Are there any other moms who oppose HOMEWORK?

[daycaremommy]

I am at my wits end. I am fuming mad. I just spent the last 35 minutes with my grade 2 son and homework. It ended with him in tears, the homework still not completed AND now a damper on the entire night.

Why do kids have so much homework? It is ridiculous to expect a 7 year old to sit in school all day and then come home and do 30 plus minutes of homework.

The other problem I have is all the "foo-foo" stuff they do when they could be learning and therefore not needing home work.

Last week they spent the entire morning doing the Terry Fox run. I mean, come on! I have nothing against fund raising and Terry Fox but if you have time to have kids in school running around a track all morning then why, why,why do you not have time to cover the curriculum and not have homework???

Seems to me that if the school can't fit all the necessary learning and teaching into a day then they should not be doing any of the extras.

I am ready to petition to get this changed I am so upset.

I want FAMILY time with my kids at the end of the day. I want to be able to go for a walk with them or read a story....NOT fight at the kitchen table because some teacher wants my child to create a pattern and name the core....blah, blah,blah....

I am seriously thinking of homeschooling.

Anyone else share my sentiment??

[mum_of_four]

My kids aren't old enough for homework yet but I'm dreading it. Your comment on family time has really rung true here. I already have little time with them (although I'm with them 24/7, it isn't what I would call "quality time"), I don't want to spend it fighting over homework! So hypocritical anyway - aren't we always being told to leave our work at work so family time is family time, and yet.....

If you start a petition I'd sign it!

[bikruca]

not there yet but I think homework for 7 year olds is madness... good luck finding a solution!

[Liisa]

I have always heard that primary grades are supposed to have 15 minutes of homework a night. I think it's mostly meant to instill the habit so they are prepared as they get older. My dh goofs off in class a lot and as a result often has a half-hour or more at night, most of it work he could have completed in class. It's annoying, yes, but hopefully he will learn that he has to concentrate more in school or he'll be missing out on a lot of fun stuff at home.

[Zoo]

It's so hard, isn't it? And we're supposed to be able to help them, well excuse me I'm a university educated professional and I can't do their damn math. I work all day, have to make dinner and bathe & put to bed 3 kids, not to mention karate, I HATE THE HOMEWORK.

I don't know, though. I always had it, I always did it. It's funny though that we're telling grown-ups not to bring their work home with them and yet our kids are supposed to.

We have 3 adults in the house too - I always wondered, if WE struggle, how is a single working mom supposed to do it?

[MrsB]

the amount of homework usually depends on how much is done within the classroom, at least this is my experience. I tend to give a workload to my students that will take about 1/2 of the allotted time. I teach grade 7's English and Social Studies. I get 50 minutes for each subject and I teach 3 different classes. So, I will do some kind of ingaging acivity for the first 5-10 minutes, then I will do the lesson for another 10-15 minutes, then the students have the remainder of the class to do the assinged work. If they choose not to do it during the allotted class time, then they need to finish it for homework. Or if they are struggling with a concept and need the extra help in class, they will then need to use home time to finish the assignment. Generally I was taught to have about 10 minutes of homework per grade level up to a max of 1 hour. So if you have a child in grade 2, then 20 minutes a night is appropriate and acceptable. And if my students in grade 7 have homework, it is no more than one hour. But since I only teach them 2 subjects I usually limit the homework to 20 minutes between both classes. If you are having concerns with the amount of work your child is bringing home, contact the teacher for a meeting to see why your child is coming home with so much, see if it is the entire class that has the same amount or possibly it could be that your child isn't using class time efficiently. I don't know the situation, that is why I suggest calling and making arrangements to speak with the teacher.

[amyunicorn]

I agree that you may be running into the fact that the child isn't completing his assignments in school and therefore must bring them home. My dd has daily homework assignments (usually takes her between 15-25 mins a night), and would have any incompleted assignments from the day to finish up. At this point she hasn't brought anything home. Call and arrange for a time to talk to the teacher about this.

[one ordinary girl]

I am not sure yet how I feel about homework. Although I am dreading it. Camryn brings home an I CAN READ book on Fridays we have till Tuesday to bring it back. It consists of 1 sheet to be read together so about 5 - 10 mins of work a week. She's in SK. but we are alreay butting heads over it. She wont' try very hard for me. I spoke with the teacher and she says Camryn works hard in class. I told dh he may have to be the homework helper since when dd reads with hims she trys harder than with me. I don't really think homework should be more than review of what was taught in class. Not extra stuff. I feel reading each night is important so I dont' ahve issues with that. Ask me this question again when she gets to grade 1

[PalmTree]

Luckily we haven't had to deal with much homework. My DS is also 7 yrs in grade 2 and brings home a short book to read each night as "homework". So far, that has been it. He said that if they don't finish their work in class, they miss recess (which I think is a bigger threat than bringing it home! lol) I'm not really sure what to suggest, I wouldn't be happy about that much homework either.

[daycaremommy]

I agree that you may be running into the fact that the child isn't completing his assignments in school and therefore must bring them home. My dd has daily homework assignments (usually takes her between 15-25 mins a night), and would have any incompleted assignments from the day to finish up. At this point she hasn't brought anything home. Call and arrange for a time to talk to the teacher about this.

NO, NO, NO....this is actually homework that is 'standard'. Meaning that he got a binder of math homework assignments sent home at the beginning of the year for the entire year. Each day of math homework is listed in this binder. You have to complete it and send it all back at the end of every month.

PLUS....he has standard reading or language homework every night too. This is also set out for the year. We find out the words a month in advance and he has to practice writing and spelling them everynight.

AND, this is ON TOP of anything he might not finish in class.

