I'm Too Cool For Homework
I am so not cut out for the Parenting a School-Aged Kid thing.
At all.
I can't make it through a parents email without rolling my eyes.
Parent Association Meetings lead to violent thoughts floating through my mind. (Most of them involve me scheming ways to make that parent who never stops talking shut up. No matter how boring the meeting is, the rudeness of that person talking through it is always worse.)
And then there's homework.
Yes, homework.
Alexis is in kindergarten, and yet she has homework every single night. Is it just me, or is that crazy? I seem to remember kindergarten as being all fun and games, unless we're talking about that whole shoe tying thing because I couldn't seem to figure that out. When I was the last man standing on Can't Tie My Shoes Island, there was nothing fun about it. Still, other than that, kindergarten was FUN.
Alexis' kindergarten is nowhere near as cool as mine was. Or maybe it is and they just make the kids take the torture home. That could be the case. Anyway, every Monday she brings home a folder filled with worksheets that have to be completed and returned on Friday. She also has a weekly reading list to complete and a big monthly project to work on. I don't actually mind the reading list and projects because those tasks aren't the most painful tasks on earth. Her homework is, though.
So, four nights per week -- homework. Super lame, boring, annoying homework. And don't even ask Alexis what she thinks about it. She's even more frustrated by it than I am.
Most of the time it takes all of fourteen seconds for her to finish each worksheet, but that's only after she has spent half an hour whining and crying about how she doesn't want to do homework. It would be easier to fight through the whining if I thought the homework was a good use of her time, but I don't. Most of the worksheets are things that she's known how to do for years now. I once mentioned that fact to her teacher and Alexis ended up with "special" homework that was actually challenging (and interesting!) for a while, but it took far longer than fourteen seconds to complete. So when her teacher suddenly started slacking on the specialized homework, I let it go. I'd rather the worksheets be boring and quick than worthwhile but time-consuming.
Because, you know, I'm not cut out for the Parenting a School-Aged Kid thing.
I'm starting to understand why some parents do homework for their kids. I could knock that stuff out in under a minute. Alexis would be happy, I would be happy, everybody wins!
Homework sucks. Especially in kindergarten.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Reader Comments (29)
So glad we don't get much. I have other beefs with kindergarten but i won't clog your comments with them. However, know that you likely love the whole PTO thing as much as I do, read the undercover snarky series (they are long...probably 5 posts - but totally worth it) http://snarkyinthesuburbs.com/2012/01/13/undercover-snarky/ Hilarious.
Homework is so tricky with young kids. For some, it gives them extra practice that they might not get in class (especially in half day kindergarten- the teacher really only has time for the explanation, so for the kids to apply anything they have to do it at home). For kids like Alexis, or myself back in the day, it's a waste of time. But it's considered playing favorites or embarrassing if the teachers are only giving homework to the kids who need it, so everyone gets stuck with it. A pox on the education system!
Delurking! We've been having the same homework struggle for two years now. My daughter is in 2nd grade and has a minimum of an hour and a half of homework 5 days a week! Frankly I don't get it and neither does she. We've tried everything to make it fun but after a full day of school honestly it is just too much. I get so frustrated with the whole thing.
Juliana's homework comes home at the beginning of the month with a calendar of assignments and a big stack of worksheets. Each Friday the assignments for the week are due. We sit down for 10 minutes every Thursday night and she does that week's assignments. I see no reason to deal with it each day for the short time it takes.
Here, in K the kids get a calendar at the beginning of the month with "homework" for each day. Now, some days it is legit homework...write this, do these math problems, go outside and collect 3 leaves, draw a map of your house, etc. Other days it might be "help around the house" or "play a game with your family" or something like that. First grade is much the same way, but adding "read 15 minutes" each day. In second grade is when the real homework comes home....a set of worksheets/assignments given out on Monday and due back on Friday. Do them as you want, but they do suggest doing one every night to get the kids accustomed to doing a little work every night. Depending on our schedules tho, we would do them all Monday night and get it over with! Plus of course the reading thing. Now, my youngest is in 3rd grade and they do have the same spelling/language arts homework every week (there are 6 activities, and you pick 3 of them to do with that week's words, plus a parent pre-test) and some nights we may get a worksheet or review packet as well. And reading for 15 minutes every night. Nothing overwhelming as of yet (but yes at times my son will throw a 30 minute tantrum over 5 minutes of work too!!). That comes in 4th grade. All of my kids so far have said 4th grade was the worst for homework. I swear my 7th and 9th graders hardly ever bring home homework! Then again, a lot of it they can get done in resource/study hall, much like I did at that age LOL. My oldest (out of school now) did the same thing. Hey as long as it is getting done and the grades are good, i don't care when they do it!
I have serious hate issues about homework and both of my kids are now old enough they don't have any. Kindergarteners should not have homework. It's ridiculous.
