Totally OT- homework in kindergarten

johnnylakis

America is in a sad state when Kindergarten gives homework and Colleges teach Remedial English

MyChocolateDiet

My third grader is reading a 200-300 page novel every month. Like it or not, the world is getting more competitive, not less, and the US is falling behind. We can either whine about what kids should be doing or we can push them to be competitive in tomorrow's marketplace. It's totally your call with your kids, but I'm not going to stand idly by and watch my kid lose college placement to students from overseas. Good luck!

Yes, but we also have unprecedented levels of obesity in children. Meanwhile they are cutting recess time and PE. We also have young adults being medicated for depression, anxiety disorders at increasing levels. Some Scandinavian countries do not start schooling until later, and homework much later. I know these are not the countries that our jobs are going to, but it something to consider. I'm not sure how we fit it "all" in to childhood, but when 5 year olds are at a desk all day, and have very limited time to be physical outside when returning home...I think the balance is tipped too heavily towards academics at such an early age.

Hmmm, another example of binary thinking on MFP, i.e. it's academics or physical activity. There is plenty of time for both, and my children are proof of it. As I said, it's a competitive world out there, and it's best to prepare one's children for it.

Well I appreciate your point of view. It is a different perspective than that I have taken, so far. This introduction to public school is a chance for me to grow in my thinking (as well as my son!)

I live in a very outside the box, liberal, creative community in LA. Although our public charter school is ranked among the highest in Southern California, most of my neighbors either homeschool or send their children to very untraditional, loosely structured private schools. So it is good to hear a counterpoint to what I usually hear discussed.

If you are in LA your teachers have likely heard it all. Mine have and there are very diverse opinions on this topic amongst educators and parents alike.

Find a teacher who thinks like you do, or at least one whom you can work with to agree on what's right for your child right now.

Beach is right though, you will need to work to step up your game but most teachers are willing to meet the kids where they are and turn the heat up gently if need be. I'm at a school with both prominent actors, and foreigners who've succeeded and also being a gifted magnet we have the high pressure parents as well.

They manage to motivate and meet the kids at their level while expecting a lot.

Let me shed some light what I did with mine that worked:

Pre school, half days no homework, where I could attend.

Kinder, full day (no half days to be found) light homework as assigned, we did it in the morning before school for walking in with insta-pride of accomplishment and eager to turn in reasons. Also this allowed the afternoon play breaks you desire as well as evenings for family time

First grade, did very little of the assigned homework as the teacher held herself responsible for teaching and felt kids should be excited to come to school so she left it as optional but began providing it after two weeks of start of the year pressure from parents. After seeing how she taught so thoroughly in the class we opted out of the homework as we had special concerns to keeping him motivated to simply attend at that point. Many of her students did the same for their own reasons. They have all been scattered to the 2nd grade where they are all doing quite well. Mine included.

Second grade, full homework since day one. (About an hour a nights worth.) Packet weekly style to fit into our schedule although it is partitioned by day as a guide. It's turned in on Fridays (or Monday if absent or there was a holiday or etc.) We have now made an after school schedule TOGETHER as he is getting older and taking part in the planning of his day has helped him become more committed and motivated to the time "we" selected.

Motivators for homework change as the child grows from stickers, to teacher praise, to self committment, to seeing as a "job/responsibility/duty", to etc. Find a parenting website to read up on what might work for your child and also talk not only to his teacher but other school personnel as you never know which particular person's experience might ring true for you.

I do "get" your frustration though. It did not used to be this way. Also those overseas foreigners that Beach says will get into schools before our kids if we let them aren't so smart. They are causing ALL TEH CAR CRASHES here in my part of LA everyday. And most of them dress too shiny. So...yeah.

Soccermavrick

Honestly, I love it. I feel it helps me connect to my daughter and what she is doing in school. (Mine is in Pre-K.) Plus honestly I think she sees us involved, which I like. I do worry about not allowing her to be a kid, but I see the other side.

