Parents of Third Graders

[JetMom]

It sounds very similar to projects my 2 DS's had in 3rd grade. They are in 4th and 6th now. We have statewide Language Arts tests in 4th grade, so our school really focuses on writing and reading comp.

 

[Cindy B]

Yes, that is fairly accurate for my district as well.

Heres a few questions:

When was it assigned?

How long did he have to read it?

DId he get to choose his book (ie he could have picked a shorter book?)

My son has had to do four reports, but they are assigned in the beginning of the year.... he knows about them way ahead of time.

His next one is due March 4th, and he is finished the book.. and guess what he is doing during presidents vacation! Book report!

Be glad he didn't have to do a Venn Diagram, comparing and contrasting authors/writing style...

 

[Cindy B]

Forgot to mention, that my son had to do a THREE PAGE PAPER with a BIBLIOGRAPHY! (yes, the third grade!)

I work in 6th grade, and showed the teachers.. they couldn't beleive that the 3rd graders were doing more than the 6th graders! (So of course, they kicked it up a notch!)

 

[Twigs]

DS's are now in 6th grade, but when they were in 3rd, they had to do very similar project too. They were also given about a month to do it in. Both of them had very good 2nd grade teachers, who knew what they were going to do in 3rd. So in 2nd grade they did similar projects but in a little less detail and a little shorter in length, so when they got these projcets in 3rd grade they were prepared for it.

 

[Pinnie]

A warning to parents from a teacher...Get Used To It. Just wait until you see what is going to come out of the No Child Left Behind Act.

The bar has been raised. In MI, pre algebra will be taught in 6th grade (instead of 8th) fractions and decimals will be taught in second grade. Kindergarten will be all day, every day to cover all the materal (right now we have the 1/2 day option).

I am glad I will be able to retire in 2 years, because the fall out of this is going to hit and hit HARD.

pin

 

[suzannen]

Pinnie,
Can you tell us more about the No Child Left Behind Act? My 4th grade DD is currently doing 4 hours of homework every night and about 8 hours every weekend. I hear it's similar at other schools in my area (NY). I don't know how we will ever manage if it's going to worse.

 

[TiggerPiglet]

My DD is in the third grade and had a similar book report in the second grade. She has been required to do a book report a month since the 2nd grade, plus read an additonal two chapter books. This year in the 3rd grade she is still doing a book report a month and now has to read 200 pages a month on top of that. This hasn't been a problem for her, because she loves to read. I worry about my younger DD, she's only 4, but I can tell already she will not be an avid reader. I just hope she will be able to keep up with all the reading they require here.