Homework in Kindergarten is ridiculous!!

[Anonymous]

Bizarre. DS is in K at Murch and they have a no-homework policy.

[Anonymous]

OP, I'm pretty sure this isn't true. Are you mistaken? Are these sheets optional for your kid? My kids go to a "good" school in NW too and they don't do homework until 2nd grade at the earliest. And the school is too academic for my taste.

[Anonymous]

We got HW today too, and it consists of reading to our kid which we do anyway and some coloring worksheets where DC has to color the letter of the day and color matching objects. It’s totally busy work and definetly not necessary, but right now DC seems into it, so we will do it. If it’s a burden on your family, don’t do it and just explain to your kid that’s it’s not a big deal to not do HW in kindergarten.

Parents balk at this every year and it doesn’t change, so unfortunately I don’t think a petition will help hangs your situation. Some kids rally do need the practice, especially those that don’t come from a print rich environment. But again, if you don’t want to don’t do it. I am positive you won’t be the only one.

[Anonymous]

We have kindergarten homework at Lafayette. Just started so we'll see how it goes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't do it. Take the packet the day it is sent home. Write a note on it saying that in your family you are choosing to reinforce learning in other ways.

Send it back when it is due so your child has something to hand in.

OR - just throw it out. We did. Our upper NW school still allows us to re-enroll.

Totally agree. Do what’s right for you’re family and ignore PPs who try to shame you for working outside the home to to do things like, you know, put food on the table. You should probably let the teacher know not to expect homework packets completed regularly. Be kind. Don’t get up on your high horse though (ie don’t make most of the arguments in your OP to the teacher).

Oh please. Can you not read or are you just too busy being a martyr? Nobody is shaming working parents. Somehow thousands of other families are able to squeeze in some reading and worksheets under the very same circumstances so OP's argument doesn't hold water.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't do it. Take the packet the day it is sent home. Write a note on it saying that in your family you are choosing to reinforce learning in other ways.

Send it back when it is due so your child has something to hand in.

OR - just throw it out. We did. Our upper NW school still allows us to re-enroll.

Totally agree. Do what’s right for you’re family and ignore PPs who try to shame you for working outside the home to to do things like, you know, put food on the table. You should probably let the teacher know not to expect homework packets completed regularly. Be kind. Don’t get up on your high horse though (ie don’t make most of the arguments in your OP to the teacher).

Oh please. Can you not read or are you just too busy being a martyr? Nobody is shaming working parents. Somehow thousands of other families are able to squeeze in some reading and worksheets under the very same circumstances so OP's argument doesn't hold water.

I dont believe all kindergarteners get homework. Nowhere close. Seems like the very rare exception and PPs are right to be frustrated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone else agree that it's ridiculous for kindergartners to have daily homework? That this puts unreasonable stress on kids and families - ultimately being detrimental to both.

We go to a school in NWDC and KINDERGARTENERS are suppose to do daily worksheets (packets due weekly not daily), ST Math, and keep a reading log. At back to school night the teacher tried to assure us that it was just "20 minutes a day". Even if it doesn't take up more than 20 mins a day, that 20 minutes a day is

1) Taking away from the already vary short amount of family time that we get together.
(With work, we get from 6-8 with our children each day. That's important time to bond and to work with our children on their emotional needs and unique interests. Please don't take that away from us.)

2) Creating family discord
(Kindergartners are not at their best from 6-8 PM. "20 minutes" of work will require 20 minutes of nagging, reminders, encouragement, frustration, threats, tears)

3) Increasing mental load for parents with little ROI for kids
(The mental load for parents overseeing this is substantial. And there's no ROI. No study says that homework in Kindergarten improves overall education)

4) Creating unnecessary and detrimental competitiveness and labels among kids
(The teacher noted that kids know how far everyone gets in ST Math and that their identities start to form about being "good" or "bad" students)

Our friends who went through Kindergarten last year confirmed that it was a big issue for them for all the reasons noted above. I know there are educators who think this is ridiculous. I could tell our kindergarten teacher was unsure/uneasy about it. The hostility from parents in the room when this came up was palpable - our guts know it is wrong. This is HARMFUL not helpful to kids and to families.

