Summer's over

[Hrhpd]

You know these threads always end up being "MY kid does 15 hours a day of school work, tutors little kids for 2 hours a day and goes to cheer camp 6 hours a day" I always read it and add--". . . and walks 10 miles to school . . . in the snow. . . barefoot. . . uphill. . . both ways.

Some kids need a break in the summer. Some kids will simply burn out if they continue being stretched to the limit with the amount of work they are given.

AP classes may be invaluable to some, but that doesn't mean it has to be to all. If a parent or student is not willing to give up the family time that summer can bring for these classes, then the student shouldn't take them without feeling like a slacker.

I completely agree with with you and said the same thing earlier in the thread. Everybody's priorities are different. Not everybody wants or needs to take AP classes. I know plenty of kids that go on to be successful without taking a single AP course. It all depends on what the kids are shooting for.

However, the OP was asking if the amount of work his daughter was assigned was normal, and the classes he was asking about were AP and/or honors classes. So, people were answering that yes, that is typical of AP classes.

The only reason my kids are taking AP classes, not because they are some big honors kid (far from it), but because they are also dual enrollment with the local university, which is where they want to go. My other kid did it and walked into school as a sophomore, saving a ton by skipping the freshman year. They can take all their "extra classes" in high school and get those out of the way. None of my kids have ever taken the actual AP tests, so I have no idea how they would have done.

 

[luvsJack]

I completely agree with with you and said the same thing earlier in the thread. Everybody's priorities are different. Not everybody wants or needs to take AP classes. I know plenty of kids that go on to be successful without taking a single AP course. It all depends on what the kids are shooting for.

However, the OP was asking if the amount of work his daughter was assigned was normal, and the classes he was asking about were AP and/or honors classes. So, people were answering that yes, that is typical of AP classes.

Its not the "yes this is typical" answers I was talking about. Its the going on and on about what each person's kid does and how it shouldn't be so hard for the OP's child to do her work. Or it reads that way anyway.

Sam asked how much is too much. That hasn't been answered by anyone that I have read. How much is too much? If the amount of work given by these classes has increased over the years, at what point are parents going to say "stop". Shouldn't there be a limit?

 

[Hrhpd]

Its not the "yes this is typical" answers I was talking about. Its the going on and on about what each person's kid does and how it shouldn't be so hard for the OP's child to do her work. Or it reads that way anyway.

Sam asked how much is too much. That hasn't been answered by anyone that I have read. How much is too much? If the amount of work given by these classes has increased over the years, at what point are parents going to say "stop". Shouldn't there be a limit?

I don't see it as going on and on. The posters are answering that yes it is typical and giving examples of what their kid has to do. I find it helpful to have a comparison of what other programs around the country are doing. I thought my kid's summer workload was heavy, but not cumbersome. But reading some of what other schools are doing, my kid's 3 packets and 1 test on the first day is on the light side.

I think the limits are already there. Nobody is forced to take AP classes. If your priorities are different, the solution is simple. Don't sign up for a course that has summer work. And except for one ridiculous post, nobody has said that if you don't take an AP class, you are a slacker.

If somebody is reading that into the posts, then I think they may be a bit insecure about their child's choices.

Personally, I am more concerned about the summer sports requirements schools are thinking necessary. Really, 5 hours a day of football practice starting the day after school gets out is necessary? And our band often practices more than 8 hours a day. Crazy.

 

[sam_gordon]

I think the limits are already there. Nobody is forced to take AP classes. If your priorities are different, the solution is simple. Don't sign up for a course that has summer work. And except for one ridiculous post, nobody has said that if you don't take an AP class, you are a slacker.

Again, I'm just trying to further the discussion, not really argue (or say this is the case for my DD). It's easy to say "don't take AP classes". But, the kids' schedule is already set before you get the word on how much summer work there is. If it's too much, how difficult is it to drop that class? I'm sure it depends on the school.

Just sort of thinking out loud.

And I also think 5 hours a day every day is too much. I can see doing 2 hours weight lifting M/W, then 2 hours conditioning T/T. Give them Friday off. But, since I'm not a coach, I don't know if that will be enough.

 

[Priorityonecb]

I agree that it sounds reasonable and normal for AP classes. It's one reason dd chose to just stay in honors instead of AP. She is in band camp half the summer for 8-10 hours a day, and we want her with us having fun of the rest of the time!

 

[Hrhpd]

Again, I'm just trying to further the discussion, not really argue (or say this is the case for my DD). It's easy to say "don't take AP classes". But, the kids' schedule is already set before you get the word on how much summer work there is. If it's too much, how difficult is it to drop that class? I'm sure it depends on the school.

Just sort of thinking out loud.

