Anonymous
Post 02/19/2026 17:42     Subject: When academic gets harder
Anonymous wrote:Kid that all As in grade 5 CES, and MAP M is 99% & MAP R is 92%. He never studies, and I rarely see homework. What grades does a kid like that need to start studying or academic load gets harder?


It's actually not a problem. Take music lessons, join the nath team, Persue a language or sport. DD did her hw during the school day and bus. DS did not
Anonymous
Post 02/19/2026 17:38     Subject: When academic gets harder
Homework is not necessary for every kid to learn. It just compounds on top of what should have been taught in class … and if a teacher is doing a good job teaching and has engaged and willing learners, no - it’s not lame to not require homework. The teachers my child has right now are amazing, and without a doubt are using the hours they have during the day, effectively. And, the kids have a rigorous day learning with little disruption, and by all means should be able to go home, relax and compartmentalize the day.
Anonymous
Post 02/19/2026 16:45     Subject: When academic gets harder
never
Anonymous
Post 02/19/2026 16:35     Subject: Re:When academic gets harder
I had two kids go through Chevy Chase CES, and they had plenty of homework on a regular basis (20 minutes, daily at the very least). And, there were a fair amount of long-term projects in math, English, and social studies/science. I think their days are pretty well packed. On the days that parents were allowed to volunteer in the class, I saw A LOT of active learning, group discussion, and really great hands on problem solving activities, etc. in science, social studies and math. Because of the cohort, it is easy for the teachers to cover a lot of material in class.

At least, that's how it was five or so years ago.
Anonymous
Post 02/19/2026 16:26     Subject: When academic gets harder
Anonymous wrote:Chinese community has better information than DCUM


Oh our Chinese kids for sure have HWs for kids starting from early ESs no matter how much school gives. If school doesn't give homework, we can always find some worksheet; if school does enforce HW, we can always find better ones than what school has to offer.

This is sarcasm of course, but one of my kid has no homework at all until entered a CES, where they got a weekly packet which can be done in 30 mins in one night. The other one stayed in local ES, and started to get HW everyday since 3rd grade. Teachers sent out weekly summary and reminders for some complicated HWs. The latter one has a much better adjustment when starting MS. It's really a school-dependent or grade-dependent situation.
Anonymous
Post 02/19/2026 15:17     Subject: When academic gets harder
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My kid is in CES. She rarely has required homework. A few big take home assignments throughout the year, but that’s it. The teachers mentioned they would not though - it’s baked into the more rigorous day. But, they did mention something about optional work they could do if needed - whatever your personal reason may be for having your kid do it (habit forming, practice…). My kid also brings home A’s. So I don’t know if it’s all that uncommon. She understands a lot but certainly has struggled at times with some lessons, whether in math or language. So just because your kid is doing amazing does not mean he’s going through every single day and every single lesson all knowing. There are ebbs and flows of learning and sometimes they just get lucky in testing. Math for sure will get more complex and harder just by virtue of how it works. Elementary math is the basics for the most part; it’s laying the foundation for higher level learning. You other kids may have things that come more easily to them and they don’t have to work as hard at - so it’s not really reasonable to make him set an example for them based on his own personal skill set. Instead each child gets to adjust as the need, for their own benefit.


That's really lame. Why bother bussing elementary kids around to different schools if they're not even getting a challenging academic experience?


It is entirely possible to have a challenging academic experience in elementary school with minimal homework. The older they get, the less true that is, but it's absolutely true in elementary school. Everyday elementary school homework is often just busywork and the amount of it has little to do with how challenging the work actually is.


Posted above, but I don't agree for 3rd-5th grade at least that it can be rigorous without at least 20+ min a night of math practice or reading.


Depends on the kid, but for many the concepts in compacted math are not hard and there is no need to force them to practice it if they already have it down. And of course all schools say "you should read every day!" but that doesn't really count as homework. There should be some writing assignments throughout the year but that's not necessarily every day/week.
Anonymous
Post 02/19/2026 15:04     Subject: When academic gets harder
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My kid is in CES. She rarely has required homework. A few big take home assignments throughout the year, but that’s it. The teachers mentioned they would not though - it’s baked into the more rigorous day. But, they did mention something about optional work they could do if needed - whatever your personal reason may be for having your kid do it (habit forming, practice…). My kid also brings home A’s. So I don’t know if it’s all that uncommon. She understands a lot but certainly has struggled at times with some lessons, whether in math or language. So just because your kid is doing amazing does not mean he’s going through every single day and every single lesson all knowing. There are ebbs and flows of learning and sometimes they just get lucky in testing. Math for sure will get more complex and harder just by virtue of how it works. Elementary math is the basics for the most part; it’s laying the foundation for higher level learning. You other kids may have things that come more easily to them and they don’t have to work as hard at - so it’s not really reasonable to make him set an example for them based on his own personal skill set. Instead each child gets to adjust as the need, for their own benefit.


