Homework

[joesteph]

I'm speaking as a parent of two first-graders . . .

My sons, David and Patrick, are special needs students, with David still in a self-contained classroom and inclusion into certain regular classes, like gym, with an aide, while Patrick is in a regular first grade class, with an aide in the room.

The homework David brings home may be a couple of pages of verbal skills to do, and a page of math. The homework Patrick brings home is too much in my book. I have to work with both boys; whether special needs or not, few first graders can be left on their own to do homework, if only to understand the directions. The boys go to bed together, so for the third time in the past few weeks, they went to bed at 9:00.

After school, which is their "job," as school is expected to be when you're young, they have after-care. This allows them free time to play, to be children, and they have after-care on my custody days that are school days, Mon-Tues-Wed. It's good for them socially as well as blowing off some kid steam. When I pick them up, I bring them home to a small meal, get them dressed in their doboks, and we go to karate on Mondays and Wednesdays--an after-school activity, a sport they do, and an activity/sport is something normal for any child. After karate, we eat at McDonald's, then I bring them home to give them a bath, and . . . I was able to say let them watch a bit of a DVD, and then go off to bed last year, but this year it's enough homework that they often don't have time for the DVD, and if the homework is long enough for Patrick, it's a late bed-time for both.

I spoke with two fellow teachers at my high school, one who told me her war stories for her child when he was in grade school, and the other who has a child in grade school now, so her war stories are current events.

What's with all this homework, especially with single parent families, both parents working, activities for children after school, etc.?

[bushido_man96]

I think that lots of schools are under pressure to make sure their students hit assessment levels, so they work hard at achieving this. I wouldn't expect the load to lighten anytime soon. It doesn't help time management any, that's for sure.

[Tiger1962]

True what Bushido said and I have a couple relatives that teach grade school. From what I've heard, they're hoping to discourage kids from watching TV and playing video games when they go home and instead work on improving their academic skills.

It doesn't help with having extra spare time, but in the long run, the results might be worth it.

[tallgeese]

I don't konw, I used to work in a high school enviornment and theyu work load th ey are asking these kids to do is obnoxious. It makes playing sports and having a parttime job nearly impossible.

Scores aren't exxactly going up since the inclusion of all of this extra work. I think we should remember they're kids after all. By high school, there should be some amount of extra work granted. But way down at that level. It's crazy.

[joesteph]

I'd wondered if all this homework were related to raising standardized test scores, that the school day is extended, not by homework as simple review, but as a nightly project.

David's homework is not a problem; he likes doing his first grade homework. Patrick liked doing first grade homework until it got greater in quantity. It makes me wonder if so many kids wouldn't grow up minding homework if it were more limited in sheer quantity. I think the average kid knows it's important, but just not so much of it, please.

One night last week, I wrote a note when I saw how late it was that the reason Patrick wrote a list of words once instead of twice was that he had to go to bed. I didn't receive any complaint; Patrick told me nothing was said to him.

[Truestar]

In my junior year so far if I did all of my homework at home I'd be up at 10:30 or 11 each night. Unfortunately I wear down and end up handing in assignments late these past couple weeks.

I go to the dojang at 3 and am there until 7:30 each night, leaving an hour or so for winding down and dinner. I usually start assignments by 8:30 but won't finish until 11 or so.

I can't take it. Personally I hate my school and my nations education standards. Lately I've had no desire to go to school. I use to enjoy it but now it just gets monotonous. I've been docked points on 3 or 4 New York State regents exams so far thanks to "No Child Left Behind" and the curve they instate on each exam regardless of overall averages.

If you ask me education is becoming a joke. joesteph I hate to say it but based on my school experiences for the past several years, it's not going to get any better for your sons. Be prepared for later nights to come.

I think schools are requiring more homework because of the unhealthy school environments and the declining quality in teachers. It's a giant social decline from where I'm standing.

[joesteph]

In my junior year so far if I did all of my homework at home I'd be up at 10:30 or 11 each night. Unfortunately I wear down and end up handing in assignments late these past couple weeks.

I teach social studies on the high school level, Truestar. The elective I teach right now for juniors and seniors is psychology. What I do is I let the students know assignments well in advance. In other words, I don't say "Do this for tomorrow," but they look at the left side of the board and see what they have to do for the entire week. This helps them to plan their time, to budget it. It also helps that they have one book at home and one in school. Someone who's absent knows what the assignments are ahead of time, and frequently being home isn't a thrill when you're sick. Sometimes a student is out for two days. Coming back to school to do make-up work is rough because no one has just one class, and the student has to catch up with the old while keeping up with the new. I've found that most students who are out will come to me with their assignments done for me, because the book was right there at home (and there's nothing on TV; one hundred channels, and there's nothing to watch!).

The funny thing in all of this, whether for grade school or high school, is that the schools encourage getting involved in activities. Lots of luck when there are only twenty-four hours in a day.

One thing, though, Truestar, and this may be a help to you. Do you sleep at night? Don't! Sleep is for lazy people! Give up sleeping at night and you'll have plenty of time for everything from karate to homework to video games.

See? A simple solution.

[Shiv]

I know kids who learn till 03:00 in the night. I mean, I'm 16 and go to bed at 21:45 (but I like sleeping ). Those kids are in my class and they just do that for one test. (Im in 5th class. I will do my school exam in the 6th class and then I go to university (our school system works different ).

But, the thing you describe is what annoys me the most about school. I would like more time to become pro in Call of Duty 4, practice guitar, play some other games, excersice etc. etc. It's only natural and it happens everywhere that school becomes more and more a part of your life when you go to school. The thing in our country is that we dont make enough hours at school according to the government. Now I have every wednesday, 2 hours long, a playsession with Lego Mindstorms. And they call it Robotics. Im 16! LEGO! I mean, its just ridiculous, so I guess the thing is to become really good at time management. What I do is, I dont make homework anymore, only for the subjects where it is necesary. But I must say I am a pretty good learner and, without being cocky, I dont have to do a lot to get good grades at all. And I am at the highest level of education there is in our little country.

So, I don't really know your problem ofcourse, but to be honest, there really isn't much you can do about it man.

..ye, I needed all that text to come to this simple conclusion Good luck with it anyways =)

[Shiv]

Oh, I just realized. I dont know really, but, if your kids get homework for the day after tomorrow, or for next week or w/e, let them make it before it has to be done (or a part of it, which is even better). That way, you dont have to do everything the day before it has to be finished. It really helped me a couple of years ago to be honest.

[joesteph]

Oh, I just realized. I dont know really, but, if your kids get homework for the day after tomorrow, or for next week or w/e, let them make it before it has to be done (or a part of it, which is even better).

This is what I do for my high school students when I give assignments, Shiv. They like it because they can plan ahead and budget their time, doing as you suggest; do some of it ahead of time, then finish up when it's due.

My sons, David and Patrick, are in first grade, so they're given something each day--but nothing is announced ahead of time. What adds to their homework is reviewing at home. To me, reviewing at home should be the homework at such a young age/lower grade.