And I also think 5 hours a day every day is too much. I can see doing 2 hours weight lifting M/W, then 2 hours conditioning T/T. Give them Friday off. But, since I'm not a coach, I don't know if that will be enough.

Every high school is different. But in ours, we have a course catalog much like a university. Kids can see the requirements before they register. And it is pretty well known that in our school, AP and IB classes = summer work, so everybody knows what they are going into.

Thus, in our school, it is easy to pick and choose to accommodate summer plans.

 

[sam_gordon]

Every high school is different. But in ours, we have a course catalog much like a university. Kids can see the requirements before they register. And it is pretty well known that in our school, AP and IB classes = summer work, so everybody knows what they are going into.

Thus, in our school, it is easy to pick and choose to accommodate summer plans.

As I mentioned before, DD has had summer work for the last 3-4 years (since Middle School started). "Summer Work" itself isn't really the issue. It's the AMOUNT of summer work that I was questioning.

An hour of work every day is normal, right? Well, if an hour is ok, how about 2? 3? 6? IIRC, DD's course catalog might say "summer reading required" or "summer project required", but it doesn't really get into how much work that entails. And yes, each child is different. What would take one child 5 hours might take another one 30 minutes. But, where do you draw the line on what's acceptable?

 

[okeydokey]

You know these threads always end up being "MY kid does 15 hours a day of school work, tutors little kids for 2 hours a day and goes to cheer camp 6 hours a day" I always read it and add--". . . and walks 10 miles to school . . . in the snow. . . barefoot. . . uphill. . . both ways.

Some kids need a break in the summer. Some kids will simply burn out if they continue being stretched to the limit with the amount of work they are given.

AP classes may be invaluable to some, but that doesn't mean it has to be to all. If a parent or student is not willing to give up the family time that summer can bring for these classes, then the student shouldn't take them without feeling like a slacker.

I love the one uppers.

 

[jodifla]

I had one AP class....I think my school only offered two. (This was awhile ago.) No summer homework. I didn't bother to take the test. College credits were cheap enough, and I wanted all those lower credits that I knew would be easy for me to boost my GPA.

I also think that summer is for TIME OFF. NO HOMEWORK!

Seriously, once you are an adult you are in the working grind forever. Why not let children be children?

And I'm so sick of hearing the garbage that we are "falling behind" other countries. We're great because we instill imagination in our kids instead of beating it out of them with endless droning class time.

 

[AverageDiser]

Honestly, yes, I think 60 worksheets (12 packets/5 pages each) is too much over the summer for one subject. Not saying other schools don't do the same thing, not saying other schools don't have requirements that are even harder. Just saying, I would make my dd do the work, but if she complained about it, I would agree with her. I guess they need to call it "Summer *kind of a break..but not so much* Break".

 

[Lorelei Lee]

I had one AP class....I think my school only offered two. (This was awhile ago.) No summer homework. I didn't bother to take the test. College credits were cheap enough, and I wanted all those lower credits that I knew would be easy for me to boost my GPA.

I also think that summer is for TIME OFF. NO HOMEWORK!

Seriously, once you are an adult you are in the working grind forever. Why not let children be children?

And I'm so sick of hearing the garbage that we are "falling behind" other countries. We're great because we instill imagination in our kids instead of beating it out of them with endless droning class time.

Actually we're falling behind in that, too. Too many schools are cutting their art and music programs.


We are behind in education. We are behind in the arts. We are behind in quality of life. Sad, isn't it?

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[Aliceacc]

. College credits were cheap enough,

Where?? I have 3 kids and can't begin to imagine how we'll pay for college.

 

[A_Princess'_Daddy]

I graduated from a top prep school (granted, it was back in the mid-1990s), took AP classes in pretty much every area in which they were offered and I never had the kind of summer work that is being bandied about so cavalierly as "normal" on this thread. There was always a summer reading list, which was something I really enjoyed, but I have no memory of worksheets or summer projects. Yet somehow I managed to get 5s on all my AP tests, got into an Ivy League school and graduated from it with an undergrad and a couple of graduate degrees (the AP tests didn't give me credit, but they advanced me through some of the core program so I could take more enjoyable classes), and so while things may have changed since I was in high school I fail to see why the volume of summer work that some kids are receiving is necessary, other than to create the illusion of learning.

My daughter, who granted is only going into the third grade, will have some summer enrichment projects, mainly to keep her from losing her learning groove, but I want her to have a fun summer filled with travel, pleasure reading, exploring new things, swimming, etc.

 

[jodifla]

Where?? I have 3 kids and can't begin to imagine how we'll pay for college.

This was a long, long time ago, before college costs went nuts.

 

[Lorelei Lee]

Where?? I have 3 kids and can't begin to imagine how we'll pay for college.

