How well is your child handling homework?

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With the first weeks of school quickly passing by, the real homework load is starting. How much has your child been assigned already? How is your child—and your family—balancing the workload?

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Woopsy! I must have hit a wrong key and sent my reply wihout intending to. I'm on an old laptop, as I haven't had the opportunity to get settled and set up my work station. I apologize. I was responding to CathyHow and detailing what has been changed by our move and by not being afraid to go to the administration with your concerns. I'm not sure where all those words went, but perhaps they will show up somewhere here in this community. I just wanted to say that having good clear open communication with the school staff, (from the bus driver, lunchroom staff, secretary, teacher, and principle and social workers too!) has made a huge difference. And these people love their job and it shows. Where as at the previous school, they seem to have low expectations from my child and set her up to fail. It couldn't be clearer to me now. I thought I was just being paranoid before, but I'm certain of it now. This has made a huge difference in my daughter's academic journey and it looks like we will have a very positive experience here. I was hoping this move would be a fresh start in so many ways and so far it has been. I hope that the other Mom's that wrote in about moving followed some of the great advice and feedback put out here helped them. Thank you to all of you who helped me with your comments and feedback I incorporated into my own action plan...it has made all the difference in our little world. With high hopes for you all and for us--geniemom. Good luck. I think communication is a very important key to helping your child ajust to a new environment and to handling homework. There are also tutoring programs available at your local boys and girls club, if you have one. Also look to the Junior Colleges, or local Universities for help. Students are looking for practicums and the two of you can help each other. Take advantage of your local resources. If you don't know what they are, ask. Ask everyone...you will eventually get more resources than you can use at one time. It has been most helpful to me and my daughter. Again, we thank you!

I agree with Janene 100%! There is too much wasted time in school. They really should be able to cover more stuff during school hours. It seems like it's become more of a social gathering there and it does rob us parents of that for our families. We have become the teachers! But we must let our schools know how we feel if we want change.

With my 1st grader get assigned homework every Friday. It consist of 1 page of writing, 2 pages of math, 1 to 2 pages of others. He will need to prepare for the sharing every Tuesday and reading list every day. On top of that, he will have spelling test every Friday, so we need to review that a couple times before Friday. I tried to let my 1st grader finish as much as he can on the weekend. Then, I'll note the reading time for him - if he pick out an easy to read book, I'll let him read on his own. And practice whatever come on the daily basis such as sight word list test, math timed test and the Friday spelling test. While my 4th grader assigned every Monday a list of words that she needs to do a certain activities to collect 50 pts and every day of Math. I must say, both of them did good so far. Although at first they struggle to manage the time to do the homework. Once we settle it down into a routine, I didn't hear anymore complaint so far.

My 5 year old daughter started kindergarten last September. She seems to be adjusting well to her new school and schedule, even though she misses her oid school.
Homework is assigned from Monday through Thursday. She receives 2 pages of Math and 2 pages of Reading/Writing. I think I am having a dfficult time adjusting because this is yet an additional thing to do in the long process of getting my daughter ready for bed. She doesn't complain, but it takes her at least 45 minutes to complete. This means she goes to bed later. For whatever reason homework is not assigned on the weekend.

My 3rd grader has a spelling notebook sent home each Friday. It has 10-12 new spelling words to learn and test for the following Thursday. He is to write each new spelling word 3 times, write each word in a sentence, and look up 5 of the words in the dictionary and write down a defintion of the word. He also has a geography page sent home with 6 questions that he is to find answers for in an Atlas that was bought at the beginning of the year. He has a paper sent home each week with the geography homework that is to track his reading. He is supposed to read at least 30 min a day, list the book and time read. On top of all of this he has an at home project that he has 6-8 weeks to finish on a state he has chosen. It seemed like a lot during the first 6 weeks-8 weeks but we are getting used to it. I don't have a problem with what he is supposed to do each week, but it gets to be too much when he comes home with Math or Reading Mastery work that he either needs to correct or didn't finish in class on top of everything else. We also put emphasis on extracircular activites that have to take place outside of school. My son is on the swim team, which meets 3x a week, plus piano lessons 1x a week, but also needs to put in practice several times a week, and of course just goof off time with family and friends. When I look at how much school time is wasted, it really irks me. We have a 45-60 min assembly each month, a 15-20 extra recess each month for kids who have stayed out of trouble, Halloween/birthday/and other misc. parties, winter performance practice, early release 2 x a month, just to name a few, it's too much wasted time. Let the parents have the luxury of not having to rush, rush, rush the kids and enjoy them a bit more. I think there is enough time in the day to get done what they need to do to learn. Learning times tables, spelling words, and reading should be all that a 3rd grader should be required to do. Remember, this age still needs 10-11 hours of sleep. How?

