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How much homework for kindergarten?

YadaYadaYada

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@GliderPoss, we went to see the kids in a Halloween parade at school and on the wall outside the classroom was each child's name and their homework calendar underneath, some kids didn't have one under their name, I didn't think that was right. So unfortunately most of what is sent home isn't a suggestion but a requirement. I do hope our older son doesn't get swamped with homework in high school to the degree I've read here, it will be a wake-up call for sure.
 

Calliecake

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My grandniece had homework when she was in preschool. When I picked her up the teacher handed me her home work. I asked her if she was kidding. Four year olds should not have homework.
 

YadaYadaYada

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My goodness homework in Pre-K?! That is insane, it's like kids don't get to be kids anymore, sad really @Calliecake.
 

monarch64

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My 7 y/o has been in a dual language program since first grade; this year she is in second grade. She had no homework in kindergarten except for 20 minutes of reading each night which I don’t consider “homework.” In first grade she had light math homework. This year we go over the work she brings home but honestly most of it is remedial at this point as far as reading—she’s still bringing home sight word practice sheets and she’s known all of them since kg.

have you met with your sons teacher and spoken with her about the curriculum? Does he have a progress binder, or how is she tracking what his areas for improvement are?

The list of homework he has is astounding, honestly. Did your son attend pre-school or do any learning prior to kindergarten? A lot of the homework he has looks to me like what kids who attended pre-k already have learned.
 

YadaYadaYada

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@monarch64, haven't met with the teacher yet but conferences are this month so I will get some feedback then. He didn't attend Pre-k but I did teach him the basics at home, we had a hard time with handwriting though because he is left-handed (we are not) so that I could understand needing extra practice with. I spoke with a parent today who confirmed this amount of homework is across the board with the K teachers.

Awesome btw that your daughter is in a dual language program, knowing a second language is so important these days, she sounds like a smart cookie
 

kenny

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Don't all parents want their kids to grow up to be as successful as possible?
Isn't success usually directly related to hard work?
And wouldn't it be best to acquire good study habits as early as possible, instead of waiting till a later grade?

I often read about how parents from Japan, and certain other countries, drive their kids to study hard.
Then I read how America is falling behind, particularly in math and science.
Lots of US companies say they have to hire citizens from abroad to fill high level math and engineering jobs.
Too few Americans qualify.
My first partner (from an Asian country) got his visa to work in the US for this reason.

I'm not trolling.
Sincere questions from this non-parent.

I think if I was a parent I'd be torn between driving the kid to study well to be successful, but also to have time to just be a kid.
 
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Gussie

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Creativity and risk assessment are also needed in order to be successful in the highest level math/physics positions. My husband (HFT quant) rarely hires anyone educated outside the US. He believes that education systems that are rigorous to the point of stifling don't yield people who can think beyond the standardized test. Allowing kids to have freedom promotes creativity and problem solving.
 

yssie

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Creativity and risk assessment are also needed in order to be successful in the highest level math/physics positions. My husband (HFT quant) rarely hires anyone educated outside the US. He believes that education systems that are rigorous to the point of stifling don't yield people who can think beyond the standardized test. Allowing kids to have freedom promotes creativity and problem solving.

This, 100%.

The Indian education system is another that pumps out people full of book smarts - people who’ve memorized the solutions to a million questions but who can’t problem-solve when faced with deviations from their past experiences.

Some cultures also institutionalize “respect for elders” and “respect for authority”, creating individuals who both hesitate to question or argue with existing expertise, which research and academia demands, and who have learnt that it’s better to say “yes” and fail to deliver on an unreasonable customer expectation than to say “no” and set reasonable expectations.

Unfortunately in the quest for diversity here in the US there aren’t politically appropriate ways to raise or address these very real and debilitating cultural differences - which makes people wary at hiring time.
 

YadaYadaYada

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@kenny, as @Gussie and @yssie have pointed out, there is more to success than school work. There have also been studies done that show that assigning homework in elementary grades does not make for a better more educated student but does make for a more frustrated and less likely to love learning student.

