4th grade- how much homework?

[feminist~mama]

My dd has just started 4th grade in a 4th/5th grade split class at a Spanish-immersion charter school. She's getting more than an hour of homework each night, which seems like a TON and is a huge change from last year.

We've really been working with her to help her finish, but that generally means that we spend all evening doing homework- she doesn't get picked up until 5, then getting home at 5:30, dinner and such, homework plus 20 minutes independent reading every night- 8:30 bed.

They do have a "homework club" in the afterschool program, but that hasn't been hugely successful so far. I've spoken with the director of the program and the school director and they're working on it.

Other parents have said that their kids just aren't getting the homework done, but I think that's a poor model to set up for the kids. The teachers feel that this is a reasonable amount of homework and say that the kids going on to 6th grade will be expected to do this much or more next year.

So- is this normal across the board? Does homework really help with learning? How much homework should an 8-year-old have?

[kathymuggle]

Well...I like zero, or close to it.

Other prefer 10 minutes per year up to grade 6, which would mean 40 minutes a night. This includes reading, if it is mentionned as part of the homework.

Talk to the teacher.

Kathy

[conflictedmama]

MY dd is in a 3rd grade accelerated program and at the oh last night the teacher said they should be spending a half hour to 45 minutes on hw. I think that is excessive, personally. She doesn't get home until 4 and then she drags it out all evening...

I may give the teacher a copy of the Homework Myth as a gift if I get up the nerve!

[eclipse]

I think 0 is just about right. I'm not a fan of homework. I probably would just have my child work on what they could for an amount of time I thought was reasonable and then let the teacher know in no uncertain terms that I expected that my cho;d not be kept in from recess for not turning it all in.

[feminist~mama]

I ordered the book- thanks for the suggestion!

[TiredX2]

While personally opposed to homework, our children are in the public school system.

DS is only in 1st and has had one homework assignment thus far--- a "Me Box" (decorate a small box and put 6 things in it about you).

DD is in a 3rd/4th split (4th grade this year). They get a weekly packet. Last week her packet took her right around 2 hours. It seems like a reasonable amount to me. They will do projects and book reports as well, though.

I think over an hour nightly is too much for a 4th grader. Something I really like with DD's teacher is she gives the packet on Friday and it is due the next Friday. That way DD never *has* to do homework on a school night if she puts in an hour or so each weekend day.

Both are supposed to read nightly but I don't count that in their time because we would do that anyway.

[CarrieMF]

My dd is in Grade 4 & hasn't had homework other than studying for a math quiz & her spelling list which she has yet to do.

[Kodachrome]

Our DD who is in the fourth grade has: Daily reading of 15-20 minutes, a two-sided math worksheet sent home every Monday, which is due on Friday. Spelling list (to study all week for a test given on Friday), and a coordinating, one-sided spelling worksheet that's sent home on Monday, and due on Tuesday.

[alegna]

Personally I hate homework. I think it should be banned.

BUT, I also taught 4th grade in a public school. Our students were EXPECTED to have an hour of homework. If we didn't give that much we "got in trouble" with admin and parents.

-Angela

[aniT]

My dd is in the 4th grade and this is her first year back after 2 years of homeschooling.

She had homework the FIRST DAY. She said she didn't finish her work in class. It took her a bit to do it, not because it was overly hard, but because she is piddly. She also brought homework home the 2nd day which was a friday.

On Monday she had a packet of four worksheets. She was up til 10 doing it. (She didn't get home until 7 due to girl scouts and swim practice.) On Tues. she had 22 math problems and 10 vocabulary words. It took her until bedtime (9) to get the math done. Just as she was putting it away she riped the page out of the binder and told me the teacher would not accept it if it was riped. I sent a note telling him that either he was giving too much homework or DD was piddling. I suspected a bit of both. I also told him that DD said she had to do her math over as he would not accept it torn. I told him that I had assured her he would accept the work as is. I haven't heard from him. DD also still has her packet from Monday night still in her binder. I asked her why she hadn't turned it in and she said he had not asked for it yet. : On Wed she had another four page packet to do. She was working on it from 4-7 at my mom's and when I picked her up I helped her finish the word search.

I obviously need to have a talk with her teacher about homework. I am just going to tell him that she is only going to do X amount a day and what isn't finished STAYS unfinished. I am a bit irked he has so far ignored my note though. And I did email him before school started with questions about the supply list and he never answered me. :