First Grade Homework

[mchames]

I would talk to the teacher about it. You said that this is her first year teaching first grade. I'm thinking that she hasn't adjusted to a lower grade level. I teach eighth grade and I know a few teachers in our building who just made the switch from high school to middle are having a hard time adjusting their expectations. She might be so used to giving that amount of homework to older kids that she doesn't realize it's too much for first graders. I'm not trying to make excuses for her but it might be something you want to bring up with her.

I'm guessing that is part of it. I also wouldn't be surprised if several of the parents have asked for their child to be "challenged". That goes on a lot around here. I wanted to give it a couple of weeks before I spoke to her about the homework to give her a chance to get in the swing of things and to see if the assignments would change naturally.

Mary

 

[AmazingGrace]

Monday- read sight words
Tuesday-write sight words five times each, math worksheet
Wednesday-write sentences using sight words, possible math worksheet
Thursday- Sight word pretest
Friday-have a great weekend.
Grace seems to take her work very seriously. She has a homeowrk journal where she writes her assignments every day and I sign it. So far, so good!!

 

[mrsv98]

WOW! That is way more than DD has. She has been in school since Aug 22. She generally has one thing to do a night plus 20 min of reading. Her homework tonight will take 5 mins and that is because I will make her go slowly and do it well. No spelling yet and the readong books they bring home are extremely easy. I am waiting because her teacher said they would be breaking into reading groups "soon" but it has been 2 weeks. DD easily reads Junie B and books at that level and is bringing home books that are akin to "See Spot Run"

So I guess I would like more homework! Someone please remind me of this in a year or two!

 

[Savsmommy]

I'm curious what other people's first graders are bringing home for homework. I really like DD6's teacher. She is new to our school and has been teaching 2nd grade for five years. This is her first year teaching 1st grade. On average, it takes my DD6 1+hrs to do her homework. (This does not include 20 minutes of reading.)

Here's her homework for the week:

Monday:
Language/Spelling: Write a sentence using each spelling word. Underline the spelling word in each sentence. (11 words)
Math: Write a counting poem about animals. Be creative! Illustrate your poem.
1hr 15minutes followed by an HOUR LONG CRYING JAG!

Tuesday:
Language/Spelling: Write the names of your family members. Remember to use capital letters.. Clap out each person's name and write the number of syllables by name.
Math: We are working on number lines. Please make a number line from 0-20. For each number ending in 0 or 5, write the number in red. Write whether you see any patterns on the numberline.
Other:
Please ask your student to bring in 2 rocks to examine and experiment with in class.
Whoohoo! 30 minutes!! This is a new record. No crying.

Wednesday:
Language/Spelling: Read a book. Write a picture summary of the book. For each sentence in your summary, draw a little picture to go with that sentence.
Math: Math Book pg. 50

Thursday:
Language/Spelling: Write a story using as many of your spelling words as possible. Underline each spelling word.
Study for Spelling Test
Math: Math Book pg 52

Is this about the same? more? less? than the average first grader? I don't remember my DD8 (3rd grade) having such extensive homework in 1st grade. We are 99% sure DD6 has a processing disorder, most likely Dyslexia. (She's been screened but has not yet had the full psych eval.) I'm sure this is a big part of why her homework takes so long, but it still seems like a considerable amount for the average child.

What do you think? What kind of homework does your first grader get?

Thanks.
Mary

WOW! That's a lot. My DD6 is also in first grade. She started Aug. 16th and has only had a math sheet to do a couple of days. Her teacher says homework really doesnt start until October. Only thing we have to do everyday is read, either my DD read me a book or I read her a book, and then I record it in her reading log.

 

[clori]

my dd started school Aug 29th so this is her first full week and they just finished doing some testing on the kids with back to school night this Thursday night. So far dd has had basic math work sheets etc. Today she has to play the card game "war" to review more/less, write down the Red Sox score (in the morning since it is on too late) wich they use for math graphs in class, and track the hurricane situation by watching it on tv, listening to the news on the radio, looking it up online or me just telling her what is currently happening. They haven't started spelling tests yet.

