I know plenty of people disagree with this statement, but I can’t help it. Teachers are going to hate me, end of story.
Check out this week’s column for the full scoop.
Small Children Should Not Do Homework
March 31, 2009
freelance writer
I know plenty of people disagree with this statement, but I can’t help it. Teachers are going to hate me, end of story.
Check out this week’s column for the full scoop.
I think we’re on the same brain wave, I always seem to get here right after you post, PLUS I completely agree with you on the homework stuff–COMPLETELY. My oldest is in Kindergarten this year, and its been a big adjustment for me too, I don’t understand why kids spend so much time at school just to get homework, annoying. (I could go on and on, but I’ll stop now. Just know I really really do get what you’re saying! OH! And I don’t hate you for saying it, I applaude you!) 🙂
I agree . . . you send your kids to how many hours of school a day? and then they come home and sometimes have 2 hours of homework! GIVE ME A BREAK!
I totally agree with you. My kindergartner has homework. And you’re right. It is all busy work. It is kind of ridiculous. And it drives me nuts. . .
Holy Cow!! 20 minutes a night for first graders?? The only homework I can remember having in first grade was I was supposed to take my reader book home and read for my parents, then come back to school and read the same few pages for my teacher. I never, ever, EVER took the book home to read to my parents. I simply read it to my teacher when I got to school.
AMEN SISTER!!! I hate this homework overload thing. My lil’ dudes are in 1st grade and are sent home REAMS of paper of homework. Makes the devil in me reach for a pitchfork.
Annie! I taught kindergarten just a few years ago and I can’t believe how much homework Elijah had last year. I kept referring it to AP Kindergarten. And I couldn’t NOT do it. He WANTED to do it. Just to torture me. Of course now he is in the top of his first grade class and a little bored so now I have to supplement at home. Just so he likes school. It’s ridiculous. I’ve created a monster. Now I’m looking at the gifted program just so he will stay busy. I’m tired just thinking about the gifted program. Who cares about all the capitals of all the world’s countries. What useless knowledge! What do I do!?!
Oh I found out (via facebook) that we have mutual friends. Apparently a good friend of mine at BYU was also friends with you guys back east. I found it very funny.
WHAT –self-discipline at age 6 —I am 57, still don’t have any. Hmmm, wonder what went wrong there. Let the kids read, let the kids play —plenty of time for all the other stuff. When my 2nd son graduated from high school (he was a football stud) he hated academics, so I made him read an article out of the newspaper to me saying ‘”YOU BETTER NOT BE ONE OF THOSE KIDS WHO GRADUATES, AND CAN’T EVEN READ” (tee,hee) true story.
I completely agree! Emma is sitting at the table right now writing a complete story, has to be 6-8 sentences, have plenty of details and descriptions, and has to make sense. It’s 7 in the morning, we didn’t have time last night, because, well, we have a family life darn it. Oh, and she’s in 1st grade. She is also expected to read 20 minutes a day and we have to write