Do you feel that hours of homework is beneficial?

Pamelacake · October 2013

For K's or SK's?

I know most don't have as many kids at home as I do but how much homework is too much?

My youngest 4 are readers in their spare time. Well.. Not 5yo SD but she loves for me to read to her and is very eager to learn.

I like to do family activities and sometimes we can't do things like board games, go to the park.. things like that on the weekdays b/c there is too much homework sent home. I think homework is good, don't get me wrong but I also think that too much homework can discourage the kids.

Thoughts?

10-4LilBuddy · October 2013

I agree that hours of homework are detrimental. If the kid is in school for most of the day, then comes home to more work without any downtime for extracurriculars or just plain playtime, they are going to burn out. Anyone would without a break.

SD10's grade (4) does about an hour worth of homework (includes 30 mins reading). I think this is the perfect amount. She probably could finish in 45, but she has math issues and needs to read each question very thoroughly. All her homework has to be done before she can go play bc she is not good at managing her time and concentrating.

Did your school set guidelines on homework time up front? SD's school posts upfront how long each grade's homework should take a night (some allowances for special projects too). It is a contract between the student and teachers.

bebe11 · October 2013

My DD is in 7th grade and her homework time seems different day to day. But I just hate dealing with the whining and complaining that comes with it

Pamelacake · October 2013

Our school doesn't have that plan.

DS10 gets his class work done in class so he only has the bring home work and it usually takes about 45 min depending on if he works on it on the bus or not. I don't see an issue with that amount.

I understand 7 and 5yo SD's need more hands on help and that's not a problem for me. But sometimes 5yo SD will bring home 10 sheets of homework, not even kidding. I talk to her teacher frequently and she knows not to expect all of these things back the next day. They are very easy papers, but not for SD as this is all new to her. She didn't have any pre-K or anything. I worked with her at home to try to prep her a little but not enough. There are some days where she will not have any homework and we will practice with flash cards or read books.

7th grade SS usually has minimal homework.. for now. He isn't taking any hard classes yet.

16yo SS didn't start bringing his homework home until I started asking him about it every day and was getting ready to have a meeting with one of his teachers. IDK how but he had a ton of missing assignments and still made passing grades for the first 6 weeks.

I have 4 out of 6 on the honor roll and I am content with that.. A's and B's but I still know they could do better.

I just wanted to get others' perspective on this. I think it's better to let them do some things on their own too.

Pamelacake · October 2013

I get that a lot from the youngest 2 here. The 7th grader just gets a really bad attitude (I think b/c he's a boy). lol

Wahoo · October 2013

I once read that HW should be about 10 minutes for every grade you are in...so 10 minutes for a 1st grader, 40 minutes for a 4th grader, etc. I think even in K a few minutes of HW gives them good study habits and sets up a pattern of learning responsibility at a young age. Last year DDs teacher told parents that she gives around 1 hour per night of homework (5th grade). She said if a child says they are working for "hours" watch them - chances they are working for a few minutes, then getting a snack, then working a few more, then texting a friend....so "hours" isn't straight work. BUT realizing that some kids are slower than others, parents could stop the HW after a certain amount of time and write her a note saying their child worked for XX amount of time and stopped (vs. completing the assignment). I don't think kids should have so much HW that they are working from the time they get home from school, but I have heard parents complain about the HW and in the next breath say "we had back-to-back sports practices, when are we supposed to do homework?" Um....what are your priorities? Because I'm betting your kid won't have a career as a pro soccer player.

Ilumine · October 2013

Does your state do Common Core? Nuff sais

Pamelacake · October 2013

Ilumine said:

Does your state do Common Core? Nuff sais

I have heard of this but feel a little under-educated as I can't think of what it is. lol. So I will be googling it.

Our school is really strict about the diebels testing.

Pamelacake · October 2013

Spooko said:

All I have is my first grader, but the way his homework works is this: He has 2-3 stories each week, a packet of math problems that are usually 5-8 pages, and to study 10ish spelling words. Everything is sent home Monday and due Friday. I like to pace DS more heavily at the beginning of the week so he can have off or some lighter days later on in case we get busy.

Also, his teacher has a very open policy about homework where the parents are in charge. If we feel like our child has a grasp on a particular thing and is bored (like DS with tracing numbers) we can alter the assignment and skip it or do less. If the homework doesn't get done because something important gets in the way, that's okay, too.

This is how 10yo DS's teacher was in 2nd grade. All assignments for the week sent home on Mondays. I loved that! He didn't love it but he liked to get it all done within the first day or 2. He really didn't understand why he had to do it, he said the work was too easy and it made it boring for him So she sent home extra reading for him. I didn't mind it then though.. I have way more kids now.

I am responsible for all of their work here. even the high schoolers but not as much. I do have to sign agendas every night and make sure they did their work.

The biggest problem I have is with the Kindergartener, she was so excited to start school and loved to practice over the summer, but when school started, she hated it. she is coming out of it a little bit now but has been fighting her teacher to do her work at school so on top of regular, what should be fun sheets, I have her work from class too.

Pamelacake · October 2013

I try to keep things as structured around here as possible, it is difficult at times but I do have the 2 littles start on their HW right when they get home. They don't act like they get enough to eat so I do let them have a snack after some is done.

I will usually let them have a little break to play outside or whatever they choose before any reading stories for homework is done and that gives me a chance to start dinner. (if not already started) Then before bedtime we read stories. (more than one depending on the size of the books they have chosen)

10yo DS knows not to touch any video games or anything until his homework is done. and then he still has a limited amount of video game time or to sum it up, electronics time.

