Homework in Kindergarten is ridiculous!!
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Anonymous
| My DC’s kindergarten and 1st grade teachers both told us that the daily 20min of reading included parents reading to children. So if you already read with your kids nightly, logging it shouldn’t be a huge burden. |
Anonymous
+1 Our first-grader does not have homework (NWDC). On Friday, we sometimes get a small assignment for over the weekend. One was, "We are going to make ABC books. Please help your child brainstorm a theme and a word for each letter." Or "We will be talking about numbers. Please help your child fill out this sheet asking how old they are, how tall they are, etc." There were like five items. So far, they are things we could do in 5-10 minutes, and we have all weekend or even longer. Otherwise, they recommend that you read to or with your child for 20 minutes a night, which is basically bedtime stories + a little independent reading while I'm making dinner. Older kids can do homework more independently--read the assignment, fill out the sheet, whatever. And many of them can likely get it done in aftercare. That's not true for little kids, who also have earlier bedtimes. |
Anonymous
Yes, I actually had to cram the summer before K because I didn't know all of my upper/lower case letters. Once K started I began to learn sounds which took some practice at home. I didn't have assigned reading but my parents read to me every night because that's what they did. Once I had my letters and sounds down I picked up reading easily. My own kids went into K knowing their letters/sounds and they brought home some simple homework during K plus some beginner reader books. We set aside a small amount of time each evening to do their homework. Within a few weeks they were reading. If we hadn't done any of the homework, they still would have learned how to read and do simple arithmetic that year, it just would have been a slower process for them. |
Anonymous
And I've talked to friends whose kids had homework in K. They might "squeeze it in," but they hate it and it's often stressful and miserable. Some of them don't do it, some of them will set a timer and do it for ten minutes and then just turn in however much gets done, and some of them make their kids do it all, but they don't all like it and many find it frustrating. We did not have any homework in K. It's definitely not universal. |
Anonymous
| Growing up in Asia, I have to laugh at these kinds of posts. 20 minutes a day of homework is nothing. This is why the US consistently ranks so low compared to other industrialized nations. |
Anonymous
Except that it's not. Research shows homework in the early years doesn't lead to academic improvement- so why do it? |
Anonymous
Yes. I agree. It is ridiculous. Especially your #4. Can you raise with the PTA? |
Anonymous
Lol it's all because those Asians did homework in Kindergarten! Oh wait - how do you account for those Finns then? Oops. |
Anonymous
Novelty vs eventual drudgery |
Anonymous
Agree with the Asian PP. Just because there's a weak/negligible association with academic outcomes doesn't mean it isn't useful for other purposes. We've found it helpful for knowing what our kid is actually working on, establishing a routine, and showing our kid that I'm interested in her work. It doesn't take long, and it's party of our pre-dinner routine. Also, just because there isn't a strong association overall, doesn't mean there isn't a stronger association for some types of students--for example, I'd imagine it'd be helpful for kids having difficulty with a certain topic, or kids from low SES backgrounds, etc. I've found it helpful for my kid, although she doesn't fit these categories (although I'm sure that at some point, she'll have a little difficulty with a concept, and HW will allow needed practice). Yes, we've had one teacher (PK4) that I felt assigned pretty unhelpful, "busy work" type HW assignments, but overall the HW has been worthwhile for the reasons above. |
Anonymous
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I want to stick THIS thread, among others, so I can link to it whenever you people with options say with a straight face:
Private school in elementary is silly. There is no appreciable difference between a JKLMxyz and an independent school for the early years - save your money. Ross/Janney/Brent is just like getting a private school education for free!!!!!!!!!!! |
Anonymous
PP here. Further, not ALL studies have found no relationship between HW and academic outcomes at the elementary level--some have found that a weak relationship exists, and that gets stronger in middle. Other studies have also found a significant relationship in elementary students for certain subjects. For example: Our investigation revealed that there was an overall small and positive relationship between homework and academic achievement in math/science. Our investigation further revealed that the homework – achievement relationship in math/science was stronger for elementary and high school students than for middle school students. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1747938X16300628 So it seems inappropriate to conclude that there are NO positives for HW practice when the studies are inconclusive in this regard. I agree that HW should be given in manageable amounts, if given at all, but I reject the notion that there are no benefits. |
Anonymous
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If you're not going to do it, I would schedule time with the teacher to discuss. For me, part of the deal is that I put my trust and respect in my children's teachers. That doesn't mean I abdicate my own judgement or opinion, but it means that I work hard to develop a relationship with their teachers and to reinforce the relationship between my child and their teachers. Homework is part of that.
I feel like part of what has gotten minimized here is that it is due weekly. That means that you don't actually have to cram it in on weeknights, if you can't do it. You could have Saturday morning homework time. For our K student (who, yes, has homework), it's about how we position it - so it's not a stressor, it's not a big deal, it's just a responsibility that he has. Akin to setting the table or putting away his toys. I do happen to think right-sized responsibilities are a good thing for kids and that's where I get value out of his having homework. The amount is not a lot for him on a daily basis, so that's how we do it, though it is also due weekly. |
Anonymous
+1 Although I must mention, I had little to no hw in K. First grade, in the other had, was HW every night until dark. I immigrated to the US and had my long division down while the kids here were doing 2+2. Unreal. |
Anonymous
| If my son gets homework in K and it is stressful we will not do it. I am a rule follower but have read enough to know it's not worth the stress at that early age. He truly is exhausted from school. I will talk to the teacher about it. |