This is just WRONG! Big vent

[DaisyD]

Now as for taking advice from someone who doesn't have children. I don't mind listening to advice or thoughts from someone who doesn't have children. Sometimes that kind of objective opinion that isn't clouded with parental emotion can be helpful. It's when someone who doesn't have children is critical of someone's parenting that I get irritated. And I have told people that in the past. Don't criticize unless you have been in someone else's shoes.

Denae

OMG! Thank you. You said in one paragraph exactly what I meant! ITA.

 

[ryka]

My kids are only in K, and haven't had homework, yet - so take my thoughts however you want.

Ok this is off topic but your kids are in kindergarten and don't get homework?
Can I ask where you live? My daughter started K this year and has homework everyday except Fridays. I think they do that here because they have state testing in K. My DD just started doing basic addition in K. I can't remember if my son started that in K but I was surprised at this. I really thought all that started in 1st grade.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

When DS was in K they had a little assignment given on Monday and they had the week to complete it. The year after that the little boy I nannied was in K, and they also had homework that came home on Monday and was due on Friday - a bit more than DS had experienced the year before.

DS did learn addition in K, and the kids in the other K classroom learned to subtract, too. In 1st grade his teacher asked me about it and I told her he never covered subtraction in K. She then realized the kids struggling with subtraction were from DS's class where they never introduced the concept. K is getting tougher and tougher.

 

[mickeyboat]

Ok this is off topic but your kids are in kindergarten and don't get homework?
Can I ask where you live? My daughter started K this year and has homework everyday except Fridays. I think they do that here because they have state testing in K. My DD just started doing basic addition in K. I can't remember if my son started that in K but I was surprised at this. I really thought all that started in 1st grade.

We still have half day K in my town in VT. They don't start teaching reading until 1st grade. I can't say I am thrilled with that, but it's the way it is in our district. The teachers keep us informed of what they are working on in the classroom, and encourage us to reinforce it at home, so we do that, but there is no formal homework.

Denae

 

[justhat]

Wait a minute, you're not supposed to wait until the last week to cram it in and make half of the writing portion of it up?

Well, crap on a cracker!

Ha, I know, that has been my motto in life, even in grad school (which is kinda sad at that point in life!). But when you're the kinda kid who totally can't focus on any sort of work for any length of time and cleaning my room was more appealing, I probably should have been doing a little each day. Probably would have eliminated some of the fights with my mom about not getting my work done and staying up late everynight to finish it the last week. Of course, I could change that about myself now but have yet to even make an attempt.... I've gotten this far so why change now!

 

[ryka]

We still have half day K in my town in VT. They don't start teaching reading until 1st grade. I can't say I am thrilled with that, but it's the way it is in our district. The teachers keep us informed of what they are working on in the classroom, and encourage us to reinforce it at home, so we do that, but there is no formal homework.

Denae

I keep forgetting that some places still have half a day K. I don't think it has been that way here in a long time. They have daycare/ pre-k in our schools too that are full day and even there you get some type of homework.

Sometimes I think it is alot for a 5 year old to handle but they make sure that it's never more then 20 mins worth of work in K. In first it's like 30 mins. I think state testing in every grade though is alittle crazy. It's alot of pressure for kids especially in K.

 

[mickeyboat]

I keep forgetting that some places still have half a day K. I don't think it has been that way here in a long time. They have daycare/ pre-k in our schools too that are full day and even there you get some type of homework.

The girls spent more time in pre-K last year (which was run by the school district) than they do in K this year. They also had a little homework on occasion. They are working on a full-day curriculum, but haven't made it that far yet. They are many districts in VT that do have full-day K, and many of the state curriculum requirements are based on having that extra time in the day.

I will probably regret the day I said this, but I am actually looking forward to them doing homework. I love to talk to them about what they are learning, and to help them understand it better.

Denae

 

[disney junky]

OK, I have a BIT more info than I had yesterday.

Yes, it is ONE book. I don't have a problem so much with the one book, I have a problem that if DS hates the book he won't retain what he reads. But it has been confirmed that yes, it is one book for every kid in the grade regardless, no choice. Fine, I'll make DS read the book. Perhaps with some incentives, bribes, whatever you want to call them. Somebody said a few pages back that DS has already read the book? Not sure where that came from. We don't know what the book is.

The workbook has 10 chapters, the child is expected to complete one chapter each week. They are not supposed to be labor intensive but that is subjective.

I have not launched a protest. I have sent 2 e-mails and made 2 phone calls, mostly to try to get more information. I have not said a word to DS. He has enough on his plate.

This initiative was apparently started by the PTA because of the number of low income students who may not have access to any sort of enrichment materials over the summer. In an effort to keep the kids from losing ground they have decided to give everybody these summer assignments. Our elementary is the only one doing this. I don't have anything against teachers whatsoever. I imagine teachers recognize more than anyone else how kids are all different, and a "one size fits all" approach isn't likely to have a great impact.

