homework in kindergarten

[Anonymous]

Does homework in kindergarten make a difference?

[Anonymous]

Not sure I understand your question? Do you mean in later life? In how well the child does later in school? Please clarify and then you may get some better feedback.

[Anonymous]

OP: I read that there is no long term outcome difference with homework before grade 3. So why are the Kindergarteners getting hit with 20 minutes a night. It takes some kids 45 minutes.

[Anonymous]

My three-year-old preschooler has homework! It's usually something pretty simple like writing a letter (a single letter, not composing anything) or drawing a shape or bringing in something that starts with the letter. Sometimes we do it, and more often we don't. I use her homework assignments as a way to be involved in what's she's learning, and if she's tired, or unwilling to do it, I don't push.

[Anonymous]

My first grader got homework - way too much for where he was developmentally.

Yes. It did a whole lot, but nothing good: turned him off to school.

I think he may have learned to read a few months earlier than he might have otherwise. Big woop.

[Anonymous]

Similar experience with pp.

[Anonymous]

My kindergarten has homework two times per week. Very simple things, like write a sentence using a particular letter, or write numbers 1-25. She seems okay with it, even happy to do it mostly. Good or bad, only time will tell. Our school does this to get them use to homework in first grade.

[Anonymous]

We do not have homework in kindergarten unless the child has not accomplished his/her assigned work during the day. So every now and then we finish up a worksheet and send it back. I chose our school in part because it has a humane homework policy.

[zumbamama]

My DS is assigned 15 minutes of reading 4 nights a week. Then he has to write the titles down of the books he reads and turn that in every Monday. I think this kind of homework is perfectly fine and keeps him engaged in reading and writing outside of school, and also gives us bonding/learning time together. He has a sheet of words from which he must choose 3 words with different phonetic sounds, and illustrate them. Once in awhile he will bring home a poem where he has to underline all the rhyming words. He has a week to complete all of it, so it's not a big rush everynight. Piece of cake for him...sometimes I wish it were a little more challenging or that they would offer some math-based hmwk too, even if it's justing counting money or something. So I enrolled him in piano... now he can read music and count the beats.

[Anonymous]

The "writing down the books we read" was very painful for us. If your kid is struggling with writing in an age-appropriate way (writing is new in kinder), complicated words like "Sendak" and "Scieszka" is too hard, and has no educational merit.

[Anonymous]

10:23, your point about piano is why I not sure about homework for the younger ones. This is the best time to explore talents and so on. My dd is in 4 different activities. Soon we will figure out what she would like to pursue. But I can't imagine having to worry about assignments now. She is not self motivated, so it would fall on me.

[Anonymous]

My DD has an optional "enrichment" assignment as well as a "challenge enrichment" in her kindergarten program. It's things like "write three things you like about a member of your family" or "draw a picture of a snowman and label the parts". It's pretty easy, but definitely has to be worked on together (ie, giving her the instructions and making sure she understands it). Each day might be 20 minutes tops to complete.

Her workbook is never graded, but is reviewed by the teacher on Fridays. She gets happy faces, praise, etc but she also gets corrections of any mistakes.

In first grade, the kids will have homework that is due and expected, so it's basically laying the foundation of a little time spent in the evening on homework.

Oh, and they are encouraged to read 20 minutes a day if they want to be a the readers club.

[Anonymous]

Kindergarten homework should not take longer than 10 - 15 minutes tops. From a teacher standpoint, the benefits would be to give the parents an idea of what is going on in the classroom and to help prepare the student for increasing homework as they move through school. The unofficial guidelines are 10 minutes of homework per grade plus 10 minutes for kindergarten. (example: 4th grade: (10 x 4) + 10)

[Anonymous]

But does it have to be every night? Once a week should suffice?

[Anonymous]

I used to teach 2nd grade and I hated that I had to give homework. My school's policy was about 30 minutes worth but I knew for some of my students it could take them over an hour to complete the assignments. You had some parents who begged for more. I only assigned M-TH and refused to on Fridays. I felt it was more important for my students to spend time with their families and just not have to worry about school.