Not "where", "when".

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[Southernmiss]

I graduated from a top prep school (granted, it was back in the mid-1990s), took AP classes in pretty much every area in which they were offered and I never had the kind of summer work that is being bandied about so cavalierly as "normal" on this thread. There was always a summer reading list, which was something I really enjoyed, but I have no memory of worksheets or summer projects. Yet somehow I managed to get 5s on all my AP tests, got into an Ivy League school and graduated from it with an undergrad and a couple of graduate degrees (the AP tests didn't give me credit, but they advanced me through some of the core program so I could take more enjoyable classes), and so while things may have changed since I was in high school I fail to see why the volume of summer work that some kids are receiving is necessary, other than to create the illusion of learning.

My daughter, who granted is only going into the third grade, will have some summer enrichment projects, mainly to keep her from losing her learning groove, but I want her to have a fun summer filled with travel, pleasure reading, exploring new things, swimming, etc.

Mid nineties was before the era of frequent standardized tests. The ap tests occur at the beginning of May. I think the idea is to make up for the loss of a month of instruction time with summer assignments.

 

[Mom21]

My dd took 3 AP and 3 honors classes this year, and she had no homework last summer. She is taking 4 AP and 3 Honors next year. I just asked, and she said AP Physics teacher came into a class today to give her a packet for summer. She said it was mainly just a math review and shouldn't take more than an hour. She hasn't heard anything about the rest of the classes yet. School ends next week.

 

[luvsJack]

I don't see it as going on and on. The posters are answering that yes it is typical and giving examples of what their kid has to do. I find it helpful to have a comparison of what other programs around the country are doing. I thought my kid's summer workload was heavy, but not cumbersome. But reading some of what other schools are doing, my kid's 3 packets and 1 test on the first day is on the light side.

I think the limits are already there. Nobody is forced to take AP classes. If your priorities are different, the solution is simple. Don't sign up for a course that has summer work. And except for one ridiculous post, nobody has said that if you don't take an AP class, you are a slacker.

If somebody is reading that into the posts, then I think they may be a bit insecure about their child's choices.

Personally, I am more concerned about the summer sports requirements schools are thinking necessary. Really, 5 hours a day of football practice starting the day after school gets out is necessary? And our band often practices more than 8 hours a day. Crazy.

I did see it but not insecure at all. I know that they aren't necessary for a kid to succeed.

I would guess the one to ask about football is the coach. Here they are not allowed to practice until late July. They have spring training before school is out and no more until right before school. The majority of the boys play baseball so wouldn't be at summer practice anyway. Some do go to camp at one of the colleges but its an individual choice.

Kids in band should be practicing their instrument anyway but not 8 hours a day. Here the band has a two week camp to learn the formations and the music.

Past those I don't think any of it is necessary. Nor do I think work that is equal to a semester of work is necessary.

 

[Hrhpd]

I also wonder if the amount of summer work is also tied to the length of the school year. We have a relatively short school year. We got out the 24th and don't go back till the end of August. And a ton of days off during the year.

A college course meets several times a week, but also requires numerous hours of out of class work. Since a high school can't exactly tell parents that their AP History class is going to have 3-4 hours of homework every night on top of the other homework (can you imagine the uproar). So, I am wondering if those schools with shorter school years have time restraints packing in an entire college course in their allotted days, and are the ones stretching it out over the summer.

I for one, am much happier with an hour a day during the summer if it lessens the homework during the school year when the kids have other classes to juggle.

I don't think an hour a day (even for the 60 worksheets of the OP's daughter) is going to impact the summer much. It is not going to take away swim time or family time. Our neighborhood pool doesn't even open till 11:00 with lessons starting at 9am.

Most parents I know (granted I live in a highly competitive stepford community) do an hour or more a day with their kids during the summer by themselves. After breakfast worksheets are commonplace.

 

[A_Princess'_Daddy]

Mid nineties was before the era of frequent standardized tests. The ap tests occur at the beginning of May. I think the idea is to make up for the loss of a month of instruction time with summer assignments.

I'm not sure I understand; how is a month of instruction time being lost? The AP exams were always in the start of May when I was taking them, so that hasn't changed (although school is now starting in mid-August, versus after Labor Day, so it seems like they are picking up days, not losing them).

I'm not sure about the frequency of standardized tests in other states, but our local high school takes one per year (the cleverly named Iowa Assessments) for a few hours a day for about a week, which is about what I recall from high school, as well, when we took the ironically named Iowa Test of Educational Development, despite the fact that I lived nowhere near Iowa at the time, so those seem to be about the same.

You may be correct, I'm just not understanding where a month of instructional time has been lost since I was in high school.