not academically in K. By 3 weeks in, you couldn't tell which kids had been to PreK and which kids had not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momsquared Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 Ah yes. My dd's original PS gave homework. She did not continue there. PreK 4 had some, but it was more about filling a Baggie with items that start with the letter .... Kindergarten and first grade definitely continue to ramp up the work. I like it because it keeps me informed what they are doing and also helps me supplement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K&Rs Mom Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 Here they start homework in preK, to "get them used to it." I have a friend who has totally bought into this, and will assign her kids something if they don't bring work home from school. Personally, I think they could get used to it a few years later, but the idea of making it a habit from early on is pretty popular. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 That makes me crazy. It's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. It used to be that K was just about learning to be in a classroom setting with other kids and a teacher who wasn't your parent, and you played a lot and moved around a lot and did fun things, and the academics could wait until 1st grade. What the heck was wrong with that?! It worked fine for me! Now, Kindergarten is very academic because they have their eye on the standardized test results the second they get their eye on your kid for the very first time, and they feel like they have to 'prepare' kids for 1st grade. So our five year olds who attend public school get to spend hours and hours sitting at desks doing worksheets. Ugh. And just when you thought things couldn't get any worse than that, now they make academic PRESCHOOLS to "prepare" kids for Kindergarten. :banghead: So much for childhood. I'm afraid to find out what comes next. You know, when the kids need to be "prepared" for preschool. I'd find a new preschool if I were you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeganW Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 My kids had preschool "homework", but it was always reasonable and rarely on paper. - Find something round and red to bring to school. - Find something that starts with the letter D to bring to school. - Tell your mommy a story about a bear and have her write it down. - Wear orange to school. - Carry this stuffed frog everywhere you go for the entire weekend. Tell your mommy about everything you did and have her write it in the journal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 So true. I'm so thankful I can homeschool. My 6 year old would just wither and die in such an environment. I can't get him to sit very long (and I don't make him) so I can just imagine how school would be for him. They'd probably tell me I have to drug him. Mine, too! My daughter went to public school initially, for K through most of 3rd. She was the youngest in her class with a b-day on the (then) Oct. 1st cutoff date. I wouldn't have sent her that year and would have waited another year if I'd known what it would be like. Homeschooling wasn't even on my radar then, but I at least would have delayed her entrance to school by a year. Because I envisioned a K experience more like mine. I didn't know she would have to sit still at a desk for hours, and that she'd only get a 15 minute recess, but that she'd often "lose" some or all of it as a punishment for talking too much in the classroom. I didn't know they had "silent lunches" so they could hurry out to that 15 minute recess (if they hadn't already lost it), so they could get back to doing those worksheets, so they could be "prepared" for the standardized tests to come a few years down the road. I didn't know she'd bring home homework in Kindergarten, with the school intruding even into our limited family and personal time. That they expected such developmentally inappropriate things from five year olds as sitting, sitting, sitting, quietly, for hours on end for fifteen minutes of play they were lucky to get. Still, she managed to get through the year with her bubbly nature pretty intact and did her best, though she didn't always succeed, to do what was expected of her. My son on the other hand, he's all boy. He likes to move. He's way more wiggly than she was. If HE was in Kindergarten right now? He'd be miserable. They'd probably call him a behavior problem, ADD, who knows what. And he's not. He's a normal just-turned-six-year-old-boy who thankfully I didn't send to public school K, because it's a miserable experience. I'm so glad that I made the decision to homeschool a few years ago and that he at least gets the benefit of a not-so-academic Kindergarten at home with lots and lots of play time. Play is a child's work, and this is not a trivial pursuit. -Alfred Adler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jplain Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 I might buy the teacher a copy of Alfie Kohn's book on this topic for Christmas: The Homework Myth. So, assuming you wish to stick with this program...what's the worst thing they can do to her if you inform the school/teacher that you do not approve of homework for a 4yo enrolled in a full-day program? If you instruct your child not to do the work, what'll they do? (There are at least 2 teachers every year who should be very grateful that they don't have to deal with DH and I. :tongue_smilie:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 That's true... but I still say WHY??? All the studies say that