Simply Crazy if you ask me. He is only 7 years old!

YOu know, I don't like McGuinty and I did not vote for him but in one small way I am glad he got in again as he has 'promised' to enlist a rule for homework guidelines of only 10 minutes per grade level.

[momof2and2]

I have 3 in school full time.

The youngest in grade 1, she doesn't have much but does have her book bag that needs done everynight...sometimes colouring, and math...next

My youngest son grade 5...Some scarey stuff coming home with him. He has a book report due on Monday, he has a project at the end of the month due worth 100 marks...this is crazy and way too much for a kid to do...its a government project...
~candidate name
invent a political party
~candidate bio
~election platform
~election flyer
~campaign itinerary (a full month, including times and location)
~radio advertusement
~election poster/ lawn sigh
~pin/button to wear and slogan

Aside from all of this, he has reading everynight for 20 minutes..math homework.

My oldest in grade 6

math homework, sometimes social studies. reading is not a part of his nightly things to do, but in my house it is. he has to read for at least 20 minutes a night.

The oldest has it the easiest.


**I will say their math home work....WOW...thank goodness for google.com LOL


My nights are crazy..they get home at 350pm and ends at or around 830 for the older ones

lunch bags emptied/ice pacs away
tv or game for 30 minutes (unwind time)
dinner make
dinner eat
homework, homework, homework...in all about 2 hrs worth
dishes
laundry (school clothes)
showers/baths
reading homework
bed

[mom2two]

As a teacher (and mom), I agree that homework for homework's sake is ridiculous. If a child has a good understanding of concepts covered in class, then homework should not be necessary. I believe that adequate time should be given in class to work on larger projects in older grades, but if time has not been spent wisely by students then some work may have to go home. These older students must also develop a work ethic and study skills for high school and beyond. I think *some* homework can do much to nurture these skills, but clearly there is a fine balance.

I have had many parents of my SK students *ask* for homework. I frequently tell these parents that kids need time to be kids and that I recognize that home life can be chaotic at the best of times. Never should homework be a 'chore'; the last thing kids need is to be turned off learning by irrelevant homework assignments! I guess you really can't please all of the people all of the time

Since basic literacy skills are a focus for us in class, I suggest that parents spend time reading and talking to their child everyday. Some consider this homework; I consider it good parenting. My students however, do love getting 'worksheets' (for which I am not a big fan of in the first place) so I include them occasionally in their communication bags but suggest that they are not necessary. However, this does give students the opportunity to realize that learning does not simply take place in school and that there should be a continuum between there and home. Very infrequently do I include work that should be completed. This is reserved for students who are lacking basic skills and require extra practice in order to continue successfully.

As for the suggestion that events such a Terry Fox are 'fou fou' or 'extras', I wholeheartedly disagree. These are opportunities for children to learn generosity and compassion, and are occasions for building a sense of community within a school (not to mention physical activity!) These, IMO, are more important to the overall development of our children than anything else if we hope to raise and educate nurturing/caring adults.

Carly.

[princess2808]

I volunteered in a 2/3 class each week last year (this year it is a gr 6 class).

- Last year: I don't recall them having nightly homework. I could be wrong since I was only there half a day each week (could have just not had it from that time KWIM) but I never saw them handing in things. The only time I saw them bring things home was for assignments (they did a project comparing London to another city in the world of their choice once, an animal another time etc about one every 2 months kind of thing). They even asked permission to bring a book home and work on it at home.

- This year: They have a daily math and language assignment but it is for in class. Sort of the winddown thing for right in the morning and then he takes it up right away. They have things listed on chart paper each day what the homework is/ things to tell their parents about and it rarely has more than 2 things (one of which is usually $ for some field trip or a newsletter). They do have about one thing a night (not every night) where he does a completed/not completed check. Also French a few times a week. Also could be missing something here becuase I'm only there 1/2 day a week. They have done 2 small assignments that I have seen (a collage and a french resentation on their family).

[Cooper's Mom]

Oh my goodness! My kids are far from being in school but I barely did any homework myself until I was in college so I can't imagine having to do that much with my 7 year old. This might make the whether to have a third child debate easy because I don't want to have three kids doing tons of homework every night with only two parents to help. Ahhhhh! I hate math!

[Donna]

I'm at the stage that 'my' homework is done, with my youngest entering highschool this year finally! Well the nagging and being close at hand while they are doing the work has ended. I am a single mom of three but their father never was the 'homework helper dad' and we split when the oldest was in gr 4 (now in college). I've jokingly said that I've been through grade school 4 times now (once for myself and 3 with them). I was lucky that my older two grasp the lessons quickly and usually on their own, so by the time the last was in that grade, I still remembered what was expected (ie. book talks, projects) and could give her more guidience. I found that different teachers expected different things and ran 'their' classroom differently and as a student (and parent) they are the ones that have to adjust each year. (I hate Sept/Oct for this). Yes, most nights I spent 'doing' homework with each of them. But that was my choice. As much as I hate to say it (and you don't want to hear it) grade school is the time to 'train up' your kids, because high school homework is constant and lots of it! With the semester system they can't miss a couple of days in a row or they fall behind. There is SO much stress put on these kids compared to when I went and its not the teachers don't care, but they don't have the time to care either. The government regulates the expectations of what the student is required to learn before passing and if you think the class sizes are large in grade school, check out the high schools. So.... I do feel homework is required, but there are also guidelines to the amount according to the grade ( and should be for the learning style of the child). I have written more than a couple of notes to a teacher (or few) why homework wasn't completely completed due to some reason (ie. hockey game or even just too much) and always include my phone number. Invest this time in your kids, so that they can succeed later.