I do not want to use DS's ADD diagnosis as a cop out. I do not encourage him to be lazy. IF these assignments can be completed quickly and with a minimum of frustration then certainly I will have DS do them. If not, I will explore other options. If I am a "problem parent" because I step in when I feel something isn't right then I guess maybe I am a problem parent. I have called the school twice this year because DS was being bullied. Other than that they don't typically hear from me. DH talks with DS's teacher every day when he goes to pick up DS. We communicate well with the teachers and treat them with respect. DS has never been allowed to opt out of an assignment, and we have not asked for his work to be reduced even though we could per his modifications. That would be a last resort.

I understand as DS gets older he will have summer work. He won't have choices. Everyone will be treated like they came from the exact same cookie cutter and there will be no allowances for differences of any sort. Because that's life and life is not fair, and we all just have to follow along and do as we are told so we will become productive, tax-paying, law abiding citizens. Yes, I get that. I just really need this summer to be void of that sort of thing.

I will say there are some other things going on that are putting me under a lot of stress, and maybe my reaction to the mandatory summer work has been more explosive than it would have been if it had come at another time. But maybe not.

Thanks for clarifying and for supporting your child's teachers.

 

[ryka]

The girls spent more time in pre-K last year (which was run by the school district) than they do in K this year. They also had a little homework on occasion. They are working on a full-day curriculum, but haven't made it that far yet. They are many districts in VT that do have full-day K, and many of the state curriculum requirements are based on having that extra time in the day.

I will probably regret the day I said this, but I am actually looking forward to them doing homework. I love to talk to them about what they are learning, and to help them understand it better.

Denae

I love doing homework with my daughter. The first time she came home and read a story for me I cried. My baby is growing up. She was like oh mom please but I told her she is getting big so fast and now math . I don;t know how much more I can take. LOL

 

[chris1gill]

Again, fine for a regular student, possibly, but possibly not all ok for special needs kids. Why can't you get that a parent and student who feel like they are suffering during the school year want a break from that during the summer?

Uh, I've had to be on my fifth grader every month to get his book reports written and project done...Frankly, at times I feel like I AM DONE....

Based on this, I guess my student shouldn't have summer homework, uh NOT!? Kids need summer academic work, one book and one workbook isn't going to kill the OP's kid to complete it.... if he was profoundly LD, that is one thing, but based on everything she's stated, that simply is not the case... I'm glad the OP is getting more information on what is being asked, and why it is being asked.... based on what she's updated us with, it seems that her son will continue to move forward over the summer break with reading and follow up work... I totally applaud that...

 

[mickeyboat]

I love doing homework with my daughter. The first time she came home and read a story for me I cried. My baby is growing up. She was like oh mom please but I told her she is getting big so fast and now math . I don;t know how much more I can take. LOL

I know exactly what you mean. Hannah brought home an "Easy Reader" Biscuit book and read the whole thing to me. She was so proud of herself, and I got really teary. DH thinks I am a nut.

I also cried last year when they learned to tie their shoes. I'm sorry, that's what I'm here for.

We had parent-teacher conferences this morning, and I have been thinking about school all day.

Denae

 

[ryka]

I know exactly what you mean. Hannah brought home an "Easy Reader" Biscuit book and read the whole thing to me. She was so proud of herself, and I got really teary. DH thinks I am a nut.

I also cried last year when they learned to tie their shoes. I'm sorry, that's what I'm here for.

We had parent-teacher conferences this morning, and I have been thinking about school all day.

Denae

Well at least I know I'm not the only one. I don't feel so silly now.

 

[golfgal]

Again, fine for a regular student, possibly, but possibly not all ok for special needs kids. Why can't you get that a parent and student who feel like they are suffering during the school year want a break from that during the summer?

Trust me I TOTALLY understand needing a break after fighting with my 13 year old EVERY STINKING DAY about homework but please, they have 10+ weeks to finish ONE book and associated worksheets. I don't care how LD your child is, that won't take all day, every day of the summer. You spend 15 minutes/day on the assignment and it will be done WELL before the summer break is up. Again, why don't you understand that the OP posted that his normal modifications are in place so it isn't any more work for him then a "regular" student.

I think the real issue here is parents don't want to do anything extra to educate their children, at least the ones that are complaining about doing summer assignments. They feel it is the schools job to do that and by heck they aren't going to spend a couple hours of their summer helping their child.

 

[Martha7]

I read the first few pages of posts, but didn't have the patience to read all of them. As a former PTA President, I can attest to the fact that the PTA doesn't set school policy. Thanks to the "No Child Left Behind" movement, there's tons of pressure on administrations to make sure that the kids score well, or they lose funding. I'm sure that the Principal of the school wanted this program to keep the kids from losing their reading skills over the summer and asked the PTA to fund it and publicize it. We used to get questioned all the time by parents about policies (dress code, school dances, etc), but trust me, we were only the ones who paid, advertized and did the work around school activities. Everything went through our School Liaison person for approval before it happened. So, please don't blame your local PTA, they're the ones making life better for your kids and teachers!