Shame on DCPS. It's a detriment to DCPS reputation and trust among stakeholders.

I'm very tempted to just refuse to participate but my kid is a rule follower and that will devastate him. What to do? Get a petition going to make homework optional? How much support is out there for this?

It sounds like you should pull him out, if you hate this school's routine so much. Can he even read yet?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nope - the K kid who is exhausted and has to be in bed by 7:30 or 8 will grow into a 2nd or 3rd grader who can stay up another hour.

OP, I agree with you that anything more than "read to your child for 15 minutes a day" is overkill for homework in K.

+1.

My 1st grader doesn't even have homework (yet, at least. And none in K). He benefits more from physical exercise and sleep than from homework, guaranteed.
Op, I would talk to the teacher and the principal. A few minutes once a week is more than enough in K.

[Anonymous]

Do the homework for the kid (if you're right handed, write with your right to produce convincing letters). I often did that in K, to keep the teacher off my case. Fly under the radar on this one. Not worth making a fuss. March to your own drummer otherwise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't do it. Take the packet the day it is sent home. Write a note on it saying that in your family you are choosing to reinforce learning in other ways.

Send it back when it is due so your child has something to hand in.

OR - just throw it out. We did. Our upper NW school still allows us to re-enroll.

Totally agree. Do what’s right for you’re family and ignore PPs who try to shame you for working outside the home to to do things like, you know, put food on the table. You should probably let the teacher know not to expect homework packets completed regularly. Be kind. Don’t get up on your high horse though (ie don’t make most of the arguments in your OP to the teacher).

Oh please. Can you not read or are you just too busy being a martyr? Nobody is shaming working parents. Somehow thousands of other families are able to squeeze in some reading and worksheets under the very same circumstances so OP's argument doesn't hold water.

I feel like you're all insane; I can't fathom how you think this much homework is appropriate. I'm a sahm, and don't think Kindergartners or 1st graders should be required to do 20 minutes of homework a night. They should spend that precious time doing things they enjoy and getting physical exercise. If your child likes doing worksheets, great. But if it's a big fight every night, it's not worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I'm pretty sure this isn't true. Are you mistaken? Are these sheets optional for your kid? My kids go to a "good" school in NW too and they don't do homework until 2nd grade at the earliest. And the school is too academic for my taste.

I'm afraid it's TRUE. Though apparently it's a school by school basis not district wide.

If I find out I was mistaken in some way I will circle back to correct the record.

[Anonymous]

I don't think that a reading log and a math work sheet every night is that big of a deal. Kids learn through practice.

The homework, including reading, for a kindergartner shouldn't last longer than 30 minutes a night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't do it. Take the packet the day it is sent home. Write a note on it saying that in your family you are choosing to reinforce learning in other ways.

Send it back when it is due so your child has something to hand in.

OR - just throw it out. We did. Our upper NW school still allows us to re-enroll.

Totally agree. Do what’s right for you’re family and ignore PPs who try to shame you for working outside the home to to do things like, you know, put food on the table. You should probably let the teacher know not to expect homework packets completed regularly. Be kind. Don’t get up on your high horse though (ie don’t make most of the arguments in your OP to the teacher).

Oh please. Can you not read or are you just too busy being a martyr? Nobody is shaming working parents. Somehow thousands of other families are able to squeeze in some reading and worksheets under the very same circumstances so OP's argument doesn't hold water.

I feel like you're all insane; I can't fathom how you think this much homework is appropriate. I'm a sahm, and don't think Kindergartners or 1st graders should be required to do 20 minutes of homework a night. They should spend that precious time doing things they enjoy and getting physical exercise. If your child likes doing worksheets, great. But if it's a big fight every night, it's not worth it.

I don't think anyone is taking the recommendation of a SAHM over that of an educator.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think that a reading log and a math work sheet every night is that big of a deal. Kids learn through practice.

The homework, including reading, for a kindergartner shouldn't last longer than 30 minutes a night.

And, for the record, I'm a SAHM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think that a reading log and a math work sheet every night is that big of a deal. Kids learn through practice.

The homework, including reading, for a kindergartner shouldn't last longer than 30 minutes a night.

And, for the record, I'm a SAHM.

What if you weren't?