Nart Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 My son is in kindergarten. We are afterschooling AAS2, SM1b, and reading books on an ending second grade level. The homework my son gets is kindergarten level work, which I prefer because he can finish it in less than a minute if there is no cutting, gluing, or coloring involved. Tonight I cut out pictures of things that started with the letter "k" and glued them on my kindergarten's homework. My son picked out two of the pictures and copied the letter "k" a few times, which took a minute. If I had him get a magazine, find pictures, cut them, and glue them it would take him 25 minutes because he would get distracted. Instead we did spelling and dictation for 20 minutes. My husband walked by and asked why I was cutting and gluing. He wasn't so convinced that I should be doing it and suggested that our son should do it or not bother turning it in. So what do you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 When my kids were starting KG, I asked the teacher about homework. I told her that I was not opposed to her assigning something that my child could be responsible for, but I did not believe in parents doing kids' homework. I told her that whatever my kid produced on her own was what the teacher would get. Teacher said she was fine with that. I then told my kids that they were required to finish their homework on their own during after-school care. For the most part, that is what they did. If they were coming home to do homework, I would give them a set time period (10 or 15 minutes) and then pack up whatever they did and send it in the next day. I think it's wrong for the teacher to demand cutouts from magazines. Would she accept a drawing by your child instead? For cutting/pasting practice, he could draw it on one paper and then cut/paste it onto another. (Cutting/pasting gets faster as the child gets more used to it.) My kids used to have one cutting/pasting assignment per week, and the picture they needed to cut out was provided by the teacher. I kept a school-supply box in their book bags, which included scissors and glue-stick. I asked about why the cutting and pasting was required. I was told it helps them to develop small motor skills that are required for more fine work later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uff Da! Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I've heard of parents doing this with math homework and having their kids do the challenging math that the parent is afterschooling while the parent does the inappropriate / unchallenging math homework. I don't think there is a shining correct option because the homework isn't appropriate. Perhaps one thing to be aware of is how your child feels about you helping and passing off your work as his own, especially as he gets older. Is this a slippery slope that will make it easier to order papers off the internet instead of writing them himself because he already knows how to do it? I'm really asking not judging. Also, adults often do have to do work that is boring. At what point/age do you teach a child how to do the work when he is bored out of his mind? Is being in a classroom day after day enough to teach this? I've contemplated this as it is a "skill" that can make or break a budding career. Currently, I have a child who views homework as handwriting practice, which she loves, so this isn't an issue for us yet. I think it will be at some point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I can understand why you want to do it, but I wouldn't. It's sending a message that schoolwork is not important, which is a dangerous precedent to set. When I sent my boys to school, I decided that they needed to do all the work, or I needed to arrange with the school for them to skip it. There wasn't an intermediate position. YMMV. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnIslandGirl Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 At our house, we provide the supplies and the child does the work. Homework at the K level (school given work) should be about 30 minutes a day plus reading work. To speed things up I may have ripped out a few pages that I knew contained a "K" word, but let him find and cut out the items. Maybe sit next to him and hold the glue stick upside down so he could run the picture over it and press it onto the paper himself. No way would I have done all the work though. I always say, "It's your homework, not mine. I already passed (insert grade level)." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nart Posted January 11, 2013 Author Share Posted January 11, 2013 Point taken, it probably is a slippery slope. He has a packet to turn in at the end of the week so he did the other four pages independently. Usually I send in the whole thing to the aftercare center and he finishes it all there but that page got separated so it wasn't done. He just started swimming and indoor soccer this week so we are scrambling to find time to afterschool a little each school day. Luckily we have more time on the weekends and vacations (DH and I both work at schools so we have a lots of time during school breaks). I am going to try to resist the temptation to hurry the homework along in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Point taken, it probably is a slippery slope. He has a packet to turn in at the end of the week so he did the other four pages independently. Usually I send in the whole thing to the aftercare center and he finishes it all there but that page got separated so it wasn't done. He just started swimming and indoor soccer this week so we are scrambling to find time to afterschool a little each school day. Luckily we have more time on the weekends and vacations (DH and I both work at schools so we have a lots of time during school breaks). I do feel your pain! I found KG homework easy to leave up to the kids, as it was usually pretty obvious what they were supposed to do. First grade homework requires me to guide them because it's not predictable enough for them to plan and do on their own. I look forward to the day when I can again say "do it in Late Room or else." Our evenings are usually very full, and I work 7 days, so weekends aren't catch-up times for us. Today I must admit that I had my kid complete an assignment at the breakfast table, because I had forgotten she needed to finish it. (It was a paper she failed to complete during class time, and it came home stapled to her finished, graded work.) I can completely understand the desire to get it done by the fastest method, especially for a child who doesn't need the practice. But I agree about the slippery slope comment. And particularly for unfinished classwork (which isn't your issue, I know). If they know they will have to give up play time to finish at home, they are more likely to prioritize it during school or aftercare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennynd Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 i told my kids K and PreK 1st grade teacher that my kids will not do homework. end of story Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 i told my kids K and PreK 1st grade teacher that my kids will not do homework. end of story You are braver than I am! :) But my kids are in private school, so we kind of have to follow their rules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennynd Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 You are braver than I am! :) But my kids are in private school, so we kind of have to follow their rules. we are/were in private school. But they know I am not a nice person so they just shush :). I told them, what you gonna do ? fail them?