4th Grade--No Homework Policy?!?!

[yeartolate]

I think no homework might be foolhearty, The child gradually needs to become accustomed to the extra work, because in high school and college, they certainly will not hesitate to pile it on.

That being said, my 11 year old son has a ridiculous amount of homework. The school year just began and he is finishing up his second big project already. This is on top of 1-2 hours of math, science, history, English he is given 5 nights a week!

 

[Pin Wizard]

At that age, DS was in after care at his school. After school, the kids were out on the playground for a while, then in a room doing homework. Nice part was a teacher was there for any questions. He almost always had it done by the time I picked him up.

Now in 7th he has math EVERY night including weekends. Haven't seen much from other classes outside of things he needs from the computer. I did see science homework the other night. Nothing major, but he also has a "study" period.

I have to agree that homework isn't everything. Kids need socialization, team building skills, etc. I stopped at a neighborhood park the other night around 5:45 on my way home. Couldn't believe that a baseball game had actually broken up at that point. I'm wondering how the heck working parents get there for that! I remember my sister telling me that when her son was in sports, the coaches actually took vacation time from their jobs to get the coaching done.

 

[GJM]

My DS is in Kindergarten now at his daycare. He gets 4 sheets of homework on Monday and has until Friday to hand it in. We try and finish it early.

I can't imagine a kid in 4th. grade with 3 l/2 - 5 hours of homework a night. When do they get to play or enjoy family time. There is no way my DS when in 4th. grade will be up until 11:00 at night doing homework. I'm normally asleep by then!

 

[suzannen]

For those who can't believe my DD has 3 1/2 to 5 hours homework, this is the breakdown. She has 6 classes with 30 minutes of homework for each class (3 hours) plus 30 minutes of reading for her literature class. That's the 3 1/2 hours. The 5 hours are when she has a test (about 2 a week) and we study an additional 1/2 to 1 & 1/2 hours for that. Her school day ends at 2:45 pm. She then has either science, math or cooking club for 1 hour after school, which are all fun and with her friends. From 3:45 to 4:45 (when I pick her up), she completes her 1st hour of homework in a study group of friends. From 5:00 to 7:30, she completes the last 2 1/2 hours. If she has a test, we then review another 1/2 to 1 1/2 hour, depending upon need. This is par for the course for NYC private schools. DD absolutely loves her school and the kids are used to it. The weekends usually have lesser work loads, mainly reading, so the kids rest and play then. Meanwhile, she is getting such a far superior education than I ever did at a top public school, our family is thrilled with it.

 

[aprilgail2]

For those who can't believe my DD has 3 1/2 to 5 hours homework, this is the breakdown. She has 6 classes with 30 minutes of homework for each class (3 hours) plus 30 minutes of reading for her literature class. That's the 3 1/2 hours. The 5 hours are when she has a test (about 2 a week) and we study an additional 1/2 to 1 & 1/2 hours for that. Her school day ends at 2:45 pm. She then has either science, math or cooking club for 1 hour after school, which are all fun and with her friends. From 3:45 to 4:45 (when I pick her up), she completes her 1st hour of homework in a study group of friends. From 5:00 to 7:30, she completes the last 2 1/2 hours. If she has a test, we then review another 1/2 to 1 1/2 hour, depending upon need. .

SO then, the only time she gets to kick back and be a kid is on the weekends, providing she doesn't have homework then too??? No thanks...that is robbing them of their whole childhood. Those kids are going to be some stressed out kids by the time they get out of school and can start doing some living!!

 

[mousey]

I agree about too much homework. They spend all day in school and then have to come home and do another 2-3 hrs. of work--that's ridiculous. Its bad enough when they get to middle and high school--different teacher for each class--different amount of homework but usually every night of the week. My friend is a teacher and her idea of homework is studying for a test, reading, spelling words or a project. No wonder she is the most requested teacher in the building. Her students usually are the high scorers on the state tests too--so go figure!!

 

[Simba's Mom]

I would suggest you talk to the principal and find out if this is maybe the school's policy not to give homework. I was surprised several years ago when I took a job at a Middle School where the school's policy, instituted by the principal, was not to give homework. His reasoning was that we were in an low-income area where lots of children had after-school responsibilities, caring for younger siblings, making dinner for a single parent perhaps, home chores, etc. so it would be too difficult for them to do any homework. Being a math teacher, this was a difficult policy for me, and I had a couple parents contact me to complain because I didn't give their children any homework. I was happy to refer them to my principal to voice their complaints, and I told them I'd be happy to give homework if the policy changed.

 

[kidshop]

For those who can't believe my DD has 3 1/2 to 5 hours homework, this is the breakdown. She has 6 classes with 30 minutes of homework for each class (3 hours) plus 30 minutes of reading for her literature class. That's the 3 1/2 hours. The 5 hours are when she has a test (about 2 a week) and we study an additional 1/2 to 1 & 1/2 hours for that. Her school day ends at 2:45 pm. She then has either science, math or cooking club for 1 hour after school, which are all fun and with her friends. From 3:45 to 4:45 (when I pick her up), she completes her 1st hour of homework in a study group of friends. From 5:00 to 7:30, she completes the last 2 1/2 hours. If she has a test, we then review another 1/2 to 1 1/2 hour, depending upon need. This is par for the course for NYC private schools. DD absolutely loves her school and the kids are used to it. The weekends usually have lesser work loads, mainly reading, so the kids rest and play then. Meanwhile, she is getting such a far superior education than I ever did at a top public school, our family is thrilled with it.

When do you guys eat dinner? It sounds awful, btw. Sorry that's just my opinion. I'd rather be a little less smart and have a little more life at 11 years old.

 

[Jennifer S]

I have a 4th grader and he gets 40min to an hour a night plus read for 15 min. It's hard on football nights but other nights it's fine. I think you need a balance. No homework isn't good but neither is 3 hours. Kids need to be kids.

 

[sm4987]

I have a 4th grader and he doesn't get very much homework. Mostly reading. Our schools have a 20 minute reading per night. Not much else. I do make sure my son does somthing however when he comes home because I just don't feel like he get enough at school. To much is focused on just passing the state test!

 

[Wishing on a star]

To anyone who thinks that all this 'homework' correlates to a 'better education' and 'higher standards/expectations'. I would have to SERIOUSLY question what actually is 'better', and why in the heck are todays expectations completely out-of-control?

It is not good to put these kinds of demands/expectations on children.


And, we wonder why 'Anxiety' in children is now epidemic!!!!!

 

[ilovemcbride]

Don't flame me, but WHY are you complaining about no homework? Kids work their butts off in for 7+ hours a day. They need time when they come home to relax. When I was in the 4th grade, we had homework in every subject every night. So I spent most of my evenings doing homework. My mom is a teacher also, and she and my dad were really strict on me getting it done. I hardly ever give homework. I expect them to study for any test, and they might have an occassional assignment. If the kids are unable to do the work in class, how do you expect them to do it at home, especially if the parents can't help them, and if they don't have older brothers or sisters? You should be glad about the "no homework policy." That way your kid still has time to be a kid. Fourth graders aren't college kids...they don't need five or six hours of additional work a night. But that's just my opinion, and I'm entitled to it.

 

[wendyl]

Don't flame me, but WHY are you complaining about no homework? Kids work their butts off in for 7+ hours a day. They need time when they come home to relax. When I was in the 4th grade, we had homework in every subject every night. So I spent most of my evenings doing homework. My mom is a teacher also, and she and my dad were really strict on me getting it done. I hardly ever give homework. I expect them to study for any test, and they might have an occassional assignment. If the kids are unable to do the work in class, how do you expect them to do it at home, especially if the parents can't help them, and if they don't have older brothers or sisters? You should be glad about the "no homework policy." That way your kid still has time to be a kid. Fourth graders aren't college kids...they don't need five or six hours of additional work a night. But that's just my opinion, and I'm entitled to it.

There's a HUGE difference between the 30 minutes of homework I think are important and the 5-6 hours a night you are talking about. I think the VAST majority of us agree that hours a homework a night in elementary school is wrong. I explained the reason homework is necessary for Math mastery and memory development in my original post. In math, an "occassional assignment" just doesn't accomplish mastery.

Again, it seems that people are taking this to the opposite extreme than my original post was concerned about. I never said, or implied, or suggested that students should have HOURS of homework. I just KNOW how important SOME homework is. There is ALOT of ground between No homework and 5/6 hours a night. A "happy medium" is desired here----NOT an extreme.

 

[ilovemcbride]

Whatever.

 

[Chicago526]

3rd grade 30-45 minutes homework per night plus 20 minutes of reading.
6th grade 1 hour plus per night.

You can play math games, let DS help you measure ingredients for cooking, use a measuring tape to measure for hanging stuff, telling time, asking him to divide things up for you (fractions), measuring lanudry detergent.


We have some kind of math game kit that we bought through the school last year.

I just have one question.

WHY DIDN'T MY SCHOOL HAVE THIS?!!!!!

I hated homework. Never did understand why we would spend 20 minutes learning something in class and then have to do 45 minutes worth of work on it at home, when you can't ask your teacher a question.