That's really lame. Why bother bussing elementary kids around to different schools if they're not even getting a challenging academic experience?


It is entirely possible to have a challenging academic experience in elementary school with minimal homework. The older they get, the less true that is, but it's absolutely true in elementary school. Everyday elementary school homework is often just busywork and the amount of it has little to do with how challenging the work actually is.


Posted above, but I don't agree for 3rd-5th grade at least that it can be rigorous without at least 20+ min a night of math practice or reading.
Anonymous
Post 02/19/2026 15:01     Subject: When academic gets harder
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My kid is in CES. She rarely has required homework. A few big take home assignments throughout the year, but that’s it. The teachers mentioned they would not though - it’s baked into the more rigorous day. But, they did mention something about optional work they could do if needed - whatever your personal reason may be for having your kid do it (habit forming, practice…). My kid also brings home A’s. So I don’t know if it’s all that uncommon. She understands a lot but certainly has struggled at times with some lessons, whether in math or language. So just because your kid is doing amazing does not mean he’s going through every single day and every single lesson all knowing. There are ebbs and flows of learning and sometimes they just get lucky in testing. Math for sure will get more complex and harder just by virtue of how it works. Elementary math is the basics for the most part; it’s laying the foundation for higher level learning. You other kids may have things that come more easily to them and they don’t have to work as hard at - so it’s not really reasonable to make him set an example for them based on his own personal skill set. Instead each child gets to adjust as the need, for their own benefit.


That's really lame. Why bother bussing elementary kids around to different schools if they're not even getting a challenging academic experience?


CES is more challenging than many home ESs.


But if there's really zero homework, that doesn't mean much. In order to really learn math, or writing, you need lots and lots of practice. If kids aren't even getting that at the special program they're being bussed to, what's the point?


PP again, messed up the quoting. And I get it's elementary school, it shouldn't be a pressure cooker or a grind. But 20-30min/night of math practice and reading is perfectly reasonable for all 3rd-5th graders, let alone the "advanced" ones.
Anonymous
Post 02/19/2026 15:00     Subject: When academic gets harder
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My kid is in CES. She rarely has required homework. A few big take home assignments throughout the year, but that’s it. The teachers mentioned they would not though - it’s baked into the more rigorous day. But, they did mention something about optional work they could do if needed - whatever your personal reason may be for having your kid do it (habit forming, practice…). My kid also brings home A’s. So I don’t know if it’s all that uncommon. She understands a lot but certainly has struggled at times with some lessons, whether in math or language. So just because your kid is doing amazing does not mean he’s going through every single day and every single lesson all knowing. There are ebbs and flows of learning and sometimes they just get lucky in testing. Math for sure will get more complex and harder just by virtue of how it works. Elementary math is the basics for the most part; it’s laying the foundation for higher level learning. You other kids may have things that come more easily to them and they don’t have to work as hard at - so it’s not really reasonable to make him set an example for them based on his own personal skill set. Instead each child gets to adjust as the need, for their own benefit.


That's really lame. Why bother bussing elementary kids around to different schools if they're not even getting a challenging academic experience?


It is entirely possible to have a challenging academic experience in elementary school with minimal homework. The older they get, the less true that is, but it's absolutely true in elementary school. Everyday elementary school homework is often just busywork and the amount of it has little to do with how challenging the work actually is.
Anonymous
Post 02/19/2026 14:59     Subject: When academic gets harder
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My kid is in CES. She rarely has required homework. A few big take home assignments throughout the year, but that’s it. The teachers mentioned they would not though - it’s baked into the more rigorous day. But, they did mention something about optional work they could do if needed - whatever your personal reason may be for having your kid do it (habit forming, practice…). My kid also brings home A’s. So I don’t know if it’s all that uncommon. She understands a lot but certainly has struggled at times with some lessons, whether in math or language. So just because your kid is doing amazing does not mean he’s going through every single day and every single lesson all knowing. There are ebbs and flows of learning and sometimes they just get lucky in testing. Math for sure will get more complex and harder just by virtue of how it works. Elementary math is the basics for the most part; it’s laying the foundation for higher level learning. You other kids may have things that come more easily to them and they don’t have to work as hard at - so it’s not really reasonable to make him set an example for them based on his own personal skill set. Instead each child gets to adjust as the need, for their own benefit.