This is for geniemom. Your daughter sounds just like my son who is 14 now. If she doesn't want to go to school you might look into what's going on there as far as bullying, etc. She's feeling left out or not getting the attention she needs there. I'm going to guess that maybe she's on the shy side(?).

At our school, when a kid is out sick, they get at least that same amount of time to make up the work. The workload will be heavier for a couple weeks but the teachers should be accomodating when a kid gets sick and has to make up work.

Also, having a timer for writing down homework assignments and then erasing it is the most ridiculous thing ever! In elementary school? Are you kidding? Does your school have a website where they can post homework assignments? Do the teachers have email? I'd be working with that teacher to find a way to help your daughter get her assignments done. I am very familiar with the crying and frustration that comes when your child's learning style doesn't match the teacher's teaching style. You have to be the advocate for your child or the teachers will never "get it". Granted, some do get it already but many are just inexperienced or just plain set in their ways.

My son just started high school. He has struggled with homework in the past but this is a whole new challenge. He's bright enough but the workload gets to be overwhelming for him. I guess some kids just eat this stuff up and get all their work done pretty quickly. It has always been like pulling teeth for me with my son. He always does better with my help to keep him focused and on track. When he was in elementary school, we would get out our "brain food" which was either a pack of Smarties or some M & Ms while doing homework. All the little tricks do help for a while but I found that once in a while I had to come up with something new. Now that he's older, he argues and insists that he knows what works for him -such as, he can't think without the TV on! Just yesterday I had to hide the remote and disconnect the cable (I'm a working mom and not home til 5). Anyway, homework problems require constant vigilence and it can be exhausting for us parents. Try doing it in 20 min intervals or with soft instrumental music playing or in a bright room. Know what time of day your child does his best work, not when he's tired or hungry. You will find something that works for your kid. Sometimes a good old-fashioned "no nothing until those grades come up" can be very motivational, especially for a stubborn teen!

homework my daughter loves it she gets a homework package on Friday and it is due on Thursday. we do the homework over the weekend and hand it in on Monday i also make copies of the homework and we work on it threw the week because she does not get homework everyday... she loves it i also take the papers she brings home which is the work they worked on for that day and we go over it and the ones she has got wrong or was not able to finish we work on it when she gets in. she loves school. I hope when she gets to 1st grade this will still be the same attitude she has with school.. and she plays school at home all the time with her dolls...so i think that makes it alto better to do the work because she loves school.....

Hiking247, that sounds good. My other problem is getting my daughter up in the morning. She fights me every morning saying she doesn't feel well and wants to stay home. I try to make homework fun and make it challenging at the same time. I feel that if I can give her a chance to show me what she learned in school that day, that would give her a sense of accomplishment, but she gets frustrated and cries and tells me that she didn't understand what they did and that the teacher doesn't give them enough time to even write down the assignments. Apparently, the teacher writes the assignment on the board and sets a timer. When the timer goes off she erases the board. Whatever the child hasn't finished writing doesn't get brought home. So we keep getting incompletes on homework! I'm at my wits end. I am so glad that we will be moving next week. Even though moving is stressful and I have a chronic illness, I really believe that this move will be a fresh start. The first thing I have already done is request an IEP for my daughter at the new school. Thanks for listening/reading. geniemom

In 3rd Grade, there is more this year than ever before. He has a hard time focusing some times, but gives it a good try after school. Then occasionally, it's just too much - he has to go play, then come back to it, sometimes the next morning before the bus arrives.

So far, so good! My kids really love school - so I use homework as an opportunity to talk and learn about their experience sat school as a whole - what they've learnt that day, who they've met and what they did. It makes for wonderful conversation and homework then becomes less of a chore.

As I have said before, homework is a hair pulling event (my own hair, not my daughter's). She was just out of school sick for an entire week, so we are really behind now. I am beside myself and need any helpful suggestions to try and make homework fun and easier to accomplish. Any ideas are welcome! HELP! geniemom

Homework is going great! Its a challenge trying to balance work, household chores and finding time to help with homework. As a single parent I think I find it more stressful, but in the end my child has fun with homework and feels go to accomplish the assigments. I do feel that the work load is a bit overwhelming for my child on a daily basis - where is the time to play and be a child?

both of my children are actually doing really good with finishing their homework and turning it in on time. We usually sit together at the table before dinner time so they can go over it and show what their doing in class.

