Homework?

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My son's school is sending homework in a packet along with a book they have to learn by the end of the week. In addition to this, there is a letter/sound test every two weeks. The first test was today and apparently they only gave the test to students who brought back the parent signature form indicating that the parent practiced the letters/sounds at home. From what my son says (remember he is only five), many of the students did not bring the form back and didn't take the test (including his best friend and one of my best friend's kid). This sounds very strange to me, but my son did say that he took the test and passed ("I got stars on all of the letters") while his best friend didn't take it because she didn't bring the form back. This sounds very strange to me. Anyone heard of anything similar to this?
 
I went to College Park Elementary School for second grade in 1980. We definitely had homework. I was constantly in detention because I was always forgetting to do it.



First grade is a little fuzzy. I was at Deerfield Elementary School for half the year -- and I do remember homework there. But I can't remember if we had homework at College Park (for the second half of the school year).
 
So she is in Week 4 of homework.



It takes anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour a night but I actually enjoy it.



It's amazing to see kids use their brains... but I feel really bad when she cries because she's tired of doing it or she can't understand.



She's done really well in her spelling tests but I still think 1st grade is too young to start putting pressure on kids to get 100% on their tests (I also feel it's bogus that you only get the "ice cream treat" if you get that score).



There should be a federal moratorium on homework for anyone younger than 10 years old.
 
Can't complain here. We're in 1st grade. The kids get a weekly homework packet which is due back Thursday. We almost always get it done the first night. Also, schoolwork and a little reader are sent home everyday for them to finish up any remaining class work, read the reader to the parents, and have the parent sign off on everything showing they have seen it all. Also once a week they share an item with the class so we have to remember to pack something the night before. Oh, and we are responsible for making flash cards each week. The number of tasks seem to add up but they don't take up too much time (yet?!) My son works pretty quickly (which surprises since he takes 30 minutes brushing his teeth, spending 25 minutes of that time goofing off in front of the mirror... it isn't like him to work quickly.) We've been having time left each day to work out of a practice workbook they gave us just for home. It seems like a lot of things to remember to do each night but he thinks his homework is fun and I'm digging the school mom thing... I think it's fun too.
 
Done in one night? How long does that take?



Even at a fast pace, I can't imagine getting it all done in one night, can I ask what is in your homework packet?
 
[quote author="irvine_home_owner" date=1255073342]Done in one night? How long does that take?



Even at a fast pace, I can't imagine getting it all done in one night, can I ask what is in your homework packet?</blockquote>


No problem, IHO. The homework packet usually consists of a worksheet (double-sided) similar to what you would see from their [strike]Dunder Mifflin[/strike] Houghton Mifflin "Math Expressions" workbook, and typically another one dealing with phonics, spelling, or vocabulary / Open Court type of things. Other little projects will be thrown in... like this week, they were learning about fire drills & fire safety so they had to come home and count all the sprinklers, listen to the fire alarm inside the house go off, etc.... whatever activity ties to what they are learning that week. Oh and in the entry I made above, I forgot they also are supposed to read each night and write their time on a monthly calendar to turn in (some sort of competition with classes winning a party or something.) He loves to read and has always done it on his own anyway so it doesn't seem like extra work.



Monday seems like soooo long ago :) so that's my best recollection. We'll get a new packet this coming Monday and then I can update with exactly what's in it. Hope this helps. Does it sound anything like what your daughter is working on at home?
 
We're definitely not done in one night. We get the packet on Tuesday and it is due back on Monday. Thank goodness for the weekend because we end up finishing it then. We have two front/back worksheets per night, practice writing letters and sounds, practice writing numbers and a book that the kids are tested on on Friday. We sign off the homework and another sheet for a test every two weeks on letters and sounds. We also practice high frequency words by playing games like "Go Fish" with the flashcards of the words I made. This is in addition to reading 20 minutes a night together. Geez, this is Kindergarten (after spending 8-3 o'clock at school everyday!).
 
11 spelling words, has to write them multiple times, alphabetize them, look up definitions, write sentences and identify nouns (spelling test weekly)



4 math problems that have to be added/subtracted and vice versa



Pattern identification of a series of numbers



Place values of numbers



One daily activity that involves reading, math and comparisons



5 phrases that have to have all parts of speech identified



Geology that involves defining a land form, drawing it, naming a local and foreign example and identifying them on a map



Creative writing that has to be 4 sentences long with minimum 8 words per sentence



I can't even do all that in one night (well... I'm exaggerating... it's more like I wouldn't have the desire to do that all in one night).
 
[quote author="irvine_home_owner" date=1255088731]11 spelling words, has to write them multiple times, alphabetize them, look up definitions, write sentences and identify nouns (spelling test weekly)



4 math problems that have to be added/subtracted and vice versa



Pattern identification of a series of numbers



Place values of numbers



One daily activity that involves reading, math and comparisons



5 phrases that have to have all parts of speech identified



Geology that involves defining a land form, drawing it, naming a local and foreign example and identifying them on a map



Creative writing that has to be 4 sentences long with minimum 8 words per sentence



I can't even do all that in one night (well... I'm exaggerating... it's more like I wouldn't have the desire to do that all in one night).</blockquote>


What grade?
 
