How much homework in elementary?

[Anonymous]

How much homework do your kids have in their elementary schools? Does this differ by public vs. private? Do the schools that think they are more "rigorous" assign more homework?

I wonder if DS will have better luck at a different school or if we should switch to private. I am so sick of the amount of homework that my 4th grader is bringing home every night. It is mostly busy work but, for a kid with ADHD, it takes him forever to finish - sometimes up to 2 hours. The teacher basically blamed me for how long his homework is taking him. She told me "you need to set priorities!" and offered lame advice like "make sure he has a quiet place to work" "make sure he has had a snack" "make sure he takes frequent breaks". Well, duh!! What I should have told her is "If you are going to take away my kid's free time at home, the time that he needs to run around and get fresh air, have a family dinner, and still get to bed at a reasonable hour, at least make sure your homework is meaningful, not just a bunch of worksheets that you photocopied that don't teach him a thing. And stop being so condescending!"

[Anonymous]

My 4th grader (at a private that is considered rigorous) has about an hour of homework a day, Monday through Thursday. Sometimes it is less and sometimes more. Generally she is focused and gets it done efficiently, although writing assignments are sometimes a struggle and take longer.

[Anonymous]

My 3rd grader at a Fairfax County GT Center has about 45 minutes to one hour of homework a night. He also has ADHD.

[Anonymous]

Do these amounts include assigned reading time? I thought there should not be more than 10 minutes of homework per grade (so 3rd grade would be 30 minutes, 4th grade would be 40 minutes etc.)

[Anonymous]

10:56: The hour includes 20 minutes of reading time.

[Anonymous]

My DD is a 3rd grader in a FCPS Local Level IV GT class. She gets about 45-60 minutes of homework a night not including 20-30 minutes of reading. I think it is very excessive. I have finally gotten her to agree to "borrow" reading log minutes from other nights.

That is averaged out. They get some packets that they work on for the whole week, they have monthly book report projects, etc.

[Anonymous]

There have been many times when I have told my kids that they had done enough homework for the night and it was time to start our evening routine (calm bedtime routine, reading, shower etc.) If I realized that my child was trying their best but had gotten to a point where the benefits of the assignment did not outweighed the frustration level, I called it quits for homework and wrote a nice note to the teacher explaining how long child worked on the assignment. One of my children hated to not have work done, so we would compromise by having DC get up in the morning a little earlier than normal so DC could finish then.
Seriously though, if your child has ADHD, the teacher should be willing to bend a bit. Maybe every other math problem, dictation, time extensions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: What I should have told her is "If you are going to take away my kid's free time at home, the time that he needs to run around and get fresh air, have a family dinner, and still get to bed at a reasonable hour, at least make sure your homework is meaningful, not just a bunch of worksheets that you photocopied that don't teach him a thing. And stop being so condescending!"

OP, I suggest you tell your child's teacher exactly that -- although in more polite words. Many school districts and even private schools have homework policies that give time limits (or at least strong suggestions) for daily homework and call for homework assignments to be meaningful. Check and see if your school has such a policy and ask your teacher (and the principal) to justify the homework being assigned.

For example, here are Fairfax County's homework "guidelines":

http://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/0/a4c212a4f025c4ec85256fd30054576c/$FILE/R3205.pdf

GUIDELINES

A. Schools should develop and communicate, to students, parents, or guardians, consistent homework expectations within grade levels, teams, and/or courses.

1. Homework should serve a positive purpose for learning and support the instructional program. Homework should be a vehicle through which students practice, apply, and/or elaborate on content that they are currently learning. It may also be used as preparation for learning new content.

2. Homework assignments should be relevant to content being studied with an emphasis on quality rather than quantity. Homework for advanced learners should focus on understanding content in greater depth and complexity and not on increased time commitments.

3. Homework assignments should be tailored to match the varying needs of students’ learning styles, readiness, primary languages, and home support systems. Teachers should ensure that all students know what has been assigned. All students are expected to complete homework assignments.

4. Students should receive timely feedback on all homework, and feedback shouldreinforce student learning.

5. Homework grading policies should be established by the local school, consistent with the standards outlined in the grading and reporting handbooks for elementary, middle, and high school. Homework expectations and their effect on academic or work habit grades should be communicated in writing to students and their parentsbvor guardians.

6. It is recognized that students vary significantly in the amount of time they need to complete given assignments. Teachers should estimate the amount of time the average student would require to complete an assignment. In general, homework across disciplines should not exceed 0.5 hour in kindergarten through grade three, 1 hour in grades four through six, 1.5 hours at the middle school level, and 2 hours at the high school level. Long-term projects may require additional time. Teachers should adjust daily homework assignments accordingly.

[Anonymous]

In Arlington, our first grader has about 15-20 minutes/night, excluding readers that are sent home for practice. He's recently been DX'd with ADHD and has reading/writing challenges and homework can take longer if he's tired/especially fidgety. We definitely have to walk him through it. Hoping that treatment for the ADHD will help, but even with the current situation, the amount of homework is quite reasonable and not beyond his general capabilities (except for the writing).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: In general, homework across disciplines should not exceed 0.5 hour in kindergarten through grade three, 1 hour in grades four through six, 1.5 hours at the middle school level, and 2 hours at the high school level. Long-term projects may require additional time. Teachers should adjust daily homework assignments accordingly.

Just curious, do the schools really stick to these guidelines? I have never heard of a high school student doing less than 3 hours/night.

[Anonymous]

I agree with 13:38 and that you should discuss this with the teacher. Two of my three kids have ADHD, one does not. Homework for my ADHD kids is very different than for my "normal" kid. It's not just about frequent breaks, it's about their executive functioning and short term memory challenges that make homework after a certain point absolutely useless, even with meds. We finally have an IEP in place that allows for shorter homework assignments and teachers that have recognized and respected this need. If we can't get the daily homework done, I write a note or an email. They know we're involved and doing our part so, with the teachers at least, we've been able to develop an excellent balance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: In general, homework across disciplines should not exceed 0.5 hour in kindergarten through grade three, 1 hour in grades four through six, 1.5 hours at the middle school level, and 2 hours at the high school level. Long-term projects may require additional time. Teachers should adjust daily homework assignments accordingly.

Just curious, do the schools really stick to these guidelines? I have never heard of a high school student doing less than 3 hours/night.

3 hours each night seems awfully excessive even for high school. Does that include time spent doing homework in study hall in school? I don't have high school kids, but my sister's kids are in high school IB programs and she says they usually spend 2 hours on average -- somenights more of course, but often less. They are quite bright -- and efficient -- though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: In general, homework across disciplines should not exceed 0.5 hour in kindergarten through grade three, 1 hour in grades four through six, 1.5 hours at the middle school level, and 2 hours at the high school level. Long-term projects may require additional time. Teachers should adjust daily homework assignments accordingly.

Just curious, do the schools really stick to these guidelines? I have never heard of a high school student doing less than 3 hours/night.

Seriously, you've never heard of a high school student doing less than 3 hours/night? Do none of the kids you know play on any teams and have daily practices to attend or do they all manage this efficiently? 2 hours I can see, but after that I think it really eats into other opportunities that growing bodies and brains need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do these amounts include assigned reading time? I thought there should not be more than 10 minutes of homework per grade (so 3rd grade would be 30 minutes, 4th grade would be 40 minutes etc.)

11:39 here. The 45 minutes includes the 20 minutes of reading time. We usually double the reading time as I read for 20 minutes and DS reads for 20 minutes (before bedtime).

[Anonymous]

How you feel about those outrageously involved, complicated, multi-task projects that are assigned over the holidays?