GREAT!! MY CHILD IS IN SECOND GRADE AND GETS A LOT OF HOMEWORK. THIS YEAR SHE GOES TO AN AFTERCARE AT THE BEE ACADEMY. THEY MAKE SURE ALL HOMEWORK IS COMPLETED CORRECTLY!! THEY ALSO ASSIST WITH PROJECTS AND DO TUTORING IN SUBJECTS SHE MAY NEED HELP IN. WHEN I PICK HER UP WE NOW CAN HAVE DINNER, PLAY, READ AND JUST ENJOY EACH OTHER.

My 1st grader complains on a daily basis about doing homework, but he gets it done on time, every time. My 2nd grader on the other hand receives almost no homework and I have to find educational activities to keep him busy.

not well ... my son is turning 4 in a month, he just started pre-school, and he's missed 1 month of school already due to his age, i'm trying to help him catch up, he's being tested next week on his vowels ... please help!

My son is autistic, homework last the hole night and some mornings. His younger brother is angry, he says i never spend time with him. It's true, he's very smart. we have a iep setup. His teacher still pile the homework.

My son attends a public school in Maryland that has a Spanish Immersion program. He was doing fine from kinder until 3rd grade. This year his teacher only gives him math homework which takes him 10 min.
Last year he got 30 min. of homework which consisted in math, vocabulary, cursive, and of course 20 min additional of reading.
I am not happy about the teacher's policy of not giving "too much homework". To me she is not giving enough homework. As a parent, I think it is important for the child to review what he is doing in class; besides I get to see what he is learning.
In 3rd grade he also had spelling quizes every other week; that is not the case this year. Therefore, I am in my search for another school.

Have you tried to talk to the teacher and find out why there is so much work and what can be done to make it easier for the child. Try that it just might work!

As a parent, I think it is important that our children are given the best possible option to become a well rounded citizen. I don't think in my opinion that homework should be overwhelming for the child. Try and speak to the childs' teacher, have them either reduce the amount of work or break it up in segments. As for me I like to know that my child has room in his life for other things other than school work. There has to be a balance in their lives.

Homework is a nightly nightmare! I'd appreciate any helpful feedback that any of you can provide. My daughter is in 3rd grade. She is back in a CPS school, due to an unavoidable living situation. We didn't' have a good time when she attended this school two years ago and we are off to a bad start again. The only brightness is that we are moving out of state within the month. She will be going to a Valparaiso school, which according to this site (a life saver to me), is a very good school system. I cannot wait. However, we are here now and I need help surviving the next few weeks while we are here. This is the first time I've actually written a post, I usually just read. I'd like to join the momtourage. Not only will my daughter be moving to a new school and neighborhood, but so am I. I've isolated myself so much due to a chronic pain condition, that all I do is go to doctors, physical therapy and help my daughter with school and homework. I'm hoping the move will be a fresh start for all of us. But I digress. My daughter 's 30 minutes of assigned homework turns into 2-3 hours of frustrating agony. Just short of doing the work myself, I've tried so many different approaches and am pulling my hair out. I dream about the day that she can just sit down and do her homework, have me check it and do the appropriate corrections and move on and actually have a peaceful night with some enjoyable family time. This seems like a far off fantasy. The school she is in is helping very little. She has been referred for special "In-school-based programming" but has been pulled out of class once since the meeting two and half weeks ago. Can anyone relate? Geniemom

My child is in the first grade, and I don't understand why they have so much homework

My grandchild is having a hard time with having so much homework. It is so much that he hardly has time to play in the evening. I think these teachers need to realize that they work hard enough in school. They need a break in the evening time and on weekends. Sure study for test but not all this homework. My gandson is in the 3rd grade at Pecan Park in Ocean Springs.

My child is in kindergarten and is doing fine with the homework but it seems like her class does soo much paperwork during the day I feel like I just want to give her a break after school and let her relax or play.

I would email or call the teacher and ask why she had so much writing. Then during the discussing with her teacher, tell her she was not introduced to cursive writing in the 2nd grade. I have noticed that from when my own children were in school, as now I'm raising my granddaughter, the work and learning has been increased in the grades they are now in. We, as Americans, are a bit behind the learning curve compaird to the other side of the world. I've lived over seas in different countries and the children there are expected to learn cursive in 1st grade. In some of the countries and even printing by the time they are 4 and 5 years old, learning colors, printing and etc. I have noticed that with each year passing our children here are expected to learn things at a much earlier age and with parents helping them, it shouldn't be a problem. Parents must be involved with their children at an earlier age if they are expected to catch up with the other children in elementry school. I have also noticed the teachers do not give the kids more homework than they are expected to do if they do a little each night. If the kids put it off, or forget to show you what they have when they first bring it home, that is when I found it becomes a problem and a hassel. I hope this helps some.

