Do your kindergarteners get daily homework?

[Colleen]

The other night I ran into a Mom who I recognized from Avery's preschool last year.

To make a long story short, we were talking about Kindergarten. Her 2nd daughter and Avery will both go to the same school in the fall. She has a daughter who is in 1st grade right now. She warned me that the K teacher her older daughter had gave the kids 2 hours of homework a night! :faint:

I'm sorry but I barely had 2 hours of homework a night in high school! :sigh:

She that that eventually it got reduced, but it took all the parents complaining. She apologized for scaring me but she also told me that she wished she'd known what was ahead. I did run into another Mom who has twins in the same school in 2 different K classes and they don't get much homework a week...about 1/2 per week, but she said she heard it depends on the teacher.

So, my question is, does your Kindergartener get homework daily? If so, how much?

[Jayne]

Tylor who is now in 5th grade had homework every night in k. It could take him anywhere from 1/2 hour to 2 hrs to do depending on how he understood it and what it was. (He hated coloring) or (he had to read so many pages and he wasn't a strong reader) Honestly he would sit at the table while I would make dinner. He would read outloud or work on math problems. I liked it because I know what he was involved in and we were in the know with what he was learning. I never saw a problem with it. Now in 5th grade he can be doing homework from the time he gets home until the time he goes to bed depending on what he has and stopping for Dinner. It only gets worse!

[Dennis]

This is the biggest reason we don't want the kids to go to our local elementary school. Some of our neighbors have told us horror stories about the amount of homework their kids have had to do in kindergarten and first grade. I can understand practicing reading, but homework at that age should be minimal, if any.

[Bonnie]

I have heard different stories about different schools... my brother tells me my niece gets 1-2 hours a night! I was horrified! When I asked at several of the schools I am looking at, they said no more than 15 to 30 minutes (which still seems ridiculous in kindergarten). All of my friends and coworkers w/ school age kids tell me how awful it is and like Jayne said, it seems to only get worse.

[Jayne]

See I don't see it as awful. I enjoy this time with the kids. I really get a handle on what he is learning. And trust me..in K..a lot of it was busy work. I hated that..There is no reason for the coloring sheets. I don't need coloring sheets to keep him busy at home. But much of it was learning addition facts, reading stories, writing spelling words. Those things to me really are practical and I really enjoy working with Tylor on those things and watching him learn. :dunno: yes now at times I think there is to much but Tylor is triving and doing very well in school and he doesn't seem to complain about it much so I guess I shouldn't!

[Bonnie]

It's good to know you don't think it's awful, Jayne... so maybe there is some redeeming qualities about it as they get older. I just cringe when I think about trying to do homework w/ Caroline next year while the other 2 girls are needing attention.

[Joan]

This is the biggest reason we don't want the kids to go to our local elementary school. Some of our neighbors have told us horror stories about the amount of homework their kids have had to do in kindergarten and first grade. I can understand practicing reading, but homework at that age should be minimal, if any.

I believe the recommended amount of homework is 10 minutes for each grade level. So none for K, 10 minutes for 1st, etc. up until 5th or 6th grade. All children benefit from reading daily so that is not part of the time recommendation. I have my students read 20 minutes daily (even weekends) and they keep a reading log.

Jayne, it is great that you and Tyler have a smoothe plan that works for you!

When homework is a problem, or more importantly, when you or your child see no value in it, you must talk to the teacher.

[Karri]

I believe the recommended amount of homework is 10 minutes for each grade level. So none for K, 10 minutes for 1st, etc. up until 5th or 6th grade. All children benefit from reading daily so that is not part of the time recommendation. I have my students read 20 minutes daily (even weekends) and they keep a reading log.

Jayne, it is great that you and Tyler have a smoothe plan that works for you!

When homework is a problem, or more importantly, when you or your child see no value in it, you must talk to the teacher.

This is what I have heard, as well. And I think its reasonable. I don't know if our school district follows it. I will have to ask at the PTA meeting next week.

Aidan's school has a school-wide math goal, so he only gets math homework. And its simple stuff. Its once a day, and we get a calendar for the month. For instance, nest weeks is:
M: write numbers 0-15
T: guess how many cups are in a container of water. measure it out.
W: compare 2 books. which has the most pages? which has the least?
TH: name 10 things bigger than your chair
F: count your steps as you walk from the bathroom to the kitchen

[Dennis]

I believe the recommended amount of homework is 10 minutes for each grade level. So none for K, 10 minutes for 1st, etc. up until 5th or 6th grade. All children benefit from reading daily so that is not part of the time recommendation. I have my students read 20 minutes daily (even weekends) and they keep a reading log.

Joan, that's what a mean by minimal. 10 minutes in first grade is reasonable, as is having them read. Part of the reason it really bugs me is that kindergarten isn't what kindergarten should be, IMO. It's basically first grade now - a lot of things our local school says kids should know before starting kindergarten are things we learned in kindergarten or first grade.

[Joan]

Sorry dennis, I should have prefaced my response by saying " i agree with Dennis" :lol: That should almost be a given though :)

I also agree that K is more like 1st grade, well at least in some schools. One of my co-workers (a teacher) was complaining because her grandson's Kindergarten class wasn't academic enough.

[mrs.knip]

Joan, that's what a mean by minimal. 10 minutes in first grade is reasonable, as is having them read. Part of the reason it really bugs me is that kindergarten isn't what kindergarten should be, IMO. It's basically first grade now - a lot of things our local school says kids should know before starting kindergarten are things we learned in kindergarten or first grade.

This is what Maggie's headstart teacher said. The things they are trying to cover in headstart right now is what kindergarten was 10 years ago. She said 10 years ago they never even got into the alphabet or learning letters and now that is part of the curriculm.
As a former teacher myself I never gave that much homework. More along the lines of Joan's comment about 10 min for each grade level.