 

[nliedel]

Just be careful not to paint those of us who think that free time should be free with too broad a brush, that we don't want responsibility for our childs education. That is far from accurate or fair. I am deeply involved with the education of all my children, two of whom have special needs, and find it offensive that because I sincerely believe that worksheets should be left at school during summer break there is something wrong with my attitude as a parent.

As I stated we make books available to them and encourage all the boys to spend time with those books. We have hundreds of titles, most picked up from yard sales or second hand stores. I put books out, read books to my boys and encourage reading time by shutting off the TV and the Playstation after a couple hours. I also want them outside in the sunshine learning and using their imaginations, stretching their bodies. I do not want reading to always be a chore that requires my boys to fill out sheets to prove to me, or someone else, they read the book. That's fine in school during the school year.

Lazy parent? I don't think so and I think if parents did not care about their children's education they would not be posting to this issue.

It's easy to sit behind a monitor and find fault with the parenting styles of others but the truth is we are all doing the best we can. I don't find anyone's post here to make them a bad parent on any level.

 

[Mskanga]

I read the first few pages of posts, but didn't have the patience to read all of them. As a former PTA President, I can attest to the fact that the PTA doesn't set school policy. Thanks to the "No Child Left Behind" movement, there's tons of pressure on administrations to make sure that the kids score well, or they lose funding. I'm sure that the Principal of the school wanted this program to keep the kids from losing their reading skills over the summer and asked the PTA to fund it and publicize it. We used to get questioned all the time by parents about policies (dress code, school dances, etc), but trust me, we were only the ones who paid, advertized and did the work around school activities. Everything went through our School Liaison person for approval before it happened. So, please don't blame your local PTA, they're the ones making life better for your kids and teachers!

I second that , I am a current PTA board member and everything must be approved by school administrators ( in this case our principal ) and we work our butts off for our students , with very little help from parents I may add.

Our kids do not get any summer work to do but if a child has problems or needs more help in any subject , summer school is mandatory and available for the kids.

 

[auntpolly]

No one is complaining about reading. The OP does the summer reading program at the library. Some people think that kids should get the chance to choose what they read rather than being told what to read, and filling out workbook pages.

There are just so many kids who never will all summer. We all know it's true. Most kids need a little structure to keep reading in the summer. Maybe all of us are the kinds of parents who encourage reading, but we're in the minority.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

nliedel -
That was a very nice post! And I agree with you 100%. Being opposed to worksheets does NOT mean I am a bad parent or a lazy parent. I am a parent who prefers to present my child with CHOICES of books and other educational activities away from school because there is no choice AT school. I am not arguing that I want DS vegetating on the couch all summer.

auntpolly -
You bring up a very good point that many kids won't pick up a book all summer.

And my question now is this:
Will sending a workbook home with a child be enough to ensure the child actually does the work? If the parents are typically uninvolved then I don't see how a workbook in the house will matter. If the parents are typically very hands-on then the workbook might not be necessary. The push to keep our economically disadvantaged students working on academics over the summer assumes that the ONLY reason they aren't working over the summer is a lack of materials. I don't think that's realistic. If the parents are not willing to review the work the child has completed then the child doesn't know if the answers are correct or not. So how is a mandatory program a good thing for kids whose parents have no intention of following through with it?

 

[Wishing on a star]

Just be careful not to paint those of us who think that free time should be free with too broad a brush, that we don't want responsibility for our childs education. That is far from accurate or fair.

I am deeply involved with the education of all my children, two of whom have special needs, and find it offensive that because I sincerely believe that worksheets should be left at school during summer break there is something wrong with my attitude as a parent.


... if parents did not care about their children's education they would not be posting to this issue.

It's easy to sit behind a monitor and find fault with the parenting styles of others but the truth is we are all doing the best we can. I don't find anyone's post here to make them a bad parent on any level.

Excellent post!
Amen!!!!

 

[Wishing on a star]

So how is a mandatory program a good thing for kids whose parents have no intention of following through with it?

Excellent question.
If there are deadbeat parents out there, or parents who are going thru hard times, divorce, working 2-3 jobs to make ends meet, etc... We know that these parents are simply not going to see that this material is completed. What about kids who spend summers with non-custodial parents. etc.. etc... Putting these kinds of demands on these parents, and parents of special needs kids, etc... is just a well intentioned mistake.

I can understand enrichment programs, incentive programs, etc.. But I truly feel that this kind of mandatory assignment, worksheets and all, is nothing less than mandatory homeschooling on what should be a much needed break.

Do we not remember those threads over how relieved some parents were simply to not have to deal with homework during the mandated state testing time period! It is sad that to be thankful for breaks, and to desire a break over the summer, all of the sudden gets accusations of lazy deadbeat parent thown at us.