Tabrett Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 How much homework do you think is normal for public high school? My dd started this week and she is averaging 3+ hour a night. Is this normal? She is not "behind" in anyway. But she is very tired when she comes home. I think that is one of the things that is effecting how long it is taking to complete her homework. Is 3+ hour normal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sahamamama Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 Yes, 2-3 hours per day seems about right for high school. But here are some suggestions for you: Work Smarter, Not Harder Buy or borrow the Teaching Company's course, "How to Become a SuperStar Student." Your library might have it, but if not you can purchase it for $50 at this link: http://www.teach12.com/ttcx/CourseDescLong2.aspx?cid=140&pc=By%20Title If you and your daughter can invest 30 minutes, 2 times per week to sit down and watch these DVDs, then implement the basic teaching, your daughter's study time will gradually become more effective and efficient. Also, make sure your daughter is clear on the assignments. Is she doing more than is necessary to complete the expected work? Can she pace her workload differently -- that is, are some assignments due the next day, while others are due in a month? She can mark the long-term assignments on a planner, and work on those a bit at a time or on weekends. Schedule an Afterschool Nap, Snack & Drink When your daughter comes home from school, require her to lie down for at least 30 minutes. This means no television, no computer, no telephone, no friends over, nothing but a quiet room and the comforts of home -- at least until she is rested and her body becomes adjusted to the demands of the high school schedule. Also, get her in the habit of eating a nutritious, protein-rich snack -- peanut butter bar, cheese stick, handful of nuts, protein shake -- and drinking a LOT of water (dehydration is common in schools, and can lead to fatigue). Eliminate Other Commitments, If Possible How busy are your weekends? Does your daughter have other, non-school or non-academic commitments, such as a job, sports, church, etc.? What, if anything, can you eliminate or postpone until she has acclimated to high school, and can balance out the school workload with other commitments? Set Up and Use a Work Space Does your daughter have her own space in which to work, with a minimum of distractions? Does she have the tools she needs -- notebooks, proper lighting, math tools, dictionary, thesaurus, word processor, etc.? Many students find that if they study in a dedicated "work" space, they are better able to focus. HTH. Let us know how it goes with your daughter! Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzyBee Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 My oldest dd goes to a college prep charter school. This is the 5th week of school, and I don't think she's ever had more than an hour of homework. I don't think kids should be overloaded with homework, but an hour or less for 9th grade seems too light. But the graduates of this school have been successful at getting into good colleges, so I am trying to trust that the teachers and administrators know what they're doing. But to answer your question, I think 3+ is normal based on what I've head from other parents. Personally, I think the ideal amount is 2 hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted August 23, 2008 Share Posted August 23, 2008 Well, my kids aren't to high school yet, but I remember my own days in high school. For the first week or two of every year, it seems like I was up very late with homework, trying to do each assignment perfectly. I didn't just read the chapters, I highlighted and took notes. Penmanship was perfect. Then reality set in, and I learned what I had to do and what was unnecessary extra.:D In some ways, that lesson was more applicable to real life than the content of the classes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BabyBre Posted August 24, 2008 Share Posted August 24, 2008 My ds spent last year as a freshman in public high school taking honors english, math, science, and history, and although they promised several hours of homework every night, we never saw nearly that much. If ds did all the homework he was supposed to do every night, it would probably amount to 1-2 hours. He's not a stellar student, but he did what he was supposed to do, and it really wasn't as much as they claimed it would be. 3+ hours a night sounds high to me, but the workload can vary teacher to teacher, let alone school to school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaNY Posted August 25, 2008 Share Posted August 25, 2008 Yes, 3 hours is pretty normal. My older dd has been in ps for high school for the past two years. Sometimes she has less than 3 hours, sometimes more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in IL Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 Some nights, ds (10th grade) only has 30 minutes, some 3+ hours. He always has math (honors Alg. 2) homework but sometimes gets a lot done at school. He has had essays for history that have taken him an hour to do but that also includes discussion with me about the topic. If all his classes decide to assign homework on a particular day (not often but it happens), then it gets close to 3-4 hours. So, yes, I think 2-3 hours is normal especially if they include honors classes. She is tired since she in not into the routine yet. It will get better.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 My public-high Jr. said he averages 2 - 3 hours per night. But he is also already cramming for an AP test in history - which he has done each year in high school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 Well, when I was in high school, it was like this: English class: Listen to teacher lecture on current author and work. Discuss current work in small groups or in whole-class discussion. English homework: Read current work. Possibly write essay exploring a theme in the current work. Math class: Listen to teacher explain concepts and work example problems. Work some sample problems in small groups or as a class. Math homework: Work problems for current concept and to review past concepts. History: Listen to teacher lecture on current topic. Discuss with classmates. History homework: Read textbook to prepare for tomorrow's lecture/discussion. Possibly write essay. Science class: Listen to teacher explain concepts and methods for the upcoming experiment. Or, perform current experiment. Science homework: Read textbook to prepare for tomorrow's lecture/experiment. Write up experiment methods and results. Language class: Listen and speak. Language homework: Reading and writing. In my core, academic honors classes, I rarely felt either homework or class time was a waste. Things like health . . . no comment.;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovemyboys Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 How much homework do you think is normal for public high school? My dd started this week and she is averaging 3+ hour a night. Is this normal? Sadly, that's now fairly normal for middle-schoolers as well. Many of our ps neighbors are really loaded down, and not all of them are taking heavy academics. I was shocked to hear from a neighbor that her 11 yo was routinely staying up well past 10 pm (even to 11 pm ) on school nights last year just to get her work done. She's a bright girl and she played rec league soccer too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 Yes, 2-3 hours