Now maybe I have a different perspective too, because my wife is an elementary school teacher, teaching 1st & 2nd grade. (And she has taught in a couple of systems/districts now.) And like it or not the School Boards, with the help of Board of Education, (and the federal government since they fund most schools, and set standardized tests,) set VERY strict standards of what they are to cover. (Normally packing 18 months of lessons into the 9 months of classes the kids have.) So if a kid comes in behind, because he was digging too many holes, he may find himself WAY behind, and you struggling to get him caught up.

I am not saying that they should not have play time when they get home, but I do not see a problem with homework. Work with your teacher, and see if you can help your son. See if you can make parts of it into a game, or at least quality time together.

RunsOnEspresso

I went to school in England until I was in 4th grade. I was in 9th grade in the states when they caught up to me.

You read Shakespeare and did advanced trigonometry in fourth grade?

While I was in 4th/5th grade I often times did my brothers high school assignments for fun. This was on top of my own homework.

Soccermavrick

America is in a sad state when Kindergarten gives homework and Colleges teach Remedial English

It is a sad state, mostly run by want to be politicians who expect all kids to be the cream of the crop and to have covered everything by the end of first grade. Not teachers, or individuals who know what goes into the classroom. Meanwhile most teachers are given 25 to 35 students at a time with all sorts of backgrounds, and beliefs. Some can count and write, others are struggling to identify numbers and letters. Some have two active parents, some have one who works three jobs, and barely has time to say hi to the kid let alone help with homework. Yet at the end of the day the tests all come back, how many kids passed? Enough, yea, raise. Not enough, well obviously it is the teacher's fault, they did not do there job.

The system, is broken. Of course where does the majority of funds and standards come from???? And if everything is funded by political powers, do we wonder why, every few years, the tests, and the standards continue to change, as the power at the top changes? You may have a local board of Ed, but where do they get their funds for schools, and what about all the extra "race to the top," "no child left behind," funds.

OK, I allowed myself to get off topic here, let me get off my soapbox for a moment, this is politics, not MFP.

mommyrunning

My daughter is also 5 and in Kindergarten this year, but they are doing everything she learned last year in K4, so what work she does bring home takes her about 5 seconds because she already knows it all.

I'm disappointed since she's not doing anything new, but she likes it because "school is easy"..hmmpph

Why didn't you have your kid in Preschool? The things you described are basic skills he should have going into school, and if he needs more work to get there, you should help him and bring him up to the level he needs to be, not let it go and bring everyone else down.

Pre K is not a given. I live in San Antonio and they only offer half day Pre K for low income families in general with a few exceptions. Even then since it's only half day parents will have to arrange child care for the rest of the day so it isn't convenient. Private Pre-K is available which we enrolled our daughter in but that costs about $200/week which isn't affordable for everyone. Many children do not go to Pre K and even those that do have things they need reinforced or things they need to learn. It isn't always easy to know what a child will be learning in Kindergarten or should now so we as parents ensure they know as much as possible. It isn't often that a child goes to Kindergarten and already knows everything being taught the whole year. While your daughter may find the start of Kindergarten easy it is likely about half way through the year she will be learning new stuff along with everyone else. It's great she had a head start but that option isn't available to everyone. OP didn't say she didn't want her child to learn this stuff she only questioned the amount of homework.

ren_ascent

My third grader is reading a 200-300 page novel every month. Like it or not, the world is getting more competitive, not less, and the US is falling behind. We can either whine about what kids should be doing or we can push them to be competitive in tomorrow's marketplace. It's totally your call with your kids, but I'm not going to stand idly by and watch my kid lose college placement to students from overseas. Good luck!