Everyone's comments site various challenges but are overall positive. I'm still looking for the positive. My daughter 7 yrs. a 3rd. grader, in a new school is having some difficulites with homework quantity and time management. Both my husband and I work, she attends a wonderful afterschool program (we pick her up anywhere between 5:30-6:00pm) where they incorporate homework time. However, last week Friday she came home with about 30 pages of cursive writing she needed to complete by today. This is an average of 4 pages of cursive each day (she was not introduced to cursive writing in the 2nd grade) not including her daily assignements: Reading, math, language arts and spelling test preparation. I'm a little overwhelmed and she's already becoming fustrated. Any suggestions?

Thank you for the tip on sharing Mom's help with two kids who need it for homework! My first and third graders both need my help at times and I was having a frustrating time trying to bounce back and forth between them. I do find that they both have so much homework that there is little time for them to relax and play. I'm wondering if it's normal to have both math and language/reading worksheets to complete, 20 - 30 mins of reading, as well as math and sight word flashcards practice, and spelling word practice? What does everyone typically have for homework? Also how do you fit in any extracurricular sports/activities and eat and sleep as well?!?

Both of my kids (one in kindergarten and the other in 1st grade) are assigned daily homework from school. The homework packets for the week are sent home with them on Mondays and no assigned work due for Fridays.
This is our first completed week. It took some adjusting to fit both kids' "help" time on the first 2 days since they both wanted to do what the other was doing. I solved this by sitting one kid in front of the computer to do a game or an activity with Elmo on Sesame Street for 30 minutes or so until I was done with the other kid; then they'd switch places/rooms.
On a couple of days where their homework was similar and not too involved, they were actually able to work together in the same room. That was a happy day for me :)

I think my kids will adjust to the homework schedule assigned from school...me, another story. :D

My daughter is in first grade and has homework every night but Fridays. Our routine is that we ride our bikes home from school, so I let her then relax for 30 minutes before we go into the library (our spare room with the bookshelf, couch, and desk). In there she is not allowed to have any distractions (no pets, food, drinks, tv, radio...) Homework takes about 30 minutes, and then she has 30 minutes of reading. She was having trouble at first, but she gets points for doing her chores, and so many points earns her a reward (toy, book...) -- if she whines at all about doing her homework, she doesn't earn her homework point for the day!

My first grader puts off all home work. She will tell us she doesn't have any, yet she does. The teacher has it sent home on Friday and it is returned by Monday. So far she has turned it all in completed. She puts up such a fuss to do it. She doesn't bring her her agenda book that is supposed to be brought home daily. She tells us the teacher says "we don't have to bring it home". It's a book that the teacher writes how the student does for the day and if there are any problems or anything good going on. It is supposed to come home on a daily basis and go back to school for the next day's report. We have not found anything that will help her remember to bring it home.

The first week was a bit tough, getting back into a routine. Coming home, little snack, diving into the homework, when finished, letting her play.

My first grader has had a small amount of homework every night since the first night of school. He says he hates it and argues but he's doing it. It's a new concept for him. He was in a Montessori kindergarten and never had work to do at home. He doesn't like writing so that's part of the struggle. If it's coloring or cutting and gluing he's much happier.

I am a little apprehensive, my son has not received any homework to date. I know that there is an acclimation period so I am taking the wait and see approach until this weekend. My next appproach is to speak with the teacher regarding the syllabus and expectations throughout and upon completion of first grade.

My girls are handling their homework very well.They are excited about school as they have always been. In fact my 16 year old had to plan an event with a budget of $2800, for her business class.She researched banquet hall, their menus,and a DJ. She did a wonderful job.She did it with $367.50 left from her budget.
It was great to see her plan this .The event she planned was for a team that raised funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. It was a no cost dinner & dance outing for a job well done by the team.
She then gave the remaining funds left to the team as a donation to be added to their fund-raising efforts.
The assignment was great to see as she finished it. She even had pictures in the report.
To balance the load, well as of last evening the girls have not need any help form us. With one in college she assist her sister in she needs it. So we have a a very lite load so far.

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How well is your child handling homework?

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