That's really lame. Why bother bussing elementary kids around to different schools if they're not even getting a challenging academic experience?


CES is more challenging than many home ESs.


But if there's really zero homework, that doesn't mean much. In order to really learn math, or writing, you need lots and lots of practice. If kids aren't even getting that at the special program they're being bussed to, what's the point?
Anonymous
Post 02/19/2026 14:59     Subject: When academic gets harder
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My kid is in CES. She rarely has required homework. A few big take home assignments throughout the year, but that’s it. The teachers mentioned they would not though - it’s baked into the more rigorous day. But, they did mention something about optional work they could do if needed - whatever your personal reason may be for having your kid do it (habit forming, practice…). My kid also brings home A’s. So I don’t know if it’s all that uncommon. She understands a lot but certainly has struggled at times with some lessons, whether in math or language. So just because your kid is doing amazing does not mean he’s going through every single day and every single lesson all knowing. There are ebbs and flows of learning and sometimes they just get lucky in testing. Math for sure will get more complex and harder just by virtue of how it works. Elementary math is the basics for the most part; it’s laying the foundation for higher level learning. You other kids may have things that come more easily to them and they don’t have to work as hard at - so it’s not really reasonable to make him set an example for them based on his own personal skill set. Instead each child gets to adjust as the need, for their own benefit.


That's really lame. Why bother bussing elementary kids around to different schools if they're not even getting a challenging academic experience?


But if there's really zero homework, that doesn't mean much. In order to really learn math, or writing, you need lots and lots of practice. If kids aren't even getting that at the special program they're being bussed to, what's the point?

CES is more challenging than many home ESs.
Anonymous
Post 02/19/2026 14:58     Subject: When academic gets harder
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My kid is in CES. She rarely has required homework. A few big take home assignments throughout the year, but that’s it. The teachers mentioned they would not though - it’s baked into the more rigorous day. But, they did mention something about optional work they could do if needed - whatever your personal reason may be for having your kid do it (habit forming, practice…). My kid also brings home A’s. So I don’t know if it’s all that uncommon. She understands a lot but certainly has struggled at times with some lessons, whether in math or language. So just because your kid is doing amazing does not mean he’s going through every single day and every single lesson all knowing. There are ebbs and flows of learning and sometimes they just get lucky in testing. Math for sure will get more complex and harder just by virtue of how it works. Elementary math is the basics for the most part; it’s laying the foundation for higher level learning. You other kids may have things that come more easily to them and they don’t have to work as hard at - so it’s not really reasonable to make him set an example for them based on his own personal skill set. Instead each child gets to adjust as the need, for their own benefit.


That's really lame. Why bother bussing elementary kids around to different schools if they're not even getting a challenging academic experience?


CES is more challenging than many home ESs.
Anonymous
Post 02/19/2026 14:52     Subject: When academic gets harder
Anonymous wrote:My kid is in CES. She rarely has required homework. A few big take home assignments throughout the year, but that’s it. The teachers mentioned they would not though - it’s baked into the more rigorous day. But, they did mention something about optional work they could do if needed - whatever your personal reason may be for having your kid do it (habit forming, practice…). My kid also brings home A’s. So I don’t know if it’s all that uncommon. She understands a lot but certainly has struggled at times with some lessons, whether in math or language. So just because your kid is doing amazing does not mean he’s going through every single day and every single lesson all knowing. There are ebbs and flows of learning and sometimes they just get lucky in testing. Math for sure will get more complex and harder just by virtue of how it works. Elementary math is the basics for the most part; it’s laying the foundation for higher level learning. You other kids may have things that come more easily to them and they don’t have to work as hard at - so it’s not really reasonable to make him set an example for them based on his own personal skill set. Instead each child gets to adjust as the need, for their own benefit.


That's really lame. Why bother bussing elementary kids around to different schools if they're not even getting a challenging academic experience?
Anonymous
Post 02/19/2026 14:02     Subject: Re:When academic gets harder
Read, read, read. And, then write.

MS is the weakest in English (by design, I think). Even enriched history is light. But, if you want to be competitive in college admissions, try to give your DS plenty of opportunities to read and write outside of class (e.g., book reports, create maps of literary worlds, board games, write articles, etc.). Create writing opportunities in whatever interests your kid. Take charge.