I hate homework. BB, however, doesn't really seem to mind. Oh, what a beautiful, WEIRD, wonderful child I have. He did complain once -- but that's because Mommy forgot about homework and had to make him do it after breakfast one morning. WHOOPS.
i get trying to build good study habits and all, but KINDERGARTEN, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! let them play and build good sharing skills. sheesh.
in kindergarten i had milk and graham cracker time, nap on the mat time, tie my shoe time, walk on upside down plastic cups with strings time and NO damn homework. bad, bad fancy schmancy school!
I don't get it either. And? At that age it requires so much parental involvement that it really isn't THEIR homework. Last time I checked, I knew how to write a book report. When Oldest Boy's homework last year (2nd grade) came home addressed like this: Dear Parents, This month we will need to complete a diorama for an endangered species. YOU (emphasis mine) can find info blah, blah, blah. I freaked the frickety frack out. Um, no. *I* don't need to complete a diorama. My kid is probably the only one in the class who had to do ALL of the work himself because I was so ticked at the audacity of his teacher. Sidenote: I actually LOVED his teacher last year but I was pretty pissed about this particular incident.
What has worked for us: I made a big deal (in a sneaky way) about the fact that Oldest Boy does his homework without being told and immediately after getting home from school and now he can't WAIT to do it! He has even started completing the 15 minutes of reading in the morning before breakfast! Yes, I'm raising a nerd (or 2 )(or 4) (whatever).
My kids go to a Montessori school and except for long-term projects and practicing their instruments rarely have assigned homework. They have homework if they don't get their assigned work done in school. My daughter hardly ever has homework, my very social son has homework every night. You would think he would learn.
I have the very same experience with Kindergarten homework as you do, and I'm on the other side of the country, so it's definitely not a regional thing. We have a rule; no video games, movies, etc. until homework is done. My 4th grader is in a Magnet school here, so she usually doesn't have any. My kindergarten son has one worksheet a night, very easy stuff. But he usually puts more energy trying to find a way around the rule than he puts into doing his homework!
Unfortunately, Kindergarten is so different than when we grew up.
It's those darn test scores that the state (not teachers) love.
Kindergarten now is what our 1st grade was....with reading and writing at least sentences the goal by the end of the year. Preschool is now what we did in Kindergarten.
Homework is so those kids "behind" (but not that behind-just need a little more time) can possibly catch up....the teachers have a set curriculum and time frame (set by the powers that think they know everything but really don't understand reality) and very little wiggle room-they HAVE to move on even if half the class didn't "get" the lesson. We all learn differently---and those set curriculums don't allow for that-or those that don't have "involved" parents.
Therefore, homework to help reinforce the lessons-hoping that the extra work keeps them all swimming along.
It is a sad system.
Just wait until you have to start helping with homework where the way you learned and the way she is being taught, differ. Talk about frustrating...
My kindergartner loves homework. I think because its easy. He gets home from school, and goes straight for the table so he can complete it. I once gave him the option of playing first, and he didn't want to. I hope these homework habits last.
And that is why I pay a teacher to spend an extra hour or two with my son doing his kindergarden homework.
My oldest is in kindergarten, so I'm experiencing this for the first time as well. He has only VERY sporadically had homework, and most of it has been in the last few weeks. It has been annoying, as it's been science homework -- all related to balls bouncing and rolling, I'm not a big fan of bouncing hard balls all over my house -- but it's taken longer to FIND the balls than complete the homework.
In short, I think her teacher is CRAZY for giving homework on such a consistent basis. Kindergarten is supposed to be fun. The learning should take place in the time she's at school, with some reading time (we don't have any lists, we read together whatever he wants) at home.
I love how schools are all you need to spend time with your kids. I agree you do but, forcing them to do homework takes and causing tentsion in the home is NOT how you get a family to want to spend time together.
I'm so thankful Blake is off to college now. I don't have to hear or say do you have your homework done yet? or project or or or.
Not sure what the value of homework everynight is. I could understand if they did it maybe a couple times a week to make sure you get the material but, if you are punishing all the kids for a few not getting it that isn't right. Besides, don't the teachers get they are just making more work for themselves?
Maybe a teacher who reads this blog will chime in and give us all a different perspective.
I'm so with you on this!
Jackie
Having lived through the Kindergarten-homework-bomb that was all of last year, I hear ya loud and clear on this post. So many tears filled the hours between 6 and 7 p.m. It. was. ridiculous. I found myself annoyed by the assignments, the quality of the photocopying and the fact that so many times it didn't even seem to really TEACH anything. Yes, we made her push through and try her best on the sheets, but ultimately I found myself wondering what happens to the kids whose parents DON'T help. At Abby's school, they get certain privileges for turning in well-done homework. It makes me angry that the expectation is that these kids WILL get help on the assignments. The reality is that not all will. And at 5, you shouldn't be expected to shoulder that much pressure. So, now we are in 1st grade. Homework is nightly, sometimes multiple sheets and with an occasional book report. There are still tears some nights. But I hover less. I encourage thorough reading of directions and I always check it over when she's done. I may need to institute a Homework Happy Hour in our house to make it through.
YES. With passion equal to the fire of 1000 suns, I agree. YES. Ugh.
I know FireGirl is just now in preschool, but posts like these already have me worried. Her preschool teacher offered to give her occasional homework now... because I mentioned that we work with her at home and wanted to make sure we were on the same page as what they were teaching in class (I should mention that it's montessori).