per day seems about right for high school. But here are some suggestions for you: Work Smarter, Not Harder Buy or borrow the Teaching Company's course, "How to Become a SuperStar Student." Your library might have it, but if not you can purchase it for $50 at this link: http://www.teach12.com/ttcx/CourseDescLong2.aspx?cid=140&pc=By%20Title If you and your daughter can invest 30 minutes, 2 times per week to sit down and watch these DVDs, then implement the basic teaching, your daughter's study time will gradually become more effective and efficient. Also, make sure your daughter is clear on the assignments. Is she doing more than is necessary to complete the expected work? Can she pace her workload differently -- that is, are some assignments due the next day, while others are due in a month? She can mark the long-term assignments on a planner, and work on those a bit at a time or on weekends. Schedule an Afterschool Nap, Snack & Drink When your daughter comes home from school, require her to lie down for at least 30 minutes. This means no television, no computer, no telephone, no friends over, nothing but a quiet room and the comforts of home -- at least until she is rested and her body becomes adjusted to the demands of the high school schedule. Also, get her in the habit of eating a nutritious, protein-rich snack -- peanut butter bar, cheese stick, handful of nuts, protein shake -- and drinking a LOT of water (dehydration is common in schools, and can lead to fatigue). Eliminate Other Commitments, If Possible How busy are your weekends? Does your daughter have other, non-school or non-academic commitments, such as a job, sports, church, etc.? What, if anything, can you eliminate or postpone until she has acclimated to high school, and can balance out the school workload with other commitments? Set Up and Use a Work Space Does your daughter have her own space in which to work, with a minimum of distractions? Does she have the tools she needs -- notebooks, proper lighting, math tools, dictionary, thesaurus, word processor, etc.? Many students find that if they study in a dedicated "work" space, they are better able to focus. HTH. Let us know how it goes with your daughter! Good luck! For taking the time to write that out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 That sounds about right Melinda. That is how it was for us too. But I don't recall it taking me 3 hours to do homework. Even in college it rarely took me that long. Maybe I'm just slow. :tongue_smilie: Three hours a night was definitely a possible scenario for me in high school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Only me Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 My dd is a junior at a private school. Last year she easily had 2-3 hours of homework a night. There were some nights that she had 5+ hours a night. A few weekends she literally spent the whole time doing homework (from 3 pm Friday until 11 pm on Sunday only stopping to sleep, eat and shower). Most nights she would take a short break after school and then work on homework until dinner. After dinner she would work until 11:00 only stopping to take a shower. She is an A student so I know that she wasn't struggling. The only thing I can see she is doing differently this year is that she isn't quite the perfectionist that she was last year. She is doing well but tends to go through her assignments quicker. So far she seems to have about 2-3 hours a night this year but things haven't kicked into high gear yet. Last night she had homework in every class. Freshman year she went to public school on block scheduling. Unfortunately the first half of the year she had more core classes and her workload was insane. She had a lot of busy work and often had more than one assignment to do for each class in a given night. Second semester was a little easier. I wish this wasn't the trend but it seems like it is typical in a lot of schools. She is also noticing this year as a Junior that she has to be prepared at all times for quizzes. Last year they were often told what to write in their notes and most of the time they were told ahead of time when tests and quizzes were going to be. She already had a pop quiz on notes early this week. Even though she took notes and listened in class she hadn't gone over the notes and studied the way she normally does for tests and she didn't do well on the quiz. I think that she will have to spend some time each day going over her notes and of course this will add to her homework load. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deidre in GA Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 okay, you gals are making me really nervous. ds 14 is in public 9th grade. first time conventional school and we are about a month into the term. he RARELY has any homework because most of the teachers allow time in the 65 minute classes to work on the homework assignment. maybe 15 -20 minutes. this system seems really odd to me. i don't want to see him struggle but come on, he should at least be breaking a sweat sometimes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doran Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 okay, you gals are making me really nervous. ds 14 is in public 9th grade. first time conventional school and we are about a month into the term. he RARELY has any homework because most of the teachers allow time in the 65 minute classes to work on the homework assignment. maybe 15 -20 minutes. this system seems really odd to me. i don't want to see him struggle but come on, he should at least be breaking a sweat sometimes! Our two started school two weeks ago, and it is also our first time in a conventional school (care to swap stories!?). Dd14 rarely has homework. Her Algebra teacher announced on Back-To-School night that she no longer gives homework because for years and years she battled against the fact that most kids wouldn't DO their homework. So, she said, "I'd have 15 kids with no homework and 5 with, and I couldn't reconcile that." Essentially, she said she stopped giving homework in lieu of failing all those kids. Talk about lowest common denominator!! :glare: So far, dd's only homework has been in Spanish. Now, that said, she is a bright and fast worker. I have NO doubt that she is completing assignments at school that others have to bring home, just because that's the way she operates. By way of contrast, our youngest (6th grade-11.5 years old/gap year kind of kid) has had 1-3 hours of homework on most nights. Mostly this is from her Language Arts teacher who is good but demanding. Partner that with the fact that dd would rather play checkers (an option) during the time teachers give for doing homework because school burns her out, and she craves "down time". So, she brings all this stuff home, and we slog through it. Sigh. I did learn from another student in the high school, that the work load for middle schoolers, to him, seems higher than for high schoolers. His mother is the principal at the high school, and he has a sister who is in middle school. He says she always has more homework than he does. :confused: Personally, I'd rather it be the other way around! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 I did learn from another student in the high school, that the work load for middle schoolers, to him, seems higher than for high schoolers. His mother is the principal at the high school, and he has a sister who is in middle school. He says she always has more homework than he does. :confused: Personally, I'd rather it be the other way around
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