Homework?

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I know... I told her to write 10,000 and she wrote '1000'. I asked her what number that was and she asked me "10 hundred?". So I said it should be ten thousand and she goes "oh..." and puts a comma like this '10,00'. And I said, it needs another zero like 1000, 2000, 3000 etc.



At this point, the frustration on her face was killing me so I just told her exactly what to write, asked her to re-read the number to me and hoped that she would understand it more in class.



As for their method of expanded notation... I have no idea how they are teaching it. I just looked ahead at next week's assignment which has a number that's written as I explained and the exercise is to write it in its "regular" format (that's the only only way I figured out what expanded notation was). I also found it interesting that for many of the activities, we had all 10 weeks of the assignments... it's as if they wanted to encourage over-achieving. They probably bent to the pressure of other parents asking for homework in advance because their super-child finished this week's homework in 10 minutes.
 
[quote author="irvine_home_owner" date=1255137834]I know... I told her to write 10,000 and she wrote '1000'. I asked her what number that was and she asked me "10 hundred?". So I said it should be ten thousand and she goes "oh..." and puts a comma like this '10,00'. And I said, it needs another zero like 1000, 2000, 3000 etc.



At this point, the frustration on her face was killing me so I just told her exactly what to write, asked her to re-read the number to me and hoped that she would understand it more in class.



As for their method of expanded notation... I have no idea how they are teaching it. I just looked ahead at next week's assignment which has a number that's written as I explained and the exercise is to write it in its "regular" format (that's the only only way I figured out what expanded notation was). I also found it interesting that for many of the activities, we had all 10 weeks of the assignments... it's as if they wanted to encourage over-achieving. They probably bent to the pressure of other parents asking for homework in advance because their super-child finished this week's homework in 10 minutes.</blockquote>


As a math teacher, there is just so much that is wrong here. Kids need lots of time to absorb the meaning of big numbers and just putting in a comma shows me that the class is probably not developing conceptual understanding but just merely following some rules that mostly seem nonsensical to a kid. I would rather a kid fully understand what we are doing this week than try to go ahead (or have a parent try to go ahead). If I were the teacher of a student with a parent asking for more work, I would give them more practice of the same types of things for that week's homework. (Regular form is usually called standard form). Many of the new curriculum programs have websites that the students can go to and practice class concepts in a new or even more challenging way, this should be enough for the parents who want more.
 
Tmare, that's exactly what our IUSD admins told us when we started a new math program. They give us a workbook for practice at home, but they clearly said not to let your child work ahead of what they're currently doing in class because they want to make sure they absorb the fundamentals and fully understand, using the methods they want to teach them in class, before moving on to the next stage. They said many of the parents have their kid complete the book quickly and turn it in like it's some kind of race. That is not at all what the teachers recommend in our local schools. I think they are on the same page as you, where they want to take it one step at a time.
 
Well... at least I'm not crazy thinking that her homework was too much or too complex.



I feel bad for her when she does math, she still uses her fingers to count but I think the peer pressure at school is to not use your fingers so when I work with her, she puts her hands under the table to hide the fact that she's counting with her fingers... it almost made me cry.
 
Awww, IHO. That's so cute. Just tell her to wear sandals when doing math so she can count with her toes instead of her fingers. :)
 
<a href="http://www.iusd.org/student_resources/Mathematics.html">Here is a link</a> to what the IUSD kids are taught for math. You can open a PDF which shows exactly the kind of math work they get in class and at home.



(They are taught to add and subtract by visualizing groups - last year in Kindy it was translating groups of numbers to shapes so that it is easier to envision and also using number "partners". So this year they are building exercises based on what they learned last year.)
 
[quote author="bkshopr" date=1255096365]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.</blockquote>


I'm glad I'm not the only one who finds this thread ironic.



FWIW, I had homework in 1st grade. Some of it was very similar to what IHO's kid is seeing, except for the math part.



I do think the math skills they are trying to teach IHO's kid are above normal, the spelling and wording, however, is what I remember. I do think the point is to get the parent involved, while the wrong way about going at it, but making sure the parent/s are involved. In a way you should be thankful, but be vocal that it is ridiculous a kid of that age will understand expanded notation of that level.



BTW, I like seeing the feedback on things like this. Whether I have kids or not, at least I know what I need to be prepared for. Damn... I'm screwed... by the time they reach 5th grade they will be explaining deltas and how my regression model is faulty. Either that, or they will turn out just like me... keep that in mind when your kids come home with homework in 1st grade... I had homework then, and look at me now. No, really, look at me now... I am a professional armchair economist. Okay, well maybe it isn't that bad, but it has been a longer process than the schools promised.
 
That's one bonus... they will be more educated than me at some point in elementary school... heh.



I remember in middle school or junior high I brought home some math homework that neither of my parents understood... but that's what we want... for our kids to be smarter than us (just not in 1st grade).
 