homework does not help kids learn in the elementary grades at all (yep, all the way up to fifth). And doesn't buying into it so early just reinforce this false paradigm that it's somehow necessary, when in reality it is not? Gah. But, hey, that's part of why I, personally, could never stomach having a kid in school - little things (or things that start little!) like this just get me too riled up. See, you can't avoid it the elementary school, so I think the idea is to get kids used to having homework. I didn't really care that much either way. My kids would have colored or scribbled on their own anyway. I would agree that an idea of serious homework is crazy in early grades, much less pre-k. Sometimes I think it's a way to force parents to sit down with their children and work one on one, since sadly not everybody would otherwise. I think no matter how good the teacher and how good the program, nothing replaces individual approach in the early years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweetMissMagnolia Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 oh man LOL>.....that's crazy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walking-Iris Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 get a copy of David Elkind's books The Hurried Child and The Miseducation of Preschoolers. Read it--learn it---pass it on the your kid's teacher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeannpal Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 First of all, your daughter would be moved up with the older kids, so,while she is 3, the rest are 4. It does not sound like it is the norm for a 3 year old to have homework. Secondly, you should just refuse to move her up if it bothers you. Thirdly, don't let the word "homework" throw you off. If it is too hard for your daughter,and she gets frustrated, then you have a problem. BUt, chances are, she might enjoy doing the "homework." Why not try it first? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyP Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 (edited) What's next? Will they send homework home with us from the hospital after the child is born so he can be prepared for preschool? :blink: :lol::lol::lol: OP, I think that is awful. I think a 4yo being given homework is awful. I think a 5 yo being given homework is awful. (sarcasm alert) But, I'm sure this will help the American school system. If we give them homework while they are still in diapers maybe our 8th graders will be able to read and do math on grade level.:glare: Edited November 12, 2011 by TracyP I better clarify sarcasm since some probably do think this...and I don't Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoundAbout Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 :lol::lol::lol: OP, I think that is awful. I think a 4yo being given homework is awful. I think a 5 yo being given homework is awful. :iagree: I think its a little sick. Most parents who are doing Pre-K also care enough to do things like coloring and crafts at home. I can't imagine why it has to be assigned. If there are parents and kids who want more then call them "activities" and make them optional. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cin Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 I think homework is ridiculous at that age, and frankly up to and including K. I'm archaic I guess. You are saying these 3s/4s have a *full* day in the classroom and then homework at the age 4 level? It seems like too much work and not enough play. I'm more archaic than you! I don't think kids should have homework until maybe 4th grade, when things start getting more academic. That's not really the word I'm looking for, I don't think, but it's the only one I can think of right now.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 I get my feathers ruffled when I hear homework for a four-year-old. Please. They should let a child be a child. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennynd Posted November 12, 2011 Author Share Posted November 12, 2011 Thanks gals, so I am not over react. DH doesn't think it is big deal but I just can't see myself asking dd doing work after a whole day preschool. I can't really pull her out. We signed the whole year contract. And I work full time. But I will make it clear to the teacher, whether she likes it or not, I will not ask dd to do any homework Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs. Lilac Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 You're not overreacting. That's CRAZY. I have one child in public school K right now...my first child ever in public school. He has autism and we decided we'd try it for the structure. He's in regular K and brings home about a page of homework a day. I absolutely REFUSE to have him do it. I throw it away. It's ridiculous. Are they seriously telling me that they have him 7 hours a day and he can't learn everything he needs to know? People confuse homework with implying a program is rigorous, when really it implies to me poor time management. Yes, I'm not the most popular mom in his class- :) I'm learning most of us homeschoolers like to buck authority. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeidiKC Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 :iagree: 3 words Pull. her. out. That is ridiculous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsMe Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 That is insane. :iagree: The government/school control of children at school and at home starts young. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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