do you review homework?

[Anonymous]

DS's 6th grade teachers strongly recommend parents look over homework, because it's "an easy way to produce better grades." I don't think they're suggesting we give answers, but more point out where things might be wrong or accidentally missed. Is this normal?

[Anonymous]

As a teacher, I'm surprised by this. I want students' unchecked work so I can see what they are able to accomplish on their own. A lot of the work I do involves putting students into groups based on what they need to learn and giving them corresponding support or materials. I don't need the additional headache of great homework and bad taste grades. It's more helpful to have a consistent performer.

Have you talked to other parents? What do they think?

As a parent, I have two very different kids in terms of their academic abilities, so my approach to their HW differs. With the more competent one, I check in every so often on writing to share advice, but that's it (also, that kid will often show me their HW for feedback.) With my more challenged kid, I sometimes look it over to prompt him to put in a missing word, spell something he knows how to spell, etc. But doing it for the purpose of improving their grades, esp in 6th grade, sends the wrong message on all kinds of fronts and, again, interferes with the teachers' ability to do their jobs, in my opinion.

[Anonymous]

** Sorry, I meant "bad test grades," not "bad taste grades"! Though giving them grades for bad taste would be kind of interesting...

[Anonymous]

In 6th grade, DD and her friends relied on each other and their classmates. She would occasionally ask me for feedback (not just on her work, but her friends' as well).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a teacher, I'm surprised by this. I want students' unchecked work so I can see what they are able to accomplish on their own. A lot of the work I do involves putting students into groups based on what they need to learn and giving them corresponding support or materials. I don't need the additional headache of great homework and bad taste grades. It's more helpful to have a consistent performer.

Have you talked to other parents? What do they think?

As a parent, I have two very different kids in terms of their academic abilities, so my approach to their HW differs. With the more competent one, I check in every so often on writing to share advice, but that's it (also, that kid will often show me their HW for feedback.) With my more challenged kid, I sometimes look it over to prompt him to put in a missing word, spell something he knows how to spell, etc. But doing it for the purpose of improving their grades, esp in 6th grade, sends the wrong message on all kinds of fronts and, again, interferes with the teachers' ability to do their jobs, in my opinion.

This was pretty much my thought. Kid doesn't actually want me looking over their homework, either.

[Anonymous]

I am pretty sure in 6th grade all homework was not graded besides a grade for turning it in. So kids were encouraged to check their work with a friend, their parents, online, whatever. Because the focus was on them using it to learn. Maybe that is what your school meant but said it wrong.

[Anonymous]

I didn’t in 6th grade. I think math could hav been so much better if I had.

So I will in 7th.

I understand the point about teachers seeing where you went wrong.

However, she’s got 100+ students. Let’s assume not everything is getting back to my kid.

Not reviewing led to poor quiz scores. I think homework is a chance for me to catch, for her to re-try, and understand how to do better next time.

[Anonymous]

6th grade? Not a chance unless a problem develops

[Anonymous]

Could the teacher have meant review with student when sent back? We did this and helpful to reinforce spelling and math so errors did not repeat.

[Anonymous]

Nope. And I’m going to be honest, my kid was talking about something they were doing in math yesterday and I know for sure it is beyond my math capabilities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nope. And I’m going to be honest, my kid was talking about something they were doing in math yesterday and I know for sure it is beyond my math capabilities.

In 6th grade?? That’s pathetic.

[Anonymous]

No. I don’t know if my son ever got or did hw in 6th. He never showed me any. My daughter said she occasionally had some but had time to finish in school. Very light hw, almost none, until HS. I rarely helped my son then. Only when he asked.

[Anonymous]

I think that’s a good suggestion. If you check it, you can talk through any mistakes, and it will help your child learn and therefore get better grades. The teacher probably doesn’t have time to do that level of explaining for each individual kid, so she’s outsourcing it to the parents.

[Anonymous]

Nope. Unless they specifically ask for help.

[Anonymous]

Nope! That’s the teacher’s job. Kids should handle their work independently, and if they get things wrong at least it’s middle school. Perfect time to learn the hard way.