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I just wanted to add that I would have thought this was busy work when Calvin was small. Actually, he had poor fine motor skills and this kind of manipulation was just what he needed, even if it wasn't intellectually stimulating. The teacher may not be aiming for what you think s/he is aiming for. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I would consider this busy work if it was an older student - but not for a Kindergartener, for whom cutting and pasting is helpful for the development of fine motor skills. I would not have done it for him, because I do not consider this an excessive demand, but I would have been there to redirect him when he gets distracted. I helped my DD with HW once in 6th grade, when the homework demanded drawing detailed pictures for 50 earth science vocabulary words - excessive, and not age appropriate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I always assumed anything with cutting, gluing sewing was a joint "parent-child" activity. :blushing: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 My older boy's B&M kindergarten teacher sends home instructions that says parents help is expected and to let the student do as much as possible. Its not graded and everyone gets promoted to 1st grade even if the child does not do any homework. I always assumed anything with cutting, gluing sewing was a joint "parent-child" activity. :blushing: That is the assumption my boy's kindergarten teacher made too :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nart Posted January 12, 2013 Author Share Posted January 12, 2013 I just wanted to add that I would have thought this was busy work when Calvin was small. Actually, he had poor fine motor skills and this kind of manipulation was just what he needed, even if it wasn't intellectually stimulating. The teacher may not be aiming for what you think s/he is aiming for. Laura I would consider this busy work if it was an older student - but not for a Kindergartener, for whom cutting and pasting is helpful for the development of fine motor skills. I would not have done it for him, because I do not consider this an excessive demand, but I would have been there to redirect him when he gets distracted. I helped my DD with HW once in 6th grade, when the homework demanded drawing detailed pictures for 50 earth science vocabulary words - excessive, and not age appropriate. I don't think the assignment was for fine motor practice. I think it is to learn letter sounds in a fun way. The teacher has the students doing plenty of cutting, coloring, and pasting in class. My son comes home on Friday with vast quantities of construction paper. The teacher spends a lot of time prepping for really cute art projects. I agree it is appropriate kindergarten level work but since my son already can read he doesn't need the practice. He really did get more fine motor practice doing a lesson in AAS that involved writing 6 phrases and four sentences with proper letter formation and spacing. The teacher knows I afterschool and his academic level. I don't think she would care so much if he didn't do the homework but my son would. He is really responsible and would get upset if something wasn't turned in. He adores his teacher and might get upset if she ever asked him if he did all his homework by himself. So for his sake I will have him complete ALL his homework by himself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berta Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 i told my kids K and PreK 1st grade teacher that my kids will not do homework. end of story My daughter is in 2nd grade and they use this awful math program called Everyday Math. I do not like it one bit and I'd prefer her just stick to the math that we have been using when we homeschooled and use now to afterschool. I'm thinking of sending a note to the teacher declaring us a "homework-free home". This is a public school and I am sure it will not go over well. In the beginning of the year I asked if she could not do the Everyday Math and do math work I sent in for her and the teacher said no. I didn't push it. I put her in school because I have to work. Although it sounds horrible, the public school is basically free daycare for me. She is a straight A, 100 % on all subjects student. Now that I'm working I am resenting the time that must be spent on homework she already knows how to do. It's just busy work for her, and for me, and it takes away the limited family time we have during the week. I don't mind doing projects that are given 2 weeks out, we turn it into a unit study and I feel she learns alot from it. It's just the daily homework that I don't like. I think I will make a separate thread on this subject, I don't want to derail this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windmillmarie Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 For stuff like that, we have all the equipment necessary all set out and I sort of nudge it to go faster. Now that she's a first grader, most of her work is the fill-out-three-pages and write your spelling words variety of busy work. I didn't help with cutting because my older boy had to go though PT and I learned it is good fine motor skill development. I helped a bit though and made it as efficient as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtnMama Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 I don't do 1st grade homework for my son because I don't want to set a precedent. Even the most challenging and rewarding job has occasional busywork, and I want him to understand that sometimes you have to do things that are easy, boring and repetitive. Mommy will not always be there to take care of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivka Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 At our house, we provide the supplies and the child does the work. Homework at the K level (school given work) should be about 30 minutes a day plus reading work. To speed things up I may have ripped out a few pages that I knew contained a "K" word, but let him find and cut out the items. Maybe sit next to him and hold the glue stick upside down so he could run the picture over it and press it onto the paper himself. No way would I have done all the work though. I always say, "It's your homework, not mine. I already passed (insert grade level)." "Should be"? Based on what? There is no research evidence that homework benefits kindergarten children in any way. And even homework proponents generally suggest "ten minutes per grade," which - if you add in reading work to the 30 minutes, as you advocate - would suggest that a kindergarten child should do perhaps a quarter of the homework you're recommending. There are so many more valuable things a five-year-old or six-year-old could be doing with their time: playing with toys, talking with their parents, being outside, cuddling a pet, drawing, listening to stories, taking swimming lessons, building with Lego, playing games... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBM Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 I agree with Rivka. Homework in kindergarden would bother me a lot. Too early, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 My son's k level homework took about 5 minutes a week plus 5 minutes a day for reading. I don't understand the writing out spelling words concept I often come across in US forums though. I just get him to look at them, test him orally a couple of days then do a practice test for a couple of days. Still he only has 5 words a week which IMO is quite enough for a five year old. Despite this we did not make much headway with afterschooling. Must do better this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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