[Kimberly]

I believe the recommended amount of homework is 10 minutes for each grade level. So none for K, 10 minutes for 1st, etc. up until 5th or 6th grade. All children benefit from reading daily so that is not part of the time recommendation. I have my students read 20 minutes daily (even weekends) and they keep a reading log.

Jayne, it is great that you and Tyler have a smoothe plan that works for you!

When homework is a problem, or more importantly, when you or your child see no value in it, you must talk to the teacher.

This is exactly what our district follows. 2 hours of homework in K is competely inappropriate. There is no reason for a 5/6 year old to have that much homework. I teach first grade and give weekly homework. The children have all the assignments listed on the newsletter that I send home on Friday afternoon and have until the following Friday morning to turn it all in. It should not take them over 10 minutes a night to do an assignment and there are 4 assignments on there (one for each day M-Th). They are also required to read their reading group book each night, but even my children reading in novels shouldn't be reading over 10-15 minutes. If Ali came home from K with coloring sheets, etc. and there was not a reason (such as fine motor skill issues) behind her doing extra work like that, I would definitely talk to the teacher.

[Jayne]

One of my co-workers (a teacher) was complaining because her grandson's Kindergarten class wasn't academic enough.

And here lies the problem. Alyssa had two kids pulled from her preschool because the parents felt they were not academic enough. Well I am sorry but since when do they need to learn to read in Preschool. Isn't that what the K is supposed to teach. Alyssa is doing all her letters, learning their sounds, writing the letters and small words. I think that is plenty for a preschool to work on.

[Joan]

And here lies the problem. Alyssa had two kids pulled from her preschool because the parents felt they were not academic enough. Well I am sorry but since when do they need to learn to read in Preschool. Isn't that what the K is supposed to teach. Alyssa is doing all her letters, learning their sounds, writing the letters and small words. I think that is plenty for a preschool to work on.

It is definitely ONE of the problems. Parents: We are the problems AND Solutions :lol: The thing is, some kids are really ready to learn to read early and some are not. Most of the time the playing field levels off around 3rd grade. So in the meantime, (k-2nd grade) teachers have to teach to a variety of levels and needs. I think it is okay to adjust the work for some children, depending on their ability and needs. Maybe Sally can do the homework in 10 minutes, but Debbie will take 30. Teacher needs to adjust Debbie's work.

[Dennis]

The other part of the problem is all the standardized testing. Schools push the kids because they need them to do well on the tests.

[Jayne]

Oh yes...I do believe there are many problems that lead to the kids being pushed to do so much work..I was just saying that one of them was the parents..Sorry..should have worded that better.

[AmyLynn]

The other night I ran into a Mom who I recognized from Avery's preschool last year.

To make a long story short, we were talking about Kindergarten. Her 2nd daughter and Avery will both go to the same school in the fall. She has a daughter who is in 1st grade right now. She warned me that the K teacher her older daughter had gave the kids 2 hours of homework a night! :faint:

I'm sorry but I barely had 2 hours of homework a night in high school! :sigh:

She that that eventually it got reduced, but it took all the parents complaining. She apologized for scaring me but she also told me that she wished she'd known what was ahead. I did run into another Mom who has twins in the same school in 2 different K classes and they don't get much homework a week...about 1/2 per week, but she said she heard it depends on the teacher.

So, my question is, does your Kindergartener get homework daily? If so, how much?

Um, is this the school that Ashton will be going to?

[Dennis]

Jayne, I agree that some parents push their kids way too hard. Fortunately, at least among the parents we know, there seems to be a definite trend to finding a good balance.

[Cami]

In our kindergarten, there's a few minutes of homework a night, plus a reading book that changes twice a week. I think it's a reasonable amount of work and it helps me to understand what's going on in the classroom. But kindergarten here starts at age 4, so it's a year earlier than what they'd be doing in the US. (And I think the work they do/learning goals are like US kindergarten rather than preschool, if that makes sense.)

[Mary DK]

Eliot had a few weekly reading assigments but that only lasted 3-4 weeks b/c he was moved up to beginner reader books which change twice a week. About 10 min of reading a day, which we would do anyway.
The other only 2 things have been a couple of family projects, like a family pumpkin decorated whichever way we wanted & a "Me" poster.

Question... are these kids with the 1-2 hrs of homework attending a whole day program or half day program? The area around here that I have heard of kindergartens having homework is the only area that has a 1/2 day program... all others are full day.

[Alyssa]

Aidan gets homework only once a week . Usually on Wednesdays and it's due by Friday. It's just a worksheet like they do at school - I think it's really just to teach them responsibility about doing the work and bringing it in, rather than to cram in any new learning.

They did just start a "library" where every Wednesday now they take out a book and are to practice reading it over the course of a week.

[Clare]

2 hours of homework in kindergarten is ridiculous, and completely unheard of around here. Our school doesn't give homework in kindergarten at all. Kindergarten isn't even compulsory here (which I don't agree with) so they're not going to give homework! Even last year in 1st grade Emily didn't get much homework. The guideline was as Joan said, 10 minutes a night for 1st grade, but it was very sporadic. Homework didn't start till well into Term 2 (about 12 weeks into the school year) and even then it didn't come home every night. Some weeks she'd have homework one night, another week she'd have it every night. But it was always stressed to the parents that when they did have homework that it shouldn't take more then 10 minutes.

[Colleen]

Thanks for all your input.

Yes, it's a full day Kindergarten, and like many of you, I've also heard the guidelines for homeswork as 10 minutes per grade level. That's why I freaked out at the thought of 2 hours in Kindergarten.

Amy, I'll pm you with where Avery is going....you'd have to check with the district see if that's where you are zoned. I would assume it's the same.