 

[PixiePop]

My son just started last week and hasn't had very much at all.

 

[Aurora63]

Well, I teach 1st grade, and I can say that is way more homework than I would ever give!!! I give my kids 1 worksheet a night...that's it!!! Mon. and Tues. it's Reading/Phonics and Wed. & Thurs. it's math...Fridays I send home a take home book (which are generally decodeable books) that they are to read at least three times with an adult/older brother or sister.

I don't see the point in giving copious amounts of homework. They need some time to be kids. Plus it's the beginning of the year!!! They are basically still kindergarteners. I hope your child's teacher eases up on the homework a little.

 

[golfgal]

I have to add that your 1st grader is getting more homework then my 6th graders and my 9th grader. I think combined the 3 kids had about an hour of homework tonight. Granted, they have only been in school a week, but still... .

 

[ntburns22]

My DD started school in August and she just brought home her third assignment today. It takes her about 15 minutes to complete and they have all been from the new math program the school is using.

 

[slo]

My DD had a lot of first grade homework too last year - it was a real bummer and I feel it made my DD not like school very much.

Luckily, her 2nd grade teacher is not giving as much homework, and I feel my DD's attitude towards school is better this year than last year.

 

[MoniqueU]

That sounds like one teacher we got in 2nd grade. Homework ended in tears after an hour or more every night. My son was so stressed out he ground his teeth down so much he needed a pulpotomy. I finally went to the VP aboiut the amount and type and it was changed within the week, he agreed with me.
I didn't blame the teacher as she has certain things she HAS to teach and she is trying to cram in a bunch of stuff in a short amount of time. They are just a victim of the state standardized tests.

 

[KarenB]

Yes, that seems like a lot of homework. I follow the 10 minutes/grade rule of thumb. I think homework as reinforcement and a way to build responsibility is good, but being a kid, enjoying family time, and playing during out of school hours is just as important! I often assign "Play outside" as homework on beautiful weekends!

 

[mchames]

That sounds like one teacher we got in 2nd grade. Homework ended in tears after an hour or more every night. My son was so stressed out he ground his teeth down so much he needed a pulpotomy. I finally went to the VP aboiut the amount and type and it was changed within the week, he agreed with me.
I didn't blame the teacher as she has certain things she HAS to teach and she is trying to cram in a bunch of stuff in a short amount of time. They are just a victim of the state standardized tests.

While I do think the amount of homework and level of difficulty is a bit much, my DD6 is such a perfectionist that it takes her a long time to finish assignments especially if they include drawing a picture. For example, the 11 spelling sentences took about 20 minutes (with help) the other 55 or so minutes were spent on the second assignment.

She wrote her poem rather quickly:
One cat
Two rabbits
Three poodles
all like to eat noodles! (not Shakespeare, but not bad for a 6yo)

The bulk of her time was spent drawing her picture. She was upset that her poodles weren't perfect!

She sits down and does her homewrok each night without a problem, it's just when she is all finished she's a basket case

Mary

 

[PaulaSue]

My now 2nd grader only had reading for 20 minutes each night. Now in 2nd grade she has a few minutes of work a night but it is only day 6 of class today.

 

[Pin Wizard]

I couldn't wait for First grade to be over with. By March I was praying for it, and so were other moms! Easily 2 hours of homework a night between written assignments, words, etc., etc., etc. I was thrilled when it was over!

 

[famofsix]

On a side note, I'm shocked about all the sentence writing- I'm still trying to get my munchkins to understand what sentences are... (great, now in my head I now am hearing me chant with my class "a sentence has a capital at the beginning, punctuation at the end and you SPACE THOSE WORDS" complete with the hand motions....