If we want kids to be successful and good learners then we have to do everything we can to make sure that they aren't turned off at an early age. By the way you know what the schools care about? Test grades and funding, that's it, they don't give one care whether a child is a good problem solver fit for real world challenges as long as they can memorize answers so that the districts numbers look good.
 

OdetteOdile

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Don't all parents want their kids to grow up to be as successful as possible?
Isn't success usually directly related to hard work?
And wouldn't it be best to acquire good study habits as early as possible, instead of waiting till a later grade?

I often read about how parents from Japan, and certain other countries, drive their kids to study hard.
Then I read how America is falling behind, particularly in math and science.
Lots of US companies say they have to hire citizens from abroad to fill high level math and engineering jobs.
Too few Americans qualify.
My first partner (from an Asian country) got his visa to work in the US for this reason.

I'm not trolling.
Sincere questions from this non-parent.

I think if I was a parent I'd be torn between driving the kid to study well to be successful, but also to have time to just be a kid.

I've often wished my children could go to school in Finland, which takes a very different approach to education and is very successful. For interest sake, do a little googling on education in Finland. This would be my ideal.

In terms of successful children, I guess you could say what I want more than anything is for my children to be well adjusted, kind, open minded, creative, critical thinkers. I do not need my kids to get straight A's. I just went to a talk by a psychologist who said kids are having more anxiety than ever because of the pressure they are under. They get to college and they can't function.
 

elizabethess

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Hi! My kid is 5.5, in kindergarten now. Our teacher does a monthly homework packet that looks very similar to the grid that @jbake posted. One assignment per day. 4 days a week, Monday through Thursday. It is up to the parents to decide how they want to tackle it (do one a night, do it in advance, etc.) Each day has two short tasks. Turn the completed packet in on the last day of the month.

Last night's homework was: Draw three animals that live on a farm and write out the name of each (eg cow, pig, chicken) and say your birthday 5 times.

Monday's homework is: Draw something that begins with the letter M and write the name, count to 30 out loud.

Other assignments have included (in addition to the standard numbers and writing) things like: practice a fire drill. Say your phone number 5 times.

It only takes 10 minutes or so, and I think the idea is more that we get in the habit of doing homework, rather than actually relying on it as a teaching aid.
 
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arkieb1

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Countries like Denmark and Finland etc do very little homework at all until children are much older they concentrate on play based activities, co-operation and problem solving and they are said to be smarter and happier because of it.

Having said that my son had about that much homework when he was 4 and 5. He is now 11 he has around 1 hours + homework per day, then 20 to 30 mins music practise on three different instruments every day. The days we take him to after school activities this becomes a nightmare because we don't get home until late and he has to do homework and then music practise and often doesn't complete everything until mid evening....
 

nala

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Once upon a time, homework was a priority. It reinforced the day’s lessons so students could practice the concepts they were instructed. It created in the student a respect for study habits that would be essential in upper grades and college. Homework was meant for the student, not for parents. I have noticed that if parents view homework as their responsibility, they enable their kids. Yes. It’s hard to see your little one “suffer” as they are asked to learn beyond the school day. I mean. The child could be going on play dates that parents set up (and thereby deprived their children of relying on their own social skills to make friends, but that’s another topic) or heading out to a dozen of his or her extracurriculars (some of these are the real time consumers as they suck up entire evenings and weekends as parents are so eager to make their kids pro athletes, actors, etc. and this before the child even has a say in what he or she enjoys ) or playing on the iPad... Yes— I’m being sarcastic bc I honestly don’t understand all the negativity that surrounds homework. It is no coincidence that less than 30 percent of Americans are college grads—bc it takes discipline to do homework and that is all that college is (that was the last percent I recall reading but don’t quote me).
It’s kind of like eating healthy. It’s a lifestyle. You have to start your kids young when it comes to being disciplined about what foods they eat so they can continue to be healthy into adulthood. I forget what high percentage of Americans are obese but that’s my point. Discipline and independence. Let your kid do his homework independently and you will thank yourself later. Create a positive homework environment and children will enjoy it. It’s all about embracing the discipline.
 
