Reply to Homework in Kindergarten is ridiculous!!

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Does anyone else agree that it's ridiculous for kindergartners to have daily homework?  That this puts unreasonable stress on kids and families - ultimately being detrimental to both.

We go to a school in NWDC and KINDERGARTENERS are suppose to do daily worksheets (packets due weekly not daily), ST Math, and keep a reading log.  At back to school night the teacher tried to assure us that it was just "20 minutes a day".  Even if it doesn't take up more than 20 mins a day,  that 20 minutes a day is

1) Taking away from the already vary short amount of family time that we get together.  
(With work, we get from 6-8 with our children each day.  That's important time to bond and to work with our children on their emotional needs and unique interests.  Please don't take that away from us.)

2) Creating family discord
(Kindergartners are not at their best from 6-8 PM.  "20 minutes" of work will require 20 minutes of nagging, reminders, encouragement, frustration, threats, tears)

3) Increasing mental load for parents with little ROI for kids
(The mental load for parents overseeing this is substantial.  And there's no ROI.  No study says that homework in Kindergarten improves overall education)

4) Creating unnecessary and detrimental competitiveness and labels among kids
(The teacher noted that kids know how far everyone gets in ST Math and that their identities start to form about being "good" or "bad" students)

Our friends who went through Kindergarten last year confirmed that it was a big issue for them for all the reasons noted above.  I know there are educators who think this is ridiculous. I could tell our kindergarten teacher was unsure/uneasy about it.  The hostility from parents in the room when this came up was palpable - our guts know it is wrong.  This is HARMFUL not helpful to kids and to families.

Shame on DCPS.  It's a detriment to DCPS reputation and trust among stakeholders.

I'm very tempted to just refuse to participate but my kid is a rule follower and that will devastate him.  What to do? Get a petition going to make homework optional?  How much support is out there for this?
[/quote]

Yes. I agree. It is ridiculous. Especially your #4. Can you raise with the PTA?[/quote]

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