How much do you help your 2nd grader with homework?

[Anonymous]

Tonight's homework was to write about a goal you accomplished with your family. My DC was stumped (and of course the attitude started). And it even took me a while to come up with some ideas. We talked about different ideas but in the end, I found myself essentially saying each sentence and him writing it down. I was glad for him to get writing and spelling practice but really wondered if I helped too much. Thoughts??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tonight's homework was to write about a goal you accomplished with your family. My DC was stumped (and of course the attitude started). And it even took me a while to come up with some ideas. We talked about different ideas but in the end, I found myself essentially saying each sentence and him writing it down. I was glad for him to get writing and spelling practice but really wondered if I helped too much. Thoughts??

Sometimes kids need help. Tell the teacher he got stuck and you helped him. I do the same thing all the time with my fourth grader. He needs help and he appreciates it when I help him.

[Anonymous]

Also, that was a weird assignment.

[Anonymous]

I think in second, it is fairly common for the kids to need help, especially with those type of assignments. Last year, my son would have needed similar help. But I at least would try to teach him the thought process - what do you want to say? What do you think it is important to mention? He would say "I don't know" and I would eventually cave and say, well how about saying you really liked the Washington Monument.

This year (third), he had a similar homework assignment to the one you mentioned, and he needed less help. I had to make a few suggestions on what to write about (he just had no idea what the assignment was about). But once he got it, he only needed a little prodding. You know, instead of saying a sentence, saying "maybe write about what you liked about it, maybe write about how it happened." And he could do the rest.

I sometimes wonder if the teachers aren't giving them directions for their homework, since they probably give out the same thing each year so it seems so obvious to them. There again, they could go over it for an hour and my son could just totally forget.

[Anonymous]

He usually does it on his own and I check after because there's usually something wrong. That assignment would've been a convo beforehand and he writes what we talked about. I try to let him pick his own ideas even if I don't think they're the greatest.