Yes, but we also have unprecedented levels of obesity in children. Meanwhile they are cutting recess time and PE. We also have young adults being medicated for depression, anxiety disorders at increasing levels. Some Scandinavian countries do not start schooling until later, and homework much later. I know these are not the countries that our jobs are going to, but it something to consider. I'm not sure how we fit it "all" in to childhood, but when 5 year olds are at a desk all day, and have very limited time to be physical outside when returning home...I think the balance is tipped too heavily towards academics at such an early age.

I have a few things to add. One: the countries that have the highest focus on academic success have the highest suicide rates among teens. Two: It's called burnout. I get it, my kids get it. Make it stop. Three: In my kids school they're pulled out of classes constantly to test their proficiency. This takes away from class time so constantly I feel it's hindering the teachers ability to cram in all the necessities. Just an IMHP right there.

seltzermint555

I hate this trend. Thankfully, it hadn't quite started full-force when my daughter was in kindergarten. I have a vague recollection of some little bits of homework, but nothing that took that long.

They didn't start homework in my school until third grade and it was only one night a week. Somehow, my classmates still managed to get into Ivy League schools and stuff. It's ridiculous to give homework to 4 and 5-year-olds. Even all-day kindergarten is a joke. It's more about free daycare, really.

Yes to this. I didn't struggle in school so I didn't have as much homework as some peers. BUT I don't remember having homework more than once a week and it began in grades 3 - 4. Granted, it was a long time ago (1980's) but I can't see that things have changed THAT much honestly, in looking in-depth at modern curriculum for elementary school level.

Honestly with a few exceptions of highly lab- or studio-intensive college majors, I call B.S. on most college students who claim to have five hours of homework every night. I know a woman who has gone back to school and is majoring in the area of my minor, at the same university, with most of the same faculty on staff. I finished my degree years ago but I can tell the work hasn't changed much at all and she says she can't work at a part-time job because it's so intensive. No. It really isn't. Good try, though.

I agree with you about all day kindergarten, too. I believe it's pretty much proven that 1/2 day is the right amount for children of that age who are just beginning school but it's not as convenient for families.

EvgeniZyntx

My third grader is reading a 200-300 page novel every month. Like it or not, the world is getting more competitive, not less, and the US is falling behind. We can either whine about what kids should be doing or we can push them to be competitive in tomorrow's marketplace. It's totally your call with your kids, but I'm not going to stand idly by and watch my kid lose college placement to students from overseas. Good luck!

Yes, but we also have unprecedented levels of obesity in children. Meanwhile they are cutting recess time and PE. We also have young adults being medicated for depression, anxiety disorders at increasing levels. Some Scandinavian countries do not start schooling until later, and homework much later. I know these are not the countries that our jobs are going to, but it something to consider. I'm not sure how we fit it "all" in to childhood, but when 5 year olds are at a desk all day, and have very limited time to be physical outside when returning home...I think the balance is tipped too heavily towards academics at such an early age.

I have a few things to add. One: the countries that have the highest focus on academic success have the highest suicide rates among teens. Two: It's called burnout. I get it, my kids get it. Make it stop. Three: In my kids school they're pulled out of classes constantly to test their proficiency. This takes away from class time so constantly I feel it's hindering the teachers ability to cram in all the necessities. Just an IMHP right there.

TIL that homework in kindergarten causes suicide in Finland and China (hint: it doesn't). In fact that whole pressure and suicide thing is way off... did you know that New Zealand has a teen suicide rate equivalent to Japan? And that the teen suicide rates of the Asian countries where it is high, it is also lower as a teen to adult ratio than in America? Japan and South Korea have adult (cultural) suicide rates that are quite high - it's not that little Johnny/Kitoshi got extra homework.

How many hours a week are your proficiency tests taking away from students?

That information so often thrown out by "documentaries" on Asian education is significantly biased.

MyChocolateDiet

I like this thread.

Has anyone read those articles that say that homework need not be thing before the 3rd grade? That it doesn't really help learnin before then? Don't remember when or where I read them but it would solve the "burnout" mentioned above and other complaints I've seen here.

