Why are parents now expected to help with all their kids' homework?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here again. I help my kids for 2-3 hours each night (after a 10 hour workday). 1 hour would be acceptable.

We all do it and don't like it, but accept it. What if parents rallied together at school district meetings and said "this is unacceptable. Find a way to teach our kids better."

As several of you posted, they don't do drills anymore. They don't take time reviewing homework. They don't focus enough on the core skills- they fill the day with nonsense. Our school year is too short compared to the rest of the world (thanks teachers' unions) We have to supplement all summer long.

I'm a teacher and I have seen a lot of blame placed on unions before but this is new. I'm interested in how it is the fault of the unions that our school year isn't longer. To make it longer, they would need to pay to put a/c in all of the schools. Then they would need to come up with more money to pay teachers to work the additional days. Hmmm. Could it be that this is simply too expensive? Parents complain about paying for school supplies for goodness' sake. I doubt they would want their taxes hiked up a lot more for more instructional days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here again. I help my kids for 2-3 hours each night (after a 10 hour workday). 1 hour would be acceptable.

We all do it and don't like it, but accept it. What if parents rallied together at school district meetings and said "this is unacceptable. Find a way to teach our kids better."

As several of you posted, they don't do drills anymore. They don't take time reviewing homework. They don't focus enough on the core skills- they fill the day with nonsense. Our school year is too short compared to the rest of the world (thanks teachers' unions) We have to supplement all summer long.

Why does it take you so long to help with homework?

I have K and 2nd grader. I help out with instructions and homework takes 5-20 minutes per kid.

[Anonymous]

You are not expected to do it for them, so if you are making diaramas, posters, book reports, projects, etc, you need to back off and let your kid do it. So it doesn't look perfect or how you would do it? Good, it is supposed to be a kid's work...and teacher's know when the kid or parent has done the work.

As for general, nightly homework, just read the instructions. That is all, if there is a larger issue you need to let the teacher know. The school-home relationship is a partnership/collaboration, so talk to the teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My K child never had homework last year.

That said, I absolutely had homework as a kid in the DMV from 1st on up. By about mid first grade, your child should be able to read most of the instructions. That said, helping a child with homework is something you need to be prepared for from now until they graduate. This was always the norm around here, and I never knew anyone whose parents made excuses not to.

You plan on helping your high school senior with homework?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My K child never had homework last year.

That said, I absolutely had homework as a kid in the DMV from 1st on up. By about mid first grade, your child should be able to read most of the instructions. That said, helping a child with homework is something you need to be prepared for from now until they graduate. This was always the norm around here, and I never knew anyone whose parents made excuses not to.

+1 I even remember getting book report assignments over Christmas and Spring break.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My K child never had homework last year.

That said, I absolutely had homework as a kid in the DMV from 1st on up. By about mid first grade, your child should be able to read most of the instructions. That said, helping a child with homework is something you need to be prepared for from now until they graduate. This was always the norm around here, and I never knew anyone whose parents made excuses not to.

You plan on helping your high school senior with homework?

No. But if my kid was having trouble in one of his classes I would pay for a tutor once or twice a week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Global competition from kids who work harder than our's.

Nope, I don't buy it. My kids' school day only has 1.5 hours of reading/English and math, the rest is fluff. 1st-3rd grade doesn't need music, art, science (not real science), and social studies EVERY DAY. If I have to do 1 more diorama, I'll scream. If they were teaching more reading, writing and math at an early age, we would be globally competitive. Math doesn't even use timed tests or drills anymore to learn math facts, so we do it for an 1-2 hours at home every night.

PP here. I totally disagree with bolded, and yes, kids have more HW now a days because we are lagging academically on the PISA tests. This is why the curriculum has gotten harder, Kers are now expected to read at the end of K.

I don't know where you live, but I have two kids going ES through MCPS in MD (one now in MS). They do timed tests in school -- 1 to 2 minute math fact drills. And learning is not just about the 3 Rs. I'm happy that my kids have a more well rounded education in the early years. I don't know why you are having to do math at home for 1 to 2 hrs, but something's not right. My kids would do at most, 5 to 10min of math HW, if even that, from grades 1 to 3.

But I do think year round school would be more beneficial for kids' academics.

[Anonymous]

I would never have my preschooler do homework packets. That is completely inappropriate and I wonder if that school knows anything about how young children learn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My K child never had homework last year.

That said, I absolutely had homework as a kid in the DMV from 1st on up. By about mid first grade, your child should be able to read most of the instructions. That said, helping a child with homework is something you need to be prepared for from now until they graduate. This was always the norm around here, and I never knew anyone whose parents made excuses not to.