When my daughter was 5 I taught her big numbers by pulling the filers out from for sale home signs. She learned her comma from Irvine home prices. She knew nothing in Irvine was under $500,000. She was the smartest in her class knowing the placement of commas. She knew the value of $1,000,000 in Irvine and it meant very little in term of home and I showed her a piece of crap that was $1 mil with 2 commas.
 
Too bad Google doesn't do image translations.



She is still struggling with some parts of her homework. Last week we hit a big wall where she didn't want to do any at all and threw a big fit.



She's fine with the spelling, word problems and geography... it's the math, she has to do addition and subtraction of big numbers which requires borrowing and carrying over... I seriously think that's too much for a 1st grader.
 
[quote author="SoCal78" date=1257297361]IHO, do you think you would consider switching to public school next year?</blockquote>


I've been wondering the same thing.
 
Yes, if we could work out the after-school care thing.



One convenient thing about our current school is that they start at 9am, and even then we sometimes have a hard time getting there.



We love the school, but are just worried about the work level which I plan to talk to the teachers about at our next meeting.



The thing that gets me about this is that as a private school, you would think there would be more instructions about homework from the teachers or even an online site that will give us pointers on how to go about doing their homework with them. I was a bit put off the other day because we forgot to get her homework packet so I drove back before they closed to get it but her room was locked and the person who had the keys left already (or at least that's what they told me). So I asked if they have any website resources (because I know other schools do) to get her homework from and they don't. Gah... what year is this?



(thanks IHB for putting up with my venting by the way)
 
Did they have a "Back To School Night" to familiarize the parents? That is where the public schools provide orientation for mom & dad but not sure about private school.... what info did they provide at BTSN?
 
They did, but they didn't go in-depth into the homework.



To be honest, I just glanced at the packet and in hindsight, I should have inspected it more and asked questions about how to work on certain assignments. The first few weeks looked easy enough, but once we got into actually doing it, that's where I noticed how much work it really was.
 
I totally understand. I found that at BTSN, we were given SO much info & packets to look through. They went over most of it but pretty quickly -- there was just way too much to absorb there on the spot. Then they had us write any questions we had down on a piece of paper and drop it into a basket for them to answer later. I thought that was sort of silly because you really need the chance to sit down at home and look through all this stuff first... or at least, I do. I don't like being put on the spot.
 
[quote author="SoCal78" date=1257299405]I totally understand. I found that at BTSN, we were given SO much info & packets to look through. They went over most of it but pretty quickly -- there was just way too much to absorb there on the spot. Then they had us write any questions we had down on a piece of paper and drop it into a basket for them to answer later. I thought that was sort of silly because you really need the chance to sit down at home and look through all this stuff first... or at least, I do. I don't like being put on the spot.</blockquote>


Do you guys communicate with teachers through e-mail? I have found that e-mail is the most effective way to communicate with the parents of my students and with my own children's teachers. I also just finished compiling a class directory for my son's Kindergarten classroom so that parents can communicate and ask questions of each other when something isn't clear. I gave the teacher the forms so the parents could fill out as much/little information as they wanted, the parents returned them and I compiled it and copied it. It's been really useful so far.
 
For those with 4-7 year olds worried about the homework thing: it's much easier if you give them a head start. (ie. once they can read and count on their own - easier to them to mostly figure things out and keep up.) Before kindergarden, or during the summers try:



Reading: <A href="http://headsprout.com/">http://headsprout.com/</A> - smart computer program teaches kids to read. Free trial (good for seeing if your 4 or 5 year old is ready yet). Minimal cost. Kids like it and think it's a game. Minimal parental work involved (ie. program does it all, sends you progress report emails. All you have to do is if the computer says "say it out loud" and your kid isn't, holler over from cooking dinner or whatever and tell the kid you want to hear them saying it out loud). Works like a charm.



Math: I don't know of any websites for that, go the old fashioned route and get some workbooks and teach them yourself. Or even get out a roll of pennies and teach them how to count and add and subtract.



Irvine Teacher's Supply

15415 Jeffrey Rd, Irvine, CA

(949) 857-8989?
 
[quote author="tmare" date=1257299998]

Do you guys communicate with teachers through e-mail? I have found that e-mail is the most effective way to communicate with the parents of my students and with my own children's teachers. I also just finished compiling a class directory for my son's Kindergarten classroom so that parents can communicate and ask questions of each other when something isn't clear. I gave the teacher the forms so the parents could fill out as much/little information as they wanted, the parents returned them and I compiled it and copied it. It's been really useful so far.</blockquote>
I would think this is something the teachers would do for us. Even my girl's soccer team communicated via email so we know who would be going to what games.



I think it's a bit difficult for us because many of these parents have been there longer than us so they already know each other since most of their kids have been their since preschool or K. It's also harder for her to make friends since they already have their established "cliques".



I was actually thinking about setting up my own website and scanning the homework in and distributing the URL to other parents after my incident with not being able to get her homework. I think I'll give tmare's idea a shot although most of the small asian moms seem to look at me with fear in their eyes.
 
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