ZOMG! Homework!

[flminivanmama]

the amount is Just. Overwhelming.

anyone else?

perhaps the teachers need to go to the state legislature and lobby for longer school days? Because obviously they feel there needs to be that much more work tacked on at the end of each day....

[EFmom]

Complain. Perhaps you've already done this, but if not, complain to both the teacher and the principal. In conversations I've had with my kids' classmates's parents, it amazes me how many are irate about the amount of homework heaped on the kids, but almost nobody says anything about it.

I buy copies of Alfie Kohn's The Homework Myth and Sara Bennett and Nancy Kalish's The Case Against Homework. I bring them in to the first parent-teacher conference of the year, explain my concerns and give them as gifts to the teachers and ask that they read them with an open mind.

I've actually had some success with this approach. The teachers are sort of surprised that I'm not just complaining, but that I've researched the issue and that I'd purchase copies of the books for them.

[flminivanmama]

DH called 2x yesterday and the teacher didn't call back so I wrote her a note today that s going in tomorrow.

I have 2 third graders and 1 has a lot but the 2nd - it's just insane. he's not a very good student to begin with so she also sent home the classwork he didn't complete!! and it is bascially the same work.

today he had math work to finish, a science test to study for, 2 math worksheets for homework, 3 language arts worksheets, and had to do 20 minutes of reading and summarize. this has been an average amount based on the week and a half he's been in class.

this took him from the minute we got home (2:20) till I called a stop to it at 5:30 for dinner.

plus I had to make dinner and help the other two.

dh works nights so he can't help.

I'm planning on calling the principal tomorrow...

I think that's a terrific idea about buying her copies of the books

[EFmom]

If you haven't read those books yourself, you might want to get hold of them. They give some good ideas about how to talk to teachers and school administrators about the homework deluge.

[supervee]

Our take-home papers this year for 2nd grade said that the homework (which I haven't seen yet; this is a freebie week) should take no longer than 20-30 minutes, and the teacher wants to know if it takes longer.

Maybe the teacher doesn't know it's taking so long?

[feminist~mama]

I went through this last year- dd was in 3rd but placed in a 4/5 split class (long story!). Anyway, I eventually decided that she was going to do an hour of homework a night plus 20 minutes of reading and that was IT! I just couldn't take more than that!

Her teachers didn't complain, so I guess it worked out okay.

I also talked to other parents who were upset about the amount of work and who flat out said that it just wasn't getting done.

Good luck!

[meowee]

Feminist mama I am thinking of doing something similar. One hour for my 4th grader and 1.5 hours for my 6th grader. After that I'm not making them do anything, and will explain to the teacher I'm not going to make them do more.

I don't know how this will go over with the teachers, I'm very conflicted, but too much homework is unfair and sadistic for a young child.

[CarrieMF]

I'd find out first if those worksheets are homework or if they're just practice sheets & don't need to be done.

The school here doesn't really do homework. In the older grades(4-6) there are more tests to study for but not after 1 1/2weeks of school. There are spelling tests from 3-6.

My oldest is in Grade 5 & in the newsletter from her teacher he stated that in Grade 5 he expects them to be more responsible for their work. There is ample class time for every project that they do. IF a child has not handed an assignment in on time they are docked 5% for every day it is late. If after 1 week it is not handed in they are to stay Wednesdays from 2:30-3:30 for study hall. Wed is early dismissal day. Even though the kids are dismissed at 2:30, the busses don't come until 3:30 because the Catholic system does not get out until 3:30 and they need to transfer so alot of the kids are at the school during that hour anyhow.

[NikonMama]

We must be lucky. My son is in 4th grade, and all he has ever had for homework since Kindergarten is one math sheet that has maybe 4 or 5 questions on it, that needs to be signed and turned in the next day. This is the first year that they have requested 30 minutes of reading each evening, including weekends, but that is no big deal.

Though, I sometimes get upset with the math homework they send home. My son tells me that they have never gone over any of that stuff before (I don't know if that is true or he just isn't paying attention) and we end up having to do most of it for him. That isn't helping him learn very well, IMO. I try to tell him that he needs to do it himself and if I help him too much I'll just be doing it for him, but he ends up crying and saying he doesn't know how to do it. Like yesterday it was asking the radius of a circle, and he said they have NEVER gone over that before. I had NO clue how to do that, so he had to wait for DH to come home. It gets a bit frustrating. That is one thing I will talk to his teacher about tonight at Curriculum night.