IHO - I know you said she's in 1st, but is this a public school, private, or what? IUSD?? I think that is crazy. My 1st grader's class (he's in IUSD) hasn't even learned "all parts of speech" and geological land forms yet (with local and foreign examples - LOL!) What's the deal here.
 
I don't get it. You all wanted Irvine Schools and now ranting about homework. It will get progressively more and consume most of your family time.
 
1st grade... without getting too exact (trying to remain anonymous here)... it's not an IUSD school and it is private.



For the spelling words, they don't have to find definitions for all of them just 3 and only create sentences with 5, and it does help with the spelling memorization.



As for parts of speech... it's only article, adjective and noun right now... but looking at future weeks, all the other good stuff is coming.



The geology part is supposed to be with parental help, it's not like she knows any local or foreign examples... but it is interesting.



I believe most of the kids can handle it and I appreciate the advantage this may give her... but I do think it's a bit much.



Again... surprisingly, I'm not an educational taskmaster, a good school in a safe environment is one thing... an over-competitive school is another. I want my kid to like to learn and to seek out knowledge... not have it forced on them. I think this school is good at that... as my kids don't complain about the coursework at school... but to me... the majority of learning should stay at school. It just seems like either the homework is overkill... or they are depending on the parents to do a good portion of the work. This isn't to complain that I don't want to be involved... I just feel it may be more than what a kid should do.



From what I recall... my parents barely helped me at all with homework... I was able to do it all myself but maybe that was an exception (or my homework was way too easy... I did grow up in the LA suburbs).
 
Ooooohh, ok. I thought you meant she was in the district so I couldn't understand why the discrepancy between our schools. So, she's in private and I guess that makes more sense now. Yeah, it sounds like a bit much for a first grader to me. I agree with you IHO.
 
I compared it to her cousin's homework who is in IUSD (he's in 2nd grade now) and his mom also thinks that she gets more work as a 1st grade than he gets as a 2nd grader.



Maybe that's why most of the kids at this school are of foreign ethnic background but I never really thought of it as an advanced education school. I would like to put her in the IUSD (or TUSD) system but am worried about the continuance of care as she has to go from school to a daycare whereas she stays with most of the same people all day at this school. It's another reason why I was looking into an afternoon nanny. It would save us some money, but when you factor in daycare (I think it's called CDC) costs, food costs etc etc the money difference isn't that huge. I just want her to enjoy school, make friends and be confident in herself... I don't really mind if she can't get 100% on her spelling test every week.
 
I think there is a big difference between homework that is simply review of things that were taught well at school and homework which is expecting the children to learn something new or learn something that was only briefly taught at school. So far, my son already knows how to do all of his homework and he seems to know all letter sounds so well from songs they practice at school that the homework is really easy. If they don't actually work on the spelling at school and expect the parent to do all of it at home, I really think that it is a bit much.
 
[quote author="tmare" date=1255133174]If they don't actually work on the spelling at school and expect the parent to do all of it at home, I really think that it is a bit much.</blockquote>
I agree... one of her tasks was extended number writing (taking 12,723 and writing 12,000 + 700 + 20 + 3). I asked her if they already taught her that in school and she said no.



Maybe she just didn't remember... but it took me a while to explain the concept to her.
 
[quote author="irvine_home_owner" date=1255133548][quote author="tmare" date=1255133174]If they don't actually work on the spelling at school and expect the parent to do all of it at home, I really think that it is a bit much.</blockquote>
I agree... one of her tasks was extended number writing (taking 12,723 and writing 12,000 + 700 + 20 + 3). I asked her if they already taught her that in school and she said no.



Maybe she just didn't remember... but it took me a while to explain the concept to her.</blockquote>


I have generally found that my son knows everything for homework so well that practicing it almost seems silly. I think it's good because at least I get to see what he's learned and how well he knows it though. BTW, that's called "expanded notation" and if they had been doing it in class, I think your daughter would remember it.
 
[quote author="irvine_home_owner" date=1255133548][quote author="tmare" date=1255133174]If they don't actually work on the spelling at school and expect the parent to do all of it at home, I really think that it is a bit much.</blockquote>
I agree... one of her tasks was extended number writing (taking 12,723 and writing 12,000 + 700 + 20 + 3). I asked her if they already taught her that in school and she said no.



Maybe she just didn't remember... but it took me a while to explain the concept to her.</blockquote>


If you look at this <a href="http://math.about.com/b/2009/09/15/expanded-notation-worksheets.htm">webpage</a>, they recommend expanded notation for 2nd and 3rd graders but even then... only up to four digits, not as many as your example. If they're giving the first graders five digits, it sounds a bit much. (Isn't the 12,000 broken down further into 1*10,000 + 2*1,000? Maybe I need to go back to first grade!) My son's class has started learning place values but they have just begun easing their way into it.
 
IHO, this is definitely beyond the math standards for California and our standards are the most difficult of any state. Sometimes private schools are truly unaware of what constitutes grade level material and they just try to do too much because it makes them look good. Unfortunately, the majority of 1st grade students are not developmentally ready to learn numbers that big with any true conceptual understanding.
 
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