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Rockdiamond

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I totally get Kenny's point...I struggle because I grew up in a world that no longer exists. How do we prepare our kids for the world as it exists now? We have no idea what smartphones do to 50 year olds....much less 8 years olds....or two year olds.....
Homework for kindergarten? NO NO NO
 

YadaYadaYada

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@nala except there is no proof that homework in the lower grades has any influence on graduation and beyond. Look, I am not a lazy parent and I want my child to succeed but I'll be damned if I'm going to let a teacher (who can only be bothered to copy worksheets) ruin my son's attitude about school and learning. Your post makes a lot of assumptions, also five year olds can not do their homework independently, they need help, so there is also that.
 

nala

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@nala except there is no proof that homework in the lower grades has any influence on graduation and beyond. Look, I am not a lazy parent and I want my child to succeed but I'll be damned if I'm going to let a teacher (who can only be bothered to copy worksheets) ruin my son's attitude about school and learning. Your post makes a lot of assumptions, also five year olds can not do their homework independently, they need help, so there is also that.

My post was not directed at you. It was directed at the negativity surrounding homework. I don’t know what proof you are looking for. Some people can dispute findings and stats all day long, which is why my claim is that homework helps to build discipline and study skills—and anyone who has graduated from college knows that in college—you sit an hour In lecture and spend 4 hours doing homework. The sooner you instill that discipline in you child, the more likely he or she is to graduate from college.
But you bring up a good point. In my experience, 5 year-olds can do their homework independently and if this is not the case, then you have an issue you need to discuss with the teacher. Perhaps she is assigning the wrong kind of homework.
Also. You mention that homework is ruining your son’s attitude about school. He is very young and impressionable and is very influenced by you. Have you tried to create a positive homework environment? I think that’s the one obligation that parents have when it comes to homework. Reduce distractions and provide a positive environment.
 
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YadaYadaYada

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@elizabethess, sounds good, age appropriate and organized. Also as a parent who might have a child in extracurricular activities it's nice to have the flexibility of deciding how to space the work out.

@arkieb1, I really feel for the kids who have to juggle school and activities, at the end of the day these are kids not small adults and their lives should not be all about work.

@Rockdiamond, I agree, on one hand they are assigning a learning app which is great and fun but on the other many kids just get way too much screen time and now even more for an educational app?! We had none of that and we turned out okay but you know technology and all that...
 

LightBright

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Homework for kindy? :oops2:

When I got home my mum sent me outside to tire myself out before dinner. And then I had to give a coherent summary of my day over dinner.

Nothing on that list sounds unreasonable but it's hard to get four years olds to focus for fifteen minutes - I have no idea how anyone could reasonably expect one to actually pay attention to a quarter of all of that after school!

Good luck mama!!

I agree, fifteen minute chunks of work for a kindergartner, especially at night after a long day is all I would expect. 20 minutes tops. I tutor kindergartners and have young kids and this reflects my experience.

When my first grade son stopped being able to do his homework at night (we think he was going through a growth spurt) we had to ask his teacher for a reduction in work. When that didn’t work and we still couldn’t get him to finish, he went homework free. Our evenings were peaceful and he was much happier. A year later he is now motivated to do his homework every night.

I would ask the teacher, if I were you, to reduce the amount to only basic essentials if you are concerned about your child’s work/ life balance. Personally I would eliminate the iPad SCREEN TIME altogether. Screen time has really addicted my son and I wish he never saw an iPad. Reading together at bedtime can compensate for some of the reading requirements etc. Honestly I would tell the teacher that 20 minutes is what your upper tolerance is and see what she says...

Take this with a grain of salt, it’s just my opinion.
 

