Does it get better in fourth grade?

[Anonymous]

I keep on hearing that third grade is always a shock, but fourth grade will be much better...please share your experience!

[Anonymous]

What do you mean?

In general, the academics/pace/homework ramp up in third and fourth. But in fourth they're generally learning more new material.

This is true for both AAP and gen ed, btw.

[Anonymous]

The workload is intense. Too much homework, quizzes. Is all about the grades. I've heard this intensity decreases in fourth grade.

[Anonymous]

The amount of social studies ALL kids in 4th grade have to learn is insane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The workload is intense. Too much homework, quizzes. Is all about the grades. I've heard this intensity decreases in fourth grade.

It isn't like this for my child at all. Talk to parents at your school, as this obviously varies from school to school. For us, the intensity really increases in fifth grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The workload is intense. Too much homework, quizzes. Is all about the grades. I've heard this intensity decreases in fourth grade.

It isn't like this for my child at all. Talk to parents at your school, as this obviously varies from school to school. For us, the intensity really increases in fifth grade.

I have. They agree is too much.

[Anonymous]

Yes - third grade in our AAP center was insane. We actually switched back to our local level IV because of it (and a few other reasons). There is not reason for an AAP third grader to need to do 20 worksheets a day. None.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes - third grade in our AAP center was insane. We actually switched back to our local level IV because of it (and a few other reasons). There is not reason for an AAP third grader to need to do 20 worksheets a day. None.

I want to switch my daughter when the school year I over, but somehow the school has convinced her that she'll be bored and not challenged if she switches schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes - third grade in our AAP center was insane. We actually switched back to our local level IV because of it (and a few other reasons). There is not reason for an AAP third grader to need to do 20 worksheets a day. None.

20 worksheets per day as homework or class work or a combination? In any case, that is excessive and that was not the case at all at our center where aap was seemingly identical to non-aap

[Anonymous]

Our AAP center was not one of the intense, challenging ones. However, in third grade they do have more work, mainly in math, because they're covering third and fourth grades at the same time. By fourth grade, they're just doing fifth grade math, so it's easier.

It's supposed to ramp up in sixth grade, to prepare kids for middle school. For one of our kids, it did, but by the time our other kid went through the same AAP center, the best teachers had quit because of a horrible new principal, and the AAP curriculum had been gutted and replaced with SOL practice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our AAP center was not one of the intense, challenging ones. However, in third grade they do have more work, mainly in math, because they're covering third and fourth grades at the same time. By fourth grade, they're just doing fifth grade math, so it's easier.

It's supposed to ramp up in sixth grade, to prepare kids for middle school. For one of our kids, it did, but by the time our other kid went through the same AAP center, the best teachers had quit because of a horrible new principal, and the AAP curriculum had been gutted and replaced with SOL practice.

That's exactly what it feels like...all geared toward SOL. I hate it.

[Anonymous]

We are considering a return to the base school for our child next year. It's the overall environment, not homework (which seems pretty light so no complaints there), which is leading us to ponder a switch back for fourth grade

14:34- Do you mind sharing what center your kids attended?

[Anonymous]

Hmm. DD has virtually no homework. Regular math worksheet each night and other than that mostly math facts practice and dreambox time. Reading log to keep but since she likes to read this is not really "work".

[Anonymous]

It is school/teacher dependent. My DC had a rough adjustment to the math in 3rd- was used to it being "easy" But both 3rd and 4th at our center with DC teacher has little to no homework.

Dc's counterparts at base school are inundated with homework and projects. Huge difference.

So depends on school/teacher

[Anonymous]

Intense? really?

My daughter is in AAP center. She spends 10 minutes a day on homework now in 4th grade. In 3rd it was probably closer to 15 (I don't include reading here as she reads all the time anyway)... There were 2 or 3 take home projects in 3rd grade, and zero so far in fourth. My daughter gets mostly 4s on her report card, a few 3s, so she is doing fine.