But honestly... that much regular homework in KINDERGARTEN?!? Sounds ridiculous to me. There is plenty of time later in life to work on the skills homework really teaches: time management, work ethic, self learning, etc. For a five year old... LET THEM BE KIDS. Seriously!
As for her being bored by the work: if she's bored by the homework, then she's probably bored in school too. I'd talk to the school about the possibility of her being tested for a gifted program, or other options (skipping a grade, different class, whatever they might have) so that she's challenged instead of bored. I don't think kids should be overworked at young ages, but I also don't plan on sending my kid to school so she can be bored all day either. If she's not being challenged, she's not learning. And if she's not learning... then why is she there? (just my two cents).
Good luck!
Kindergarten mom here too but we don't have any homework other than the occasional project (100 days= ugh!). Most of it is "suggested" practice - reading, sight words, numbers etc. but no real assignments. We review her papers but she doesn't get anything to complete on her own. She's in all day kindergarten plus after school hours so she certainly gets enough practice with everything during the day. Frankly, I think she would love it b/c the girl is ready to learn and soak it all in but I'm just as happy not to have the hassle. I'm not looking forward to the coming years of homework & projects.
OMG I hear ya!! After a day work, coming home to fight with your kid about coloring in something or whatever is just...so...much...fun.
I used to be a high school teacher, but my MIL was an elementary school teacher (she taught grades 2-6 as the gifted program teacher, but she taught other grades before that). The sort-of-unspoken-rule there was "10 minutes per grade" nightly of homework as an average. I don't know about kindergarten but I don't think they got any, but in 1st grade it was 10 minutes, 2nd grade 20 minutes, etc. That seems "fair" to me in terms of attention span, but assigning homework is definitely one of the hardest aspects of being a teacher.
Of course, I was floored when she showed me the assignments she gave her students, and their work, which easily outdid almost anything my 9th graders did, and they complained about having nightly reading like it was the worst thing ever and they had "no time." Sure, some of them were overachievers and were stretched to the limit (I was one of those kids, too), but most of them wanted to make sure they had enough time to play Call of Duty for four straight hours every night, and my "read a chapter of this 6th grade reading level book" was "too hard."
I easily assigned more homework than most of my colleagues did (including those who taught honors-level classes). But high school is a completely different animal than elementary school. I would not condone giving homework to kindergarteners on any kind of a regular basis. I imagine, as a previous commenter suggested, this is driven by state testing (though since Alexis attends private school there may be other standards the school is trying to adhere to).
Morgan is in Kindergarten and has homework each night. Each night, she comes home with her folder and on the "Return to School" side are the worksheets that need to be done that night and returned to school in the morning. Two nights a week are Math, two nights a week are "Book Baggies" (a short book they've read in class that week that she needs to read to us and, along with that, flashcards with words that contain letters/sounds of that week) and one night of just writing words/sentences (this assignment is also homework two other nights during the week--usually the nights of Book Baggies). It's a lot for 5/6 year olds, but as you said...it takes minimal time. So far, we've been lucky and have escaped the whining and crying of not wanting to do it (Morgan hasn't whined or cried, either ;) ).
I am blown away that Kindergarteners in NY State need to be able to read by the end of the year; 4th graders are working on math concepts I didn't touch until 7th/8th grade. It seems everything is so different from when we were kids. I can handle the homework now...when this kid hits 4th grade? We're screwed.
Homework for a 4-year-old?????? Sometimes I am amazed about American craziness. Here in Germany Kindergarten is all about playing and having fun. OF COURSE the kids develop skills and learn things, get more independent from their moms and all this, but real homework? No way for kids younger than (almost) 6 years.
This probably isn't the best time to tell you it gets much worse, right? And then you get to the point (sometimes) where you don't even remember the answer and it's even uglier then. Trust me. ;)
#NotSmarterThanASecondGrader
I didn't start getting homework until I was in at least the fourth grade. I remember sitting around the living room in the evenings and watching my older brother and sister doing their homework and I used to lament the fact that I did not have any. Go figure! They laughed at me and told me I'd be sorry I said that and they were right!
I was matched with my Little Brother just before he started the second grade and he's had homework all along. I can't imagine having it in Kindergarten!
I don't even remember having homework until like middle school... My son goes to a great school and we're lucky - they send home a packet each month of homework, to do on your own schedule, and it doesn't have to be turned in or anything. He loves doing it, but it's not every night. That would be really hard for us.
When did we start parenting the same kid? I mean, Alexis is usually Gracie's doppelganger, not Bee's! But: nightly homework - check. Whining and crying for 30 minutes - check - before finishing in 30 seconds - check. The only difference is that Bee doesn't know it yet - she just hates me because I make her learn it instead of guessing her way through it. Ooh, another different - I would rather be Mean Parent Who Fights the Homework Fight each night than be Parent Making Bagged Lunches. I *hate* making lunches, but I refuse to let the kids buy hot lunches. 1) They're way overpriced and 2) There's no way they're healthy.
That is all.