YadaYadaYada

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@nala, there is negativity about homework because we have some teachers that care so little that they can't even be bothered to present it in an organized, flexible way. My son told me yesterday that they watched Dinosaur Train and Arthur at school, that's 40 minutes of television!! So I asked him what the teacher was doing and he said she was working with other kids. Now when he comes home we get to do homework for an hour or more when he just told me he watched tv at school for 40 minutes...WTH is going on in these schools and mind you this is Connecticut, the state that brags their public school system is so top notch.

To be clear, I'm not directing this at you, this is just pure frustration and basically when I meet with her I'm going to just keep it positive and ask what areas he needs to focus on and that's what we will work on at home.
 

YadaYadaYada

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@LightBright, thanks for weighing in and I'm glad that your son didn't lose his love and desire to learn. The IPad thing really drives me crazy because I don't think tracing letters with a finger on an IPad is productive, how about pencil and paper? Some of it is okay, letter sounds and such but on the whole it's not very impressive.

I think the district is pushing the app because they had to buy it so they are going to pressure the teachers to make sure all the parents are using it. Screen time is very limited in our house for the younger one, the older one has a Nintendo DS and IPad but we limit the time he spends on it and he has to ask permission to get on either. Boys can so easily get addicted to these things and DH is a gamer so I am very aware of their screen time.
 

LightBright

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More of my opinion. Off topic. I’m Gen X. I had no homework in school until High School. None. Or maybe a few very minor projects every couple of years. I developed all of my educational discipline and structure in high school. And I did well there and very well in college and grad school.

So I can say for myself that the structured time of homework for kindergartners onwards may only be creating the illusion that you are teaching educational diligence and discipline to small children. My son was still napping in kindergarten. He often peed his pants because he forgot to go. He struggled with eating his lunch and often came home having not eaten anything. His social skills were not confident or developed. He was a young child. For me, my opinion again, kindergartners and elementary schoolers should be building their social and emotional skills, learning how to harness big feelings, learning how to relate and communicate, working on making it through a school day, should be working on their eating habits and should be exposed to and learning things like music, art, drama, speech, dance and physical education. Eg, they should be building their physical and emotional and social personhood. We did this in the 1970s as free range kids. But now, it’s just “mini adult” heading into an unnecessarily competitive educational experience, for -inexplicable- to me reasons. Sorry, I had to give my experience because I feel strongly that modern children are missing out on the joys of childhood because adults are choosing other things for them.

This is not a criticism but it’s my own observation.
 

YadaYadaYada

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@LightBright, I'm also a Gen X but I remember doing homework, had a hard time writing my name so always had practice sheets coming home!

Do you mind me asking if they tried to keep your son back to repeat K? I only ask because our son is a July baby so he is on the young side and I just worry that they will try to keep him back especially if we don't cooperate with the homework requirements.
 

LightBright

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@LightBright, I'm also a Gen X but I remember doing homework, had a hard time writing my name so always had practice sheets coming home!

Do you mind me asking if they tried to keep your son back to repeat K? I only ask because our son is a July baby so he is on the young side and I just worry that they will try to keep him back especially if we don't cooperate with the homework requirements.

My son is an April baby. They had no interest in keeping him back, because he had learned the grade level math and writing and didn’t have learning gaps. I think they would not do that unless your child wasn’t hitting milestones like learning to read in kinder, right? And, if they decided to do this they’d likely be talking to you now. I’m in CA and my son’s public school is considered on of the most accelerated in the district (besides the gifted schools which his is not) and our kinder homework did not reach the level yours has. It almost seems like your teacher is pushing off some of her teaching to the home/parents... hopefully your teacher has a teaching aide in her classroom, and your school has a robust tutoring mechanism for kids falling behind like ours does in CA.
 
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YadaYadaYada

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@LightBright, okay what I wrote wasn't worded well. What I meant to say was if he is even slightly behind where he needs to be they might want to keep him back and possibly include that he didn't do all the required homework. Yes I agree that at this point it looks like his teacher is pushing a lot of the work on the parents.