Just wondering?

rachelrb85

I like this thread.

Has anyone read those articles that say that homework need not be thing before the 3rd grade? That it doesn't really help learnin before then? Don't remember when or where I read them but it would solve the "burnout" mentioned above and other complaints I've seen here.

Just wondering?

Never read the article but when I was in public schools I never had homework until the 3rd grade. This was about 20 years ago though.

Lesleycali

My third grader is reading a 200-300 page novel every month. Like it or not, the world is getting more competitive, not less, and the US is falling behind. We can either whine about what kids should be doing or we can push them to be competitive in tomorrow's marketplace. It's totally your call with your kids, but I'm not going to stand idly by and watch my kid lose college placement to students from overseas. Good luck!

Yes, but we also have unprecedented levels of obesity in children. Meanwhile they are cutting recess time and PE. We also have young adults being medicated for depression, anxiety disorders at increasing levels. Some Scandinavian countries do not start schooling until later, and homework much later. I know these are not the countries that our jobs are going to, but it something to consider. I'm not sure how we fit it "all" in to childhood, but when 5 year olds are at a desk all day, and have very limited time to be physical outside when returning home...I think the balance is tipped too heavily towards academics at such an early age.

Hmmm, another example of binary thinking on MFP, i.e. it's academics or physical activity. There is plenty of time for both, and my children are proof of it. As I said, it's a competitive world out there, and it's best to prepare one's children for it.

Well I appreciate your point of view. It is a different perspective than that I have taken, so far. This introduction to public school is a chance for me to grow in my thinking (as well as my son!)

I live in a very outside the box, liberal, creative community in LA. Although our public charter school is ranked among the highest in Southern California, most of my neighbors either homeschool or send their children to very untraditional, loosely structured private schools. So it is good to hear a counterpoint to what I usually hear discussed.

If you are in LA your teachers have likely heard it all. Mine have and there are very diverse opinions on this topic amongst educators and parents alike.

Find a teacher who thinks like you do, or at least one whom you can work with to agree on what's right for your child right now.

Beach is right though, you will need to work to step up your game but most teachers are willing to meet the kids where they are and turn the heat up gently if need be. I'm at a school with both prominent actors, and foreigners who've succeeded and also being a gifted magnet we have the high pressure parents as well.

They manage to motivate and meet the kids at their level while expecting a lot.

Let me shed some light what I did with mine that worked:

Pre school, half days no homework, where I could attend.

Kinder, full day (no half days to be found) light homework as assigned, we did it in the morning before school for walking in with insta-pride of accomplishment and eager to turn in reasons. Also this allowed the afternoon play breaks you desire as well as evenings for family time

First grade, did very little of the assigned homework as the teacher held herself responsible for teaching and felt kids should be excited to come to school so she left it as optional but began providing it after two weeks of start of the year pressure from parents. After seeing how she taught so thoroughly in the class we opted out of the homework as we had special concerns to keeping him motivated to simply attend at that point. Many of her students did the same for their own reasons. They have all been scattered to the 2nd grade where they are all doing quite well. Mine included.

Second grade, full homework since day one. (About an hour a nights worth.) Packet weekly style to fit into our schedule although it is partitioned by day as a guide. It's turned in on Fridays (or Monday if absent or there was a holiday or etc.) We have now made an after school schedule TOGETHER as he is getting older and taking part in the planning of his day has helped him become more committed and motivated to the time "we" selected.

Motivators for homework change as the child grows from stickers, to teacher praise, to self committment, to seeing as a "job/responsibility/duty", to etc. Find a parenting website to read up on what might work for your child and also talk not only to his teacher but other school personnel as you never know which particular person's experience might ring true for you.

I do "get" your frustration though. It did not used to be this way. Also those overseas foreigners that Beach says will get into schools before our kids if we let them aren't so smart. They are causing ALL TEH CAR CRASHES here in my part of LA everyday. And most of them dress too shiny. So...yeah.

thank you! :flowerforyou: this is a very helpful reply. Plus you understand the peculiar LA angle on the whole thing (not really the homework, rather the larger schooling environment here)

mommyrunning

I like this thread.

