do you review homework?

[Anonymous]

My middle schooler gets very little feedback from their teachers. They would learn better if someone corrected their work. But it strains our relationships big time if parents try to do it.

Why don't teachers mark up assignments?

[Anonymous]

Yes, I checked the 6th grade math homework, mostly to make sure it is submitted on time. I’ll also occasionally spot check and if there is a mistake I’ll spend the time to explain. In my experience teachers won’t sit down to give feedback for any mistakes.

For larger homework projects sometimes I use it as a teaching tool for more complex math, and how to make a presentation etc. for example there was a homework about how to use math in games and took this opportunity to calculate the house edge in craps and how to present the results.

It probably depends on school, but for most there’s very little one on one time with the teacher. We don’t use any tutors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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?

Of course it would produce better grades but you’re not in 6th grade. It’s not a group project. If they miss things or make mistakes they should get bad grades and then figure it out. That’s very weird advice to me for that age. Middle school is the time to let them figure it out before their grades matter. If you are helping them at that age you’ll be helping them the whole way.

Or they can do and verify the homework on their own. If the parent finds there’s a mistake the kid can try again on their own. At this point, if there are still mistakes there could be a bigger problem with either the classroom teaching or the lack of a solid foundation. Both would require some kind of intervention, tutoring or outside enrichment.

I’m not sure leaving the child on their own is the right approach. I don’t trust the school to keep a close eye on my one child out of 25, and not all 6th graders have the executive function or maturity to realize when they need help.

Of course there are exceptions, but only relying on end of the year score cards to know how your child does in school is asking for trouble in later years.

[Anonymous]

I couldn’t help my six grader with math even if I wanted to. If they had difficulty and we went to Khan Academy.
I do have one deceive with dyslexia. I do read over her written homework. I make simple edits. Mostly because they will often swap papers and another student will review. It’s a source of embarrassment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Lol, if it makes you feel better to call me pathetic have at it. I’m a successful lawyer who hasn’t used any math beyond the basics in my career. She came home talking about slope and intercept and I don’t remember any of that, nor am I going to try and re-learn it.

Same here! And I’m a doctor. Have always been horrible at math.
Wonder what the PP does that makes him/her so much less pathetic than us…

[Anonymous]

I do because my kid has ADHD and terrible executive functioning skills, though he's bright, so if I don't help with organization and time management (including checking , my kid gets lost in the system.

[Anonymous]

If you have the time to check it over, check it over. It doesn't mean doing it for them. You point out the questions where they got the wrong answer or misinterpreted what was being asked, and then tell them to redo it. Anyone, including a teacher, who calls this cheating is just trying to make themselves feel better about being a lazy parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Lol, if it makes you feel better to call me pathetic have at it. I’m a successful lawyer who hasn’t used any math beyond the basics in my career. She came home talking about slope and intercept and I don’t remember any of that, nor am I going to try and re-learn it.

Same here! And I’m a doctor. Have always been horrible at math.
Wonder what the PP does that makes him/her so much less pathetic than us…

You’re not a doctor. Claiming you’re a doctor on DCUM doesn’t make you one.

[Anonymous]

For one kid, only with writing when they ask.

For the other kid, would only confirm that it was done, until I realized they were putting down anything just to check the box and get back to fun stuff. I don’t give correct answers, but will make them go back until they get it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you have the time to check it over, check it over. It doesn't mean doing it for them. You point out the questions where they got the wrong answer or misinterpreted what was being asked, and then tell them to redo it. Anyone, including a teacher, who calls this cheating is just trying to make themselves feel better about being a lazy parent.

But you would have to read the entire text, assignment or be present for class to know whether the answer is correct or not. Usually the answers are not simple. They’re compare/contrast. Relate XYZ to ABC. What evidence in the text supports the claim of blah blah. It’s not an insignificant amount of time to leaf through all the material to find the supporting evidence. Hopefully kids can do this on their own. My kids’ teachers are very thorough and clear, and ideally parents don’t need to double check their work!

[Anonymous]

I take a look (only math) and think to myself, what is this American crap and what's the point of it. I don't look for mistakes, I leave those for the teacher.
Then we go and do the foreign math. I wish 'math is math'.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Lol, if it makes you feel better to call me pathetic have at it. I’m a successful lawyer who hasn’t used any math beyond the basics in my career. She came home talking about slope and intercept and I don’t remember any of that, nor am I going to try and re-learn it.

Same here! And I’m a doctor. Have always been horrible at math.
Wonder what the PP does that makes him/her so much less pathetic than us…

I'm a waiter who retired early having made minimum wage most of my life, and all that thanks to math. Good for you all for going to school for years and then making lawyer/doctor money. Knowing math is important to those of us who don't want to go to school forever, or have a calling.
I made the money using 9th grade math only. The math is from abroad though, but math is still important. It has been more important than all the effing languages (7), and the arts, and humanities program I suffered through. Wasn't too bad, but nobody told me that all i needed was a little cash and a little math to have a good life.

[Anonymous]

That would stress out both me and the kids. No way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That would stress out both me and the kids. No way.

Exactly. I teach my kids to have agency and they do not want me breathing down their neck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I check for completeness, not accuracy.

+1. This is all I do with my middle schoolers. Of course if they don’t understand something they ask for my help or sometimes will ask me to quiz them for Spanish or spelling but that’s it