14yo DD is the same. She doesn't have much homework usually unless she has a report to do. 10yo and 14yo both love to read on their own.

I really have no control over 14yo and 16yo SS's. 14yo is supposed to bring his agenda home everyday but he never does. DH and I have yet to come up with a punishment that works for him to just bring it home. 16yo really never has much HW and he has really shocked me with severe ADHD he brings it home (usually) and does it. I have no way of monitoring their work until the teacher's update on power school. and sometimes it's too late to make any major changes in their grades for that particular 6 weeks.

Nineoceans · October 2013

I do not. My SS is already stressed about "tests that let you pass" or "tests that hold you back"

In our school district most of the homework is actually geared towards things parents need to DO. We need to write SS a letter every night, read him a book and the rest of his homework needs to be graded by us with a key- approximately 45-1hr of homework a night. So I feel like it puts kids with uninvolved parents at a huge disadvantage.

Pamelacake · October 2013

@Spooko I definitely see your point and I called the school yesterday. The kids are on fall break right now but I though maybe someone would be there. SH and I met with 14yo SS's main teacher about 3 weeks into school. He was doing really well and we praised him for it. It was after that he stopped bringing his agenda, I asked him about it daily and then he said he lost it. I game him the money to purchase another. SS brought me the money back the next day and told me the school was out of agendas and wouldn't be ordering anymore.

I knew this was a lie bc they get a percentage taken off of their gpa for each day that the agenda isn't signed so I told him I would be calling the school the following morning and also checking power school portal to see what was going on with his homework. (I fibbed bc I knew they hadn't updated yet) HE brought his agenda home the next day. He had this big excuse of his friend keeping it from him as a joke. I know his friend's parents and the friend and he wouldn't do that. SS just didn't want to bring it home.

I also think they didn't update as they were supposed to B/C they have had so many issues trying to sync the iPads and have just been focused on that. I will be setting up another meeting with the main teacher though. Thank You for that.

@Nineoceans I do have to check and sign the younger kids' homework. 10yo DS's HW along with his agenda. I don't have an issue with this. K and 1st graders do not have agendas in our school. I do talk to their teachers frequently through email, at school and sometimes over the phone. I just don't think that spending all day at school and then, some nights, all evening doing HW is helpful. It seems to be very discouraging for them at times.

I say all day bc they are the unlucky ones that get picked up first. They are on the bus at 6:30 so I get the youngest two up at 5:45. Then they don't get home until close to 4pm so sometimes that doesn't leave much time for anything else.

Littlejen22 · October 2013

This is not a criticism but does it take all night because there are so many kids? I have a feeling that for families with one or two kids it does not seem that much.

But I agree that most homework is just busy work and not really needed.

hopanka · October 2013

Nineoceans said:

I do not. My SS is already stressed about "tests that let you pass" or "tests that hold you back" In our school district most of the homework is actually geared towards things parents need to DO. We need to write SS a letter every night, read him a book and the rest of his homework needs to be graded by us with a key- approximately 45-1hr of homework a night. So I feel like it puts kids with uninvolved parents at a huge disadvantage.

I'm sorry, but I would not be doing this. And I'm one of those parents who actually enjoys helping DS, if he gets stuck or has a question on his homework. But beyond that and possibly signing off on the homework, I am not doing any other shiz. You have to grade hw with a key and write a daily letter??...like you need writing practice or something?

I'm sorry, but I have a lot to do in a day....like LIFE and WORK, so no grade school is going to order me around and put additional shiz on my plate. There is also no need to read to children as part of hw beyond pre-reading years. If I decide to read with my child, it's going to be a leisure activity, when we have time and by no means on a daily basis. Yes, the child needs to read every day for practice (and I'll be happy to sign off on the hw that indeed he read however many minutes), but not me personally. I do house chores and cook dinner while my child reads, so hell no. Also, the teacher can grade the damn hw, it's his/her job, not mine. I would not go along with that BS. That is absurd!

Littlejen22 · October 2013

I agree with Hopanka. That is ridiculous that the parents get homework. I would be tempted to check the homework and not grade it.

I am really curious what does in the letter but am not sure if Nine Oceans is answering me.

Nineoceans · October 2013

hopanka said:

Nineoceans said:

I do not. My SS is already stressed about "tests that let you pass" or "tests that hold you back"

In our school district most of the homework is actually geared towards things parents need to DO. We need to write SS a letter every night, read him a book and the rest of his homework needs to be graded by us with a key- approximately 45-1hr of homework a night. So I feel like it puts kids with uninvolved parents at a huge disadvantage.

I'm sorry, but I would not be doing this. And I'm one of those parents who actually enjoys helping DS, if he gets stuck or has a question on his homework. But beyond that and possibly signing off on the homework, I am not doing any other shiz. You have to grade hw with a key and write a daily letter??...like you need writing practice or something?

I'm sorry, but I have a lot to do in a day....like LIFE and WORK, so no grade school is going to order me around and put additional shiz on my plate. There is also no need to read to children as part of hw beyond pre-reading years. If I decide to read with my child, it's going to be a leisure activity, when we have time and by no means on a daily basis. Yes, the child needs to read every day for practice (and I'll be happy to sign off on the hw that indeed he read however many minutes), but not me personally. I do house chores and cook dinner while my child reads, so hell no. Also, the teacher can grade the damn hw, it's his/her job, not mine. I would not go along with that BS. That is absurd!

I agree I hate our school. SS writes a letter to us and we write a response it's called a communication journal.

Our school is top rated but we live in a really terrible area in all other areas, lots of poverty, drugs. I think they just literally kill the kids with homework and only teach whatever is on the test. I would hate school if I had to go there

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