Has anyone read those articles that say that homework need not be thing before the 3rd grade? That it doesn't really help learnin before then? Don't remember when or where I read them but it would solve the "burnout" mentioned above and other complaints I've seen here.

Just wondering?

I agree with some that our education system could be better and make our children more competitive globally but I don't think more homework will achieve that change. I think in order for that change to occur we need to look at the way we are teaching our children including the overemphasis on standardized tests. While I believe some tests are a good way to measure learning I think in general kids are given too many. Studies have shown benefits of Montessori education which has less traditional methods of teaching.

Here's a few articles worth reading:

http://www.alfiekohn.org/teaching/edweek/homework.htm
" To begin with, I discovered that decades of investigation have failed to turn up any evidence that homework is beneficial for students in elementary school. Even if you regard standardized test results as a useful measure, homework (some versus none, or more versus less) isn’t even correlated with higher scores at these ages. The only effect that does show up is more negative attitudes on the part of students who get more assignments."

Montessori Benefits
http://www.theguardian.com/education/2006/sep/29/schools.uk
"Five-year-old Montessori pupils were better prepared for reading and maths, and 12-year-olds wrote "significantly more creative" essays using more sophisticated sentence structures."

http://www.gainesville.com/article/20140915/ARTICLES/140919722/-1/photonews?Title=Susan-Bowles-letter-to-parents-over-FAIR-testing
One Kindergarten teacher made headlines recently for refusing to give one of the standardized tests. She outlines all the testing required in her state (Florida).

mjterp

My sister is a teacher, started kindergarten, after about seven years she finally "passed" into the first grade and now she teaches second grade. (Just a family joke. She LOVED teaching kindergarten and was bummed when they started the step up program so the teachers stay with the students for at least two years...cool for the kids, though)

Anyway, her "Rule of thumb" for homework is ten minutes per grade level PLUS twenty minutes of reading. SO...always reading... first grade woudl have ten minutes, 9th grade would have 90 ,minutes...etc.)

Kindergarten, from her perspective, is NO homework except getting read to and chatting about the letters they recognize and such...she sent home worksheets but they were for FUN (her thought is that they have soemthing to keep busy while mom cooks dinner or soemthing...a transition for the child to be able to talk about what they are learning in class.) BUT an hour of homework per night is a sure way to get the kid to HATE school...unless the worksheets are FUN.

My grandmother taught fifth grade science at the end of her carreer. (she started teaching in a one room schoolhouse). HER perspective is that the dad's go to work all day and they dont' bring the office home, so why should a kid do a full day at school and then have more work to do. Teachers should have time allowed in class for the work that needs to be done. God love her and rest her soul.

Good luck to you!

MyOwnSunshine

My third grader is reading a 200-300 page novel every month. Like it or not, the world is getting more competitive, not less, and the US is falling behind. We can either whine about what kids should be doing or we can push them to be competitive in tomorrow's marketplace. It's totally your call with your kids, but I'm not going to stand idly by and watch my kid lose college placement to students from overseas. Good luck!

Same.

My third grader reads one or two "chapter books (100ish pages)" a week. Our school expects nightly homework to be completed in every grade, including kindergarten. Most of the homework requires a parent's assistance and takes 15 to 30 minutes. Since the second grade, homework has also included 20 minutes of reading.

I cheerfully support my child's teachers and encourage her to take her homework seriously and do a good job. My husband is the "designated homework helper" because I am at work 3 evenings a week, and he has higher standards than I do and makes her re-do it if she is sloppy or careless.

I fully expect my child to be a doctor, veterinarian or phd-level something or other. I want my child to be adequately prepared to succeed in life, school and business, although I am far from a "tiger mom."

