What do you think is an acceptable amount?
I have a 1st grader and she gets one math worksheet and 20 minutes of reading nightly, plus spelling tests weekly. I actually don't think it is enough, she whizzes through the math so quick. She always reads anyway. She gets the spelling words right after a quick review and practice test. I bought her some math workbooks that are more challenging, and I have her do a page or two of that.
Is it because she is so young that she doesn't seem really challenged by the assigned work? (Meaning they wouldn't give her much.)
Or am I cursing myself and she will be overwhelmed in the future?
That's what I have heard. I just want her to challenge herself especially if she really likes something! I figured I'd get plenty of the "just wait, you'll see!" type of responses, lol
Quoting mandaday:
I think ideally the point of homework this early on should just be to get them in the habit of doing it. Older grades get too much. It should not take half the length of the school day to do the homework. Enjoy it now. In a few years it will seem as though she has no time for family or a life.
I don't know. When my son was in 1st grade, the same work sheet that took my daughter ten minutes to do, took him 2 hours.
Your daughter learns easily.
I can tell you this, by 5th grade, the homework load is overwhelming. My daughter is a senior now, and you should see the amount of school work she does daily.
Let your daughter enjoy her childhood. From experience, the more homework, the less they like school.
This is why I like to add a little. The math homework is so simple, too. I think she is beyond it, that's why I give her harder stuff.
My 1st grader also goes to Spanish after school twice a week and Arabic school on Sundays, so that keeps her pretty busy on the language side of things.
Quoting coala:We HS. I give my 1st grader about an 1 1/2 hours of reinforcement work. She has writting, practicing a number b/c they look so terrible, a spelling assignment and 30 min of reading daily. Although my current K student is doing what the 1st graders in PS are doing. It's a crying shame.
My preschooler works on her workbook for 15 minutes or so while her sister does homework, but it's not assigned. She just wants to do what her big sister does and begged me to give her some homework, lol. She works on writing letters and numbers. :)
Quoting GLWerth:My oldest always finishes his work and homework in class. He's in 6th grade.
My second son has between 30 minutes and an hour of homework most nights. He's in 5th grade.
Preschooler has no homework.
I would think an hour of schoolwork would be plenty for a 5th grader, more than that seems like way too much.
I do let my kid be a kid. But if she likes a challenge in math, I will make sure she gets it. I want her to stay interested!
Quoting sherry132:I don't know. When my son was in 1st grade, the same work sheet that took my daughter ten minutes to do, took him 2 hours.
Your daughter learns easily.
I can tell you this, by 5th grade, the homework load is overwhelming. My daughter is a senior now, and you should see the amount of school work she does daily.
Let your daughter enjoy her childhood. From experience, the more homework, the less they like school.
I personally don't think kids that little should have too much homework. I think of it like this. School is their job and yes, many of us have to take work home with us from time to time. However, kids should have time to relax, unwind and absorb their day. Play is an important part of development, as is family time. Too much homework adds extra stress to kids and parents and can make it feel like the school day doesn't end.
Your little girl probably has enough homework for her age and grade. She sounds very bright, and of course you want to challenge her.
I would say let sleeping dogs lie. For now. Reading to your daughter aloud is also important (which you probably do!). When you read books that are more difficult, above her reading level, she is getting more vocabulary, which improves her reading and comprehension.
I would involve her in home activities after she does her homework. Or before -however you do it. At her age, it's important to have family time, time to be together and enjoy the warmth of home. If you crochet or knit, those are excellent skills to teach her. Or scrapbooking, or sewing, or taking a walk and just talking.
All the incidental knowledge she picks up from activities like these are invaluable. When my older daughter was in first grade I became a Girl Scout Leader. Our Brownie troop worked on badges, and that was wonderful learning for both of my girls. Kids can learn a whole lot outside of school. Cultural knowledge is what a lot of children lack.
Remember that homework is not supposed to be new learning. It's supposed to be practice for what has already been taught. However, having said all that, you may be entirely right that her work isn't challenging her. It doesn't have to be more, quantity-wise, to be more challenging. You could talk to her teacher about it. Does she recommend testing her for "gifted and talented?"
Also, there's nothing that says you can't skip ahead and teach her more. Teach her cursive handwriting. Teach her Roman numerals. Teach her Aesop's Fables and help her decide what the moral is. Together you can make a "book" of drawings that illustrates the morals on one side or page, and on the other, have her print out the moral boiled down to a few sentences on lined paper.
You can teach her the state capital song, and make up geography games. There's so much you can do to expand her mind. Just don't worry that she'll be too far ahead. You know your kid. You know what's best for her.
Holder to investigate....Holder
- stacymomof2
on Jan. 28, 2013 at 9:22 PM