Michelle

I love that
Here's my district handbook quote in Upstate NY
"K-2 Homework at this level requires parents to work with their children on school related activities such as reading, math facts, spelling, and reviewing reading word lists. The amount of time spent on these activities should be approximately 15 minutes." Generally in first grade my kids did spelling and an occasional math worksheet and a few projects thrown in for good measure. Oh and a book report...title, author and one sentence what you liked about the book and a picture from the story due each thursday.
Much of what you mentioned your teacher has assigned for your child were things my kids did at school in the classroom.
Homework at this level can be frustrating for kids who are late readers or who can't handle anymore seatwork when they need down time at home. Be careful and keep communicating with the teacher. We do have one son who is in second grade that I homeschool because he does better and is more successful learning at his own pace. I have two older kids in PS too. I personally think reading with your child and practicing handwriting with a few math facts is about all first graders need to enrich the school experience.

 

[HugsForEeyore]

To the OP: Very funny you posted this - Newsweek magazine this very week has an article about 1st Grade being too much. And it sounds like you are in the kind of school district (usually upper middle class/rich white, that the article talks about) where many parents wants a superstar, so everyone wants more, more, more at younger ages to make their kids smarter and smarter. These kids are expected to do all this work, because parents want their child's destiny to be an Ivy league college and a well-paying professional job. BUT the article points out that all this early learning and tons of homework is making many kids burnt-out, and just can't keep up no matter what they do. Your school seems to be the exactly what this article is talking about.

The article even goes as far to mention that some parents are purposely moving to LESS competive school districts! They know this super-intense curriculum is too much, and they want their kids out and into a less intense academic environment! What a trend reversal!

I also live in a town where the schools really give lots and lots of homework at young ages, since we also have many high-income parents who want their kids "challenged". But I know far too many "normal" kids who get tutored multiple times a week, just to keep up. It seems the average kid is tutored nowadays. What a booming business that must be, when all but the smartest kids have to have tutoring!

All this work at young ages really is a problem in many places. So many kids are held back, or delay starting kindergarten nowadays because of this. No easy solutions.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Interesting that some people are moving to less competitive school districts.

It's so hard for little kids to go from sitting and working most of the day in school to coming home and having a lot of homework. They want to play. I can get my son to do a little work, but there's no way I would have him sit for 2 hours. I would ask the teacher how long the work is supposed to take, have him work hard for at least that long, and then have him stop. As long as I know he's tried hard I wouldn't have him sit for that long at such a young age. And like I mentioned before, yes, I've done that for one of my boys. It was with the teacher's ok, but I wasn't going to turn the homework into a battle and my son survived those years and is now a junior.

 

[AtlantaSue]

I have had 2 DDs complete 1st grade in the last few years, and their homework never looked as involved as yours, nor did it ever take more than 15 or 20 minutes. I'm not sure if that's good or bad!

 

[NCDisneyMom]

My ds is in his 3rd full week of 1st grade this week. His teacher sends all of the homework home on Monday, all due by Friday. If they want to do it all in one sitting, they can, or they can spread it out. It's up to the parent/child. Teachers does send home, each day, which worksheet corresponds with what they learned that day. It usually equates to 1 reading worksheet or 1 math worksheet per night. For example, Mondays worksheet was to circle the sentence that matched the picture. Tuesdays worksheet was working with tally marks for math.

On top of this nightly homework, there are spelling words. They get 10 words on Monday. Each night, they are supposed to do one activity from the spelling worksheet and record which one they did. Yesterday, we spelled the words with magnetic letters. Friday they will have a spelling test.

They do bring home books on their reading level once or twice a week, which they will record that it was read (by them or to them). They can keep the books for 1 or 2 nights, so there is no pressure to do it all the night it's sent home, if it's not possible.

And lastly, there is a monthly sheet that we are supposed to do two activities per week. These are rather basic at this point. One that I can think of is "arrange everyone in your family from tallest to shortest", or "youngest to oldest". Or, "clap out the syllables in your name". Nothing on this sheet should take more than 5 minutes.

So, it sounds like a lot written out like that, but it really hasn't been taking much time. He didn't want to do any worksheets on Monday because he started playing outside with a friend as soon as they got off the bus. So, he did two last night...actually, I think he did 3, now that I think about it. He also did the spelling words, and read the book he brought home. This all took maybe 1/2 hour. But, it was not all required to be done last night, or in one sitting. If he had skipped the extra 2 worksheets, it probably could have been done in about 15 minutes or so. He was just feeling motivated, I guess.