I understand what you're saying, OP, that homework can be a struggle and can cause melt-downs, but I also believe that it is a great way to instill discipline and academic dedication. I would actually double-down on the homework if my child was struggling with skills that her classmates had already mastered.

Lesleycali

I like this thread.

Has anyone read those articles that say that homework need not be thing before the 3rd grade? That it doesn't really help learnin before then? Don't remember when or where I read them but it would solve the "burnout" mentioned above and other complaints I've seen here.

Just wondering?

I agree with some that our education system could be better and make our children more competitive globally but I don't think more homework will achieve that change. I think in order for that change to occur we need to look at the way we are teaching our children including the overemphasis on standardized tests. While I believe some tests are a good way to measure learning I think in general kids are given too many. Studies have shown benefits of Montessori education which has less traditional methods of teaching.

Here's a few articles worth reading:

http://www.alfiekohn.org/teaching/edweek/homework.htm
" To begin with, I discovered that decades of investigation have failed to turn up any evidence that homework is beneficial for students in elementary school. Even if you regard standardized test results as a useful measure, homework (some versus none, or more versus less) isn’t even correlated with higher scores at these ages. The only effect that does show up is more negative attitudes on the part of students who get more assignments."

Montessori Benefits
http://www.theguardian.com/education/2006/sep/29/schools.uk
"Five-year-old Montessori pupils were better prepared for reading and maths, and 12-year-olds wrote "significantly more creative" essays using more sophisticated sentence structures."

http://www.gainesville.com/article/20140915/ARTICLES/140919722/-1/photonews?Title=Susan-Bowles-letter-to-parents-over-FAIR-testing
One Kindergarten teacher made headlines recently for refusing to give one of the standardized tests. She outlines all the testing required in her state (Florida).

Thank you for these links. Also thank you for your response a few pages ago about what worked for you and your daughter.

Lesleycali

Although I am voicing concerns about the amount of homework I am fully committed to his overall success. Fact is, this is the system he is in, and I want him to do well. When I agreed to meet with the teacher she said she was relieved, as many parents insist their child does not need extra help and refuse to even meet with her. I am not turning my back on him, his wonderful teacher, or planning on dragging everyone else down as a PP implied. :frown:

I am only expressing my concerns as a parent. It is helpful to hear from parents who say this is indeed the new normal and to give constructive tips on how to navigate through it. I also understand this is the beginning of a lifelong adventure for my son -now being in the "real world" and part of that is learning to accommodate different styles of learning, socializing and interacting.

So thank you for ALL responses. Certainly a lot to think about.

SunofaBeach14

Although I am voicing concerns about the amount of homework I am fully committed to his overall success. Fact is, this is the system he is in, and I want him to do well. When I agreed to meet with the teacher she said she was relieved, as many parents insist their child does not need extra help and refuse to even meet with her. I am not turning my back on him, his wonderful teacher, or planning on dragging everyone else down as a PP implied. :frown:

I am only expressing my concerns as a parent. It is helpful to hear from parents who say this is indeed the new normal and to give constructive tips on how to navigate through it. I also understand this is the beginning of a lifelong adventure for my son -now being in the "real world" and part of that is learning to accommodate different styles of learning, socializing and interacting.

So thank you for ALL responses. Certainly a lot to think about.

I get that and appreciate your earlier humor. I do think that the concerns over homework are a bit overblown, though I also appreciate a divergent view from another parent who is also concerned about her child's success.

MyOwnSunshine

Homework is a nightmare. My son in Kindergarten had to be read to or read 25 minutes per night, one math worksheet, one spelling sheet, one vocabulary sheet (you look at the word and circle what it means) and this all took at least an hour per night. Thankfully they would give the entire weeks worth at once, get it Monday turn it in Monday, on really good days he could do more leaving only the reading minutes for a few days per week and on bad days, we would leave it for the weekend.

OMG! An hour each night. Among playing with blocks, video games, and watching TV, how can a child be expected to do homework?! How much time do all the parents here spend on MFP and social media each day? I goof off regularly and still find time to check my kids' homework, and to be honest, my wife does much more than I do.

Everyone's life is different. I am glad that you or your wife have time to sit down with your kids and do that much homework every evening. I wish I did.

my daughter's schedule is a little packed.
8-10 hours of sleeping (depending on how pissy she was/is)
1 hour to get ready for school
15 min to get to school
7 hours at school
3 hours at after school program
15 min to get home
1 hour bothering me for food while I try to cook dinner
1 hour to eat dinner and talk about our days
30 min griping to me while I try to clean up from dinner
1 hour to do hair... because yes, it really takes me that long to brush it out and braid it.

On a good day, if she can survive with only 8 hours sleep and be able to behave at all like that we have a little bit of time to sit down and read together. We have time to play in the bath, not just scrub up super quick before hair time. Having the school send home another hour worth of school work after she has spent 10 hours there each day is kind of excessive. I rarely feel there is a moment to just spend time with her. I am too busy making dinner, feeding the cats, doing dishes, doing laundry, sweeping, vacuuming, being at work, and the time I get with her is full of her being angry and resentful at me for making her do even more work. She is 6, not an adult. She should have a childhood. She should remember playing and having friends and fun. Book learning should be a part of her life, not her WHOLE life.

I used to dream of being able to get my kids into dance, karate, gymnastics... whatever it was they are interested in. We just don't have time. She begs me for dance classes and I want to take her with all my heart, but there is no time.

(Side note: My MFP time is during work hours, aka, while she is at school. I rarely post or surf it outside of my work days. Facebook only gets looked at on my lunch break and I can't remember the last time logged into Fetlife.)

Regarding your daughter's schedule...

My daughter also goes to an after school program (paid child care) and they have homework time for 20-30 minutes where everyone has to work on homework, reading or quiet activities like drawing. Honestly, most nights, she finishes her homework there.

It seems like you have an hour and a half when you are preparing and cleaning up dinner that your child could sit in the kitchen and do homework instead of "bothering me for food while I try to cook dinner," and "griping to me while I try to clean up from dinner."

Life is busy. My kid doesn't have time for a bunch of extracurricular activities either. We go to family yoga together on the weekends, which serves numerous purposes: physical activity, mom/daughter time, fun and learning.

Maybe my school is the exception to others, but our district offers a lot of extracurricular activities (for a fee, as it would be with a private company) that are right after school. My daughter has taken karate after school (a private company sends a sensei to teach), and is currently taking a science extracurricular on Friday afternoons. She goes to after school care after her activities.

We just work homework into the nightly routine -- usually right after dinner, which allows her some time to play outside and decompress after her school day.

hkristine1

Our child had homework in kindergarten (he's now in 2nd grade). We took the attitude that we wanted him to enjoy learning and if it was too frustrating, we wouldn't do it. Reading was particularly challenging, as he HATED doing it. It was hard for him. And I didn't want him to hate reading. So, if he resisted, I would read to him instead, and just get him to read the easily recognizable words (e.g. "the" "of" etc).

One of the other kids in his class who he is friends with, LOVED doing homework - even in kindergarten. I was that way as a kid - I loved to see a completed form. I'm very goal/outcome driven. I didn't care about the process, but I liked getting it done.

But my kid? Not the same. In any event, in first grade, he really grew in leaps and bounds and reads just fine now so the fact that he was a little bit slower on that didn't make a difference at all.

I think you have to make the decision that you think is right for your kiddo, based on his/her personality and go from there. I really don't want my kid to hate school, learning, etc., and so we have to balance it with his need to learn discipline, appropriate learning techniques, how to persevere even when things are difficult, etc.

I am not a perfect parent, and don't claim to be, but I do think that as parents, we need to be advocates for our kids and their needs - because one size doesn't fit all.