Calling all grade 3 parents and teachers

[Embel]

Our school is going to have a meeting soon to discuss the amount of and quality of homework our third graders are doing. I'd like to educate myself on what other schools do. I'd love to hear specifically ...

1. How long does it take your G3 student to do their written homework?
2. Is there math every night?
3. What in math are they doing?
4. For how long are they expected to read each day?
5. Is there reading accountability? (ie- book reports, summaries, questions about the reading?)

Thanks for the help!!

 

[Kellydelly]

My third grader has no homework every night except for reading 15-30 minutes. I don't think our school district believes in homework for elementary students, my 5th grader doesn't come home with any either . If they don't finish their classwork it becomes homework, but I don't consider that homework because my kids never end up having to bring it home.

 

[kimblebee]

Our school has a policy to not send home homework. Because there were too many kids not returning their work they just decided to stop sending home homework. Don't get me started on how dumb I think that is.

 

[Tammi67]

We've only been in school for three weeks, but here's what DD has to do...

15 minutes reading every night. I have to sign off on it.
2 quizzes and one test - so there have been study guides that she's had to study at home.
Haven't seen any math homework yet. In class they are working on place value, adding and subtracting three digit numbers.

I also should say here the first month of school is "assessing" the students, to place them in their appropriate math/reading group/level. So we won't start getting into the meat of things until sometime in October.

I know the teacher has commented that she doesn't believe in homework. Now, my 5th grader...that's another story. He has at least 2 subjects' worth, sometime 3, almost every night.

 

[golfgal]

When our kids were in 3ed grade they had a phonics/reading worksheet every night and a math worksheet every night because of the Curriculum they used--LOVED IT. They had to read so many hours each month-it worked out to be about 15-20 minutes/night-they always read before bed so I have never really counted that into "homework" time but they pretty much always doubled what they "had' to do because they would read for about 30 minutes or more before bed. They would get the occasional project assigned, creating posters, doing a research project (small, usually one page paper at most), etc. On average it took the kids maybe 15 minutes to do "homework", not including reading. What it DID do is help instill great study habits for them for high school/college . Oh, and they had spelling tests each week so we would run through those words one night and through out the year they had timed multiplication tests so they would study one night before they took those.

 

[OceanAnnie]

Our school is going to have a meeting soon to discuss the amount of and quality of homework our third graders are doing. I'd like to educate myself on what other schools do. I'd love to hear specifically ...

1. How long does it take your G3 student to do their written homework?

At our school, it's supposed to take around 40 minutes. It was a huge transition from Summer, but lately it's taking about that long and sometimes less.

2. Is there math every night? Yes.

3. What in math are they doing? 1 Math worksheet daily and math drills/flashcards for 15 min. or so.


4. For how long are they expected to read each day? 15 minutes, minimum.

5. Is there reading accountability? (ie- book reports, summaries, questions about the reading?) For now, the kids check it off on their assignment homework list. Soon the kids will use computer tests on ARs (accelerated readers) that were read at home. There were tests last year on the ARs, the tests were scored but not "counted", this held the kids accountable and helped them to become accustomed to the program for this year.

We haven't been in school a month yet (feels like a lot longer!), so the kids aren't in full swing.

Thanks for the help!!

I think it's good that your school is having a meeting about homework!

 

[NikkiLovesWDW!]

I am a third grade teacher. Most days, I assign a math sheet which is a review of what we did in class that day, a spelling assignment that goes with the list of words for that week (sentences, ABC order, etc.) and 20-30 minutes of reading. Occasionally it will vary but that's what it is for the most part. Students write down their homework each night, I check to make sure it's written down (so no excuses for why it wasn't done ) and parent must initial homework sheet once it's all done.

Hope that helps!

Oh, let me answer your questions...

1. It really depends. I would say it should take 20 minutes on average (plus the 20 mins of reading).
2. Yes.
3. Varies every day.
4. 20-30 mins.
5. No accountability for the 20 mins each night except for parent signature but there are occasional at-home reports.