We have a local college that will tutor the younger grades, we were considering it for our older son who struggles with math, not sure if they do the younger grades. He seems to be catching on quickly though so hopefully that continues.

It's great to have a good public school, older son was in a magnet school up until last year and I might look into it again because the local schools are not very impressive.
 

LightBright

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@LightBright, okay what I wrote wasn't worded well. What I meant to say was if he is even slightly behind where he needs to be they might want to keep him back and possibly include that he didn't do all the required homework. Yes I agree that at this point it looks like his teacher is pushing a lot of the work on the parents.

We have a local college that will tutor the younger grades, we were considering it for our older son who struggles with math, not sure if they do the younger grades. He seems to be catching on quickly though so hopefully that continues.

It's great to have a good public school, older son was in a magnet school up until last year and I might look into it again because the local schools are not very impressive.

I would take your concerns and questions to the teacher. It would be terrible if the teachers kept him back due to not doing homework, but ironically enough I was just in another parenting group and they talked about some districts counting homework as 20% of grade with no exceptions even for IEP. That type of inflexibility is nuts IMO. My son’s very flexible school is a public magnet charter (same public education teachers union membership and same public school curriculum requirements). We have been very happy with it so far.
 

YadaYadaYada

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You're not kidding about inflexibility although I wonder if the parents could fight a child being held back because of homework with an IEP, it seems like the school would probably cave to avoid legal drama? Idk.

I believe we have charter schools here too but magnets are much more common and they work on a lottery system. Unfortunately my kids didn't get in to either magnet they applied to so we will try again for next year.
 

rockysalamander

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My son had 2 worksheets per night. I told the kindergarten and every grade since that there is not a shred of research supporting homework before 5th grade. In fact, quite the opposite. We would not require our son to do homework that provided no academic purpose after being in school for hours. We pulled him from public school after 3rd grade, so not sure how long it would have worked. We home school now.
 

MaisOuiMadame

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I've had kids in two very different pre school and elementary school systems. In Germany kids have very play oriented kindergarten time, no homework, first grade starts at roughly 6.

In France school starts at age 3, everything is very much about "serious learning" from a very very young age.

Guess what, kids in elementary school in both countries are exactly at the same level from first grade onwards. All that stress and sitting still for 3y/olds doesn't give them ANY "advantage". Just more stress, anxiety and stress related health issues.
Our bilingual school (first grade to a levels) is always in the top ten nationwide (!!) and the policy is not more than 25 mins of home work per day in the the first two years, grades 3-4 not more than 30 mins.

I would absolutely go crazy if my kids watched TV in school. I'm convinced screen time should be very limited (as in: learning app to build some tech competences...). It's a consensus among neuroscientists, psychologists and pediatricians that screen time (TV, films, games) fries kids' brains. A teacher should know better!!!
 

Tartansparkles

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Age 4/5 is the first year of primary school for us (P1). The homework policy from the school was 15mins per night. P1 homework was word flash cards to begin with then the flashcards combined with their reading book.
 

Daisys and Diamonds

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My grandniece had homework when she was in preschool. When I picked her up the teacher handed me her home work. I asked her if she was kidding. Four year olds should not have homework.

4 years old ????

when i was a nipper kindy was from when you were about 3 1/2 (afternoon kindy) and then morning kindy before one went to school at 5 . we played dress ups, played outside in the sandpit, painted lots of pictures and had stories read to us
while we refined our fine motor skills and learnt socialization and had fun
(especially water days)
when we went to school we had a wee reading book to take home and i think that lasted right through primary school. by the 2nd year of primary school - what they now call year one we might have had a tiny bit of numbers - it wasn't even maths yet
i know things have changed and personally alot of things needed improving back then, but my parents always thought what needed to be learnt in school should be able to be taught durring school hours - and not through hours and hours of homework - reading books with mum and dad aside

little kids get tired
i feel sorry for kids never getting much 'free' time these days - just to muck around and be kids
 
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