+1 I even remember getting book report assignments over Christmas and Spring break.

I remember that, as well, but that doesn't make it okay. It was wrong then & it's wrong now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a teacher and a mom of two. I teach high school and am also annoyed with the elementary homework that comes home. Last year I stopped helping my 2nd grader. Try what he can for a little while I was making dinner and that's it. If he didn't get to all of it or did it completely wrong we sent it back anyway. I never heard a thing. I believe homework is meaningless at such a young age.

I do the same. I'm not doing anyone any favors by working with child to make sure the homework is correct when the teacher needs to know that in fact child didn't understand it well enough to do it independently.

*1

AND I AM AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER
I beg of you, please tell me if your child cannot complete the homework independently. I do expect that the instructions be read to the child if the child cannot read, but I do not expect you to do homework alongside the child. If it takes longer than 15 minutes just write me a note "Larla could not complete the homework" and I will deal with it with Larla (not by punishing her but by finding out how and why). Please tell me at conferences that homework is awful for you.
FWIW, I hate elementary homework also.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would never have my preschooler do homework packets. That is completely inappropriate and I wonder if that school knows anything about how young children learn.

You also aren't likely to choose a school that requires homework in pre school for your child. So you won't have to deal with this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our school is very clear that they expect elementary parents to be involved in homework. We are supposed to help kids correct mistakes and then write the teacher a note to explain any problems the kids are having with the work. While I would be perfectly fine if they waited until later elememtary to assign homework, I do think it is my job as a parent to be involved in this sort of thing. You really do have to plan for it.

Teacher here. What? This is ridiculous. I'd feel terrible for my students parents. I love and respect my students parents as much as the children themselves and would hate to put this burden on them. Ugh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a teacher and a mom of two. I teach high school and am also annoyed with the elementary homework that comes home. Last year I stopped helping my 2nd grader. Try what he can for a little while I was making dinner and that's it. If he didn't get to all of it or did it completely wrong we sent it back anyway. I never heard a thing. I believe homework is meaningless at such a young age.

I do the same. I'm not doing anyone any favors by working with child to make sure the homework is correct when the teacher needs to know that in fact child didn't understand it well enough to do it independently.

*1

AND I AM AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER
I beg of you, please tell me if your child cannot complete the homework independently. I do expect that the instructions be read to the child if the child cannot read, but I do not expect you to do homework alongside the child. If it takes longer than 15 minutes just write me a note "Larla could not complete the homework" and I will deal with it with Larla (not by punishing her but by finding out how and why). Please tell me at conferences that homework is awful for you.
FWIW, I hate elementary homework also.

WHY ARE YOU GIVING HOMEWORK TO A CHILD WHO CANNOT READ?? ridiculous

[Anonymous]

All the research shows that homework in elementary school does not improve learning outcomes. We skip it. My kids are way ahead of grade level in reading and math and don't do homework.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a teacher and a mom of two. I teach high school and am also annoyed with the elementary homework that comes home. Last year I stopped helping my 2nd grader. Try what he can for a little while I was making dinner and that's it. If he didn't get to all of it or did it completely wrong we sent it back anyway. I never heard a thing. I believe homework is meaningless at such a young age.

I do the same. I'm not doing anyone any favors by working with child to make sure the homework is correct when the teacher needs to know that in fact child didn't understand it well enough to do it independently.

*1

AND I AM AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER
I beg of you, please tell me if your child cannot complete the homework independently. I do expect that the instructions be read to the child if the child cannot read, but I do not expect you to do homework alongside the child. If it takes longer than 15 minutes just write me a note "Larla could not complete the homework" and I will deal with it with Larla (not by punishing her but by finding out how and why). Please tell me at conferences that homework is awful for you.
FWIW, I hate elementary homework also.

WHY ARE YOU GIVING HOMEWORK TO A CHILD WHO CANNOT READ?? ridiculous

Because my school requires it. Teachers don't like, parents don't like it, principal requires it. What do you want from me? As much as I can I try to send home a shape sort or a something that does not require reading. I also spend 10 minutes explaining the homework and even practicing the homework. It's usually the exact same thing we do in class. If reading is required, it's one line: "circle all the letter Ps on this page". I know that despite my greatest efforts Larla still goes home and has no idea what to do and probably puts up a fight.
That's why I say, just don't do it. Write me a note, "miss smith, Larla could not this homework". And I will take it up with her. I truly mean it when I say that. It won't make me think you're a lazy and terrible parent.