 

[abdmom]

I'm a hs science teacher. I've had two of my own pass through 3rd grade. I've also worked on K-8 math curricula.

In third grade, I would expect up to 30 minutes of homework per night (10 minutes per grade). With my children, that included the 15 minutes of reading. DD usually did much more reading than that. For math, I would expect third grade to consist of solidifying their addition and subtraction skills and to start on multiplication.

 

[aprilgail2]

Our school is going to have a meeting soon to discuss the amount of and quality of homework our third graders are doing. I'd like to educate myself on what other schools do. I'd love to hear specifically ...

1. How long does it take your G3 student to do their written homework?
2. Is there math every night?
3. What in math are they doing?
4. For how long are they expected to read each day?
5. Is there reading accountability? (ie- book reports, summaries, questions about the reading?)

Thanks for the help!!

My daughter is not in third now but was not long ago LOL--
Our district has a policy of 10 minutes a night per grade so thrid grade was no more than 30 minutes a night and NO homework on weekends and holidays!
There is not math every night.
They are supposed to read 10 minutes a night Mon-Thurs (and that is considered homework so its part of those thirty minutes allotted towards homework!)
They did some book projects in school they find if they have them do it at home then parents "help" out a bit to much and its no longer the kids work!

 

[OceanAnnie]

I am a third grade teacher. Most days, I assign a math sheet which is a review of what we did in class that day, a spelling assignment that goes with the list of words for that week (sentences, ABC order, etc.) and 20-30 minutes of reading. Occasionally it will vary but that's what it is for the most part. Students write down their homework each night, I check to make sure it's written down (so no excuses for why it wasn't done ) and parent must initial homework sheet once it's all done.

Hope that helps!

Oh, let me answer your questions...

1. It really depends. I would say it should take 20 minutes on average (plus the 20 mins of reading).
2. Yes.
3. Varies every day.
4. 20-30 mins.
5. No accountability for the 20 mins each night except for parent signature but there are occasional at-home reports.

I forgot the spelling! Our school has the same type of spelling assignments daily. The daily spelling really does help. I do see the reinforcement of classroom learning with the homework assignments.

We have finally gotten into a routine and (knock wood) homework is not as big a deal as it was in the beginning of the year.

 

[clori]

When my dd was in 3rd grade she had homework Monday thru Thursday. She usually had spelling homework , a double sided English/reading worksheet and math 1 or 2 sides. In addition they were supposed to read for 20 minutes daily including Friday thru Sunday and work on multiplication as needed.

There wasn't any accountability for reading at home other than the occasional book report. The time required varied. For instance on a day that spelling words had to be written 3 times each it was completed quicker than writing spelling sentences. I think not counting reading or reviewing math/spelling words homework took about 15-20 minutes. I am the bad mother that never times her kids reading or considers it homework since I know dd reads plenty for pleasure. We reviewed spelling words and went over multiplication facts mostly as we walked to/from school.

 

[mjkacmom]

I had a third grader last year, with my favorite teacher, and she averaged about 45 minutes of homework each night. She also had him for high math, and had homework each night. He's my favorite teacher at the school (my older kids had him as well), and math sometimes consisted of figuring out the taxes on their paychecks, paying their mortgage payments, or making a monthly budget. They wrote in journals every day. My kids LOVED this teacher!

As for accountability, I had to sign her agenda pad every day (where she listed her homework assignments). She would lose points if I didn't sign.

 

[emer95]

I am a 3rd grade teacher. Our district policy is 10 minutes per grade level of homework per night, so 30 minutes for a 3rd grader. That does not include 20 minutes of reading per night. I give a Math sheet and a spelling sheet, always very well explained before hand. I do not give homework on weekends unless it is a rare project that they have several weeks to complete.
I always tell parents to let me know if homework is becoming a struggle and is taking longer than 30 minutes, and then I modify it for the kids. I never want them to become frustrated or be in tears.

 

[woodkins]

3rd grade mom and former teacher. Our school gives hw to all grades. DD8 has a math worksheet, word study activity (spelling) and reading every night. She will also periodically have long term projects to work on at home. She spends about 15 mins on the worksheets and then has to read for 20 mins every night. They have to bring the book to school to read for 20 mins there as well & it travels back and forth in a plastic food ziplock bag. They have to record TAP (title, author & # pages read in their agenda books). There usually is not hw on the weekend, but that changes when necessary.

 

[wellesleyprincess]

I now teach 6th, but I used to teach 3rd and one of my best friends still does

1. How long does it take your G3 student to do their written homework?
The rule at the school I teach is 15 minutes per year in school, so 3rd graders are supposed to have no more than 45 minutes of homework

2. Is there math every night?
Yes, and this starts in third grade. Since September it has been mostly multiplication fact related. They are expected to memorize one number per week and review the previous weeks numbers
3. What in math are they doing? Three by three digit addition and subtraction; multiplication facts 1-4
4. For how long are they expected to read each day?15-30 minutes
5. Is there reading accountability? (ie- book reports, summaries, questions about the reading?)Yes, as they are required to earn 4 AR points a 9 weeks

Thanks for the help!!

 

[palavra]

I am a third grade teacher. Most days, I assign a math sheet which is a review of what we did in class that day, a spelling assignment that goes with the list of words for that week (sentences, ABC order, etc.) and 20-30 minutes of reading. Occasionally it will vary but that's what it is for the most part. Students write down their homework each night, I check to make sure it's written down (so no excuses for why it wasn't done ) and parent must initial homework sheet once it's all done.

Hope that helps!

Oh, let me answer your questions...

1. It really depends. I would say it should take 20 minutes on average (plus the 20 mins of reading).
2. Yes.
3. Varies every day.
4. 20-30 mins.
5. No accountability for the 20 mins each night except for parent signature but there are occasional at-home reports.

his is very close to what my 2nd grade daughter has for homework each night.

 

[ilovejack02]

Our school is going to have a meeting soon to discuss the amount of and quality of homework our third graders are doing. I'd like to educate myself on what other schools do. I'd love to hear specifically ...

1. How long does it take your G3 student to do their written homework?
30 to 45 mins a night

2. Is there math every night? yes
3. What in math are they doing? subtraction with regrouping and estimating differences
4. For how long are they expected to read each day? no set time to read, but must have so many books read each semester for AR. My ds goes to bed at 8 and reads until 8:30
5. Is there reading accountability? (ie- book reports, summaries, questions about the reading?) kids take test on the computer for AR books. No book reports so far but expect that might come up when return to school in Jan. They take weekly tests for the stories they are reading in class

Thanks for the help!!

 

[TiggerStac]

Our school is going to have a meeting soon to discuss the amount of and quality of homework our third graders are doing. I'd like to educate myself on what other schools do. I'd love to hear specifically ...

1. How long does it take your G3 student to do their written homework?
Normally 15-20 minutes plus reading
2. Is there math every night?
no
3. What in math are they doing?
multiplications over 5 tables, fractions
4. For how long are they expected to read each day?
no timeframe, just expected. I expect 20-30.
5. Is there reading accountability? (ie- book reports, summaries, questions about the reading?)
his teacher does not do reading log, some do, we haven't had one since 1st grade. he does have monthly book reports/projects which do not start until November.

every teacher in his school does it differently. His homework depends on what they get done in class. Honestly he hasn't had more then 2 nights homework so far this year (other than reading). up until this year they got all homework in beginning of week and he could do at own pace. We do go over spelling nightly as well. This year they have an agenda book that he brings to/from school w/his homework and spelling words in it.

Thanks for the help!!

.

 

[Pigeon]

Our district policy is 20 minutes per night per grade. They usually give more than that. It's insane.

What I would suggest is that you examine the peer-reviewed research that has been done regarding homework and academic achievement. Alfie Kohn gives a very accurate review of the research in his book "The Homework Myth."

Every newsletter we get home from school is liberally sprinkled with the phrase "evidence based practices." When confronted with the evidence, they plug their ears and hum loudly.