If you have an ELEMENTARY aged child... School talk?

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  • craftymommy
    craftymommy Posts: 57 Member
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    That sounds almost exactly like how my daughter's 3rd grade homework was. Worksheets. Reading. Summary with signature.

    Now she is in 5th grade and there is similar work plus computer work (they are teaching safety online, navigating and research online, and how to type). No art. Music yes. Music is mandatory for 5th grade (but I've had her in music classes for years now; she loves it and I think arts are good for kids).
  • silentKayak
    silentKayak Posts: 658 Member
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    That's horrible. I'm in Canada. My kids had essentially no homework (maybe a worksheet once a week or so) until 4th grade except for occasional projects and daily reading (which we would have done anyway). They're given time in class and have to bring home what they don't finish. But even then parents are instructed to stop them after 30 minutes or so for little kids.

    My 5th grader now has about 20 mins/day, mostly spelling and math.

    My 8th grader has up to an hour a day, plus longer-term projects that take a few hours on the weekends.

    As an ex-teacher, I do think tracking your kids' work daily is a good thing. It's the best way for parents to truly engage in what's going on in the classroom and identify problems early. Now that my oldest is in middle school and he's responsible for his own planner, I struggle to get enough information about what's due when. Some kids aren't ready to handle all their own deadlines without support until as late as high school.

    Kids your son's age need other activities - physical activities, organized sports, time with friends, art, music lessons, etc. And play! Kids need to play! Plus 10 - 11 hours of sleep every night. The schedule you're describing sounds pretty destructive.

  • 4homer
    4homer Posts: 457 Member
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    I have a second grader and he has a math work sheet every night, 20 min of reading, his word review and sometimes social studies or an extra math paper.
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
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    Man, this is all over the map! It's really hard to judge. I guess, personally, I'm struggling. I get home with him at about 6pm (he's in after school care until I'm done w/ work at 5:30. He works on homework for 30 minutes there.) At 6, it's an hour for dinner prep and eating - if he's not cooking with me, he's eating some fruit and either starting homework or playing outside.

    So, now it's 7:00, we've eaten. Homework time, usually until about 8:00-3:30.

    8:30, Bath, Teeth, Jammies...

    9:00 Bed, Read for 20.

    Here's the problem. WHEN is there time for basketball? Karate? Music Classes? TV Time and play time??? I fell like his life is work and it sucks. I'm not even going to lie, it's just... NOT fun. And shouldn't life be some sort of fun when you're 8 years old?

    What if we want to grocery shop, or go out to dinner with the family? Forget it...

    We've had to quit karate... no time. I'm a huge advocate for music and sports, but they're not offered at his school (private). Sure, we do basketball on the weekends right now, but games are coming and that's on a school night.

    I realize I"m whining *LOL* But where's the school/work/life balance?
  • latenitelucy
    latenitelucy Posts: 1,314 Member
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    That's a lot. My third grader has a math sheet and 20 minutes of reading every night. Then she has a small spelling packet to be turned in once a week.
  • ew_david
    ew_david Posts: 3,473 Member
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    My son is in 5th grade and he does a lot of it in class, so he only has to read for 30 minutes when he gets home. If he had to do both, I'd say it would be under an hour. Your little man has an excessive amount of homework; wtf are they doing all day that necessitates all that?
  • nmcrosier
    nmcrosier Posts: 268 Member
    edited November 2014
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    4th Grade
    1-2 hours, math, spelling and reading. They do no home work weekends - so I tend to let reading slide if it's not for that week until the weekend. Sometimes it's jus too much.

    I agree with odus... there is little room for fun & sports - I now go into work at 7:30 just so I can leave at 3:30, sometimes run to the market, etc. pick him up from after school care usually around 4:30 then rush home allow snack and then homework - dinner - and oh look he got to watch 15 min of Nick
  • malavika413
    malavika413 Posts: 474 Member
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    My younger sister is in 8th grade and has 4-5 hours of homework a night. I kid you not. The girl is in a gifted program and due to all of her extracurricular commitments, she gets to bed around 11 pm every night--and wakes around 5 AM to get ready for school. It's insanity.

    It was less work in elementary school, but she still never had time for much play or free time. Nowadays, if she has half an hour to eat dinner with the family instead of eating it in her room while doing homework, she calls that a relaxing evening.
  • Miss_1999
    Miss_1999 Posts: 747 Member
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    I don't know about a 3rd grader? Savannah is in Kindergarten, and we usually have a worksheet or two a night, and go over a packet or two of sight words each night (there are about 70, so we have roughly 7 packs), and then 20 minutes of reading. She reads to me her book, and I read to her. I do know they've stressed the importance of reading, so that's something I do my best to get in. I read to my oldest godson constantly, and he'll be a freshman in high school next year. He's a straight A student, and I'm so proud of him. They are expecting a lot out of kids these days, a lot more than when we were children, but it's definitely good that you are looking for imput from others. Had I not gone through this with my godsons, and my aunt (who is now a retired teacher) showing me and explaining everything that is expected these days, I would be confused and at a loss too as to whether or not this was a lot, or normal, too!
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
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    malavika413 wrote: »
    My younger sister is in 8th grade and has 4-5 hours of homework a night. I kid you not. The girl is in a gifted program and due to all of her extracurricular commitments, she gets to bed around 11 pm every night--and wakes around 5 AM to get ready for school. It's insanity.

    Seriously, that just breaks my heart... We have 45+ years as working adults ahead of us to hate *LOL* Shouldn't kids be having some fun in life still?

  • StrawberryJam40
    StrawberryJam40 Posts: 274 Member
    edited November 2014
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    My daughter is in 5th and this is the second year they do not send homework home. They have work time in class. It is only make up homework, or if they want to do an extra practice run on spelling words. New words are done on Monday, then they practice all week at school and test on Friday.

    I have not seen a decline in my child's grades in those two years...she still is getting A's and B's.

    I think it is great and let's family balance work, school, activities, family, etc. It's great to go to swim practice, come home, eat and relax. To not make her go go go from 7 in the morning to 9 or10 at night.

    Edited to say PS...yes, I'm in the United States.
  • rowlandsw
    rowlandsw Posts: 1,166 Member
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    When i was in elementary school we rarely had any that i can remember, we ususally got it done in class. Middle school starting with 5th grade though was about 2 hours and this was in the early 90s.
  • JenAndSome
    JenAndSome Posts: 1,893 Member
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    I have a second grader who is 7 and a third grader who is 9. The second grader doesn't usually have a lot of homework, just spelling word review and once a month a project that maybe takes 20 minutes or so a few days a week. His teacher also wants them reading half an hour a night, but I don't really consider that homework. The third grader has a daily math worksheet which usually takes him about 90 seconds to do and on Thursdays a word search. I'm sure that he is sometimes given other things but he finishes them while still at school. Both of them had more homework in first grade than they do now.
  • malavika413
    malavika413 Posts: 474 Member
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    odusgolp wrote: »
    malavika413 wrote: »
    My younger sister is in 8th grade and has 4-5 hours of homework a night. I kid you not. The girl is in a gifted program and due to all of her extracurricular commitments, she gets to bed around 11 pm every night--and wakes around 5 AM to get ready for school. It's insanity.

    Seriously, that just breaks my heart... We have 45+ years as working adults ahead of us to hate *LOL* Shouldn't kids be having some fun in life still?

    I agree with you. My sister is very very driven, and her extracurriculars (student body president, choir, musical, newspaper reporter, business classes) mean a lot to her. At her age I would've collapsed from exhaustion, but she handles things well.
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
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    malavika413 wrote: »
    odusgolp wrote: »
    malavika413 wrote: »
    My younger sister is in 8th grade and has 4-5 hours of homework a night. I kid you not. The girl is in a gifted program and due to all of her extracurricular commitments, she gets to bed around 11 pm every night--and wakes around 5 AM to get ready for school. It's insanity.

    Seriously, that just breaks my heart... We have 45+ years as working adults ahead of us to hate *LOL* Shouldn't kids be having some fun in life still?

    I agree with you. My sister is very very driven, and her extracurriculars (student body president, choir, musical, newspaper reporter, business classes) mean a lot to her. At her age I would've collapsed from exhaustion, but she handles things well.

    Right?? LOL Maybe I'm just especially lazy, but reading that just makes me want to crawl into bed ;-)
  • malavika413
    malavika413 Posts: 474 Member
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    odusgolp wrote: »
    malavika413 wrote: »
    odusgolp wrote: »
    malavika413 wrote: »
    My younger sister is in 8th grade and has 4-5 hours of homework a night. I kid you not. The girl is in a gifted program and due to all of her extracurricular commitments, she gets to bed around 11 pm every night--and wakes around 5 AM to get ready for school. It's insanity.

    Seriously, that just breaks my heart... We have 45+ years as working adults ahead of us to hate *LOL* Shouldn't kids be having some fun in life still?

    I agree with you. My sister is very very driven, and her extracurriculars (student body president, choir, musical, newspaper reporter, business classes) mean a lot to her. At her age I would've collapsed from exhaustion, but she handles things well.

    Right?? LOL Maybe I'm just especially lazy, but reading that just makes me want to crawl into bed ;-)

    I know! I mean, I'm a premed student at a top 20 university and I get more sleep than her! Granted, my grades aren't spectacular, but still.
  • slickmickey
    slickmickey Posts: 113 Member
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    i'm not a parent, but i remember in highschool we complained about the amount of homework and they told us to expect 1-1.5 of work per class per day. so that was 4-6 hours a night! i had a job on top of that. its a miracle i didnt drop out. i cant figure out how people did after school activities/sports. there is no time!
  • RavenLibra
    RavenLibra Posts: 1,737 Member
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    zero homework policy in my kids school when she was in elementary and Jr. High
  • spade117
    spade117 Posts: 2,466 Member
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    odusgolp wrote: »
    Man, this is all over the map! It's really hard to judge. I guess, personally, I'm struggling. I get home with him at about 6pm (he's in after school care until I'm done w/ work at 5:30. He works on homework for 30 minutes there.) At 6, it's an hour for dinner prep and eating - if he's not cooking with me, he's eating some fruit and either starting homework or playing outside.

    So, now it's 7:00, we've eaten. Homework time, usually until about 8:00-3:30.

    8:30, Bath, Teeth, Jammies...

    9:00 Bed, Read for 20.

    Here's the problem. WHEN is there time for basketball? Karate? Music Classes? TV Time and play time??? I fell like his life is work and it sucks. I'm not even going to lie, it's just... NOT fun. And shouldn't life be some sort of fun when you're 8 years old?

    What if we want to grocery shop, or go out to dinner with the family? Forget it...

    We've had to quit karate... no time. I'm a huge advocate for music and sports, but they're not offered at his school (private). Sure, we do basketball on the weekends right now, but games are coming and that's on a school night.

    I realize I"m whining *LOL* But where's the school/work/life balance?

    What time does he get out of school? Bath every night? Hour for dinner every night?

  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
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    He gets out at 4. He's in after school care until 5:15-5:30 when I pick him up. from 4-4:30 it's quiet study there. After that it's pure and utter chaos *LOL*

    Yes... generally takes me an hour each night to cook/eat. Mind you, he does other stuff during this time if he doesn't want to hang in the kitchen (but he does love cooking).

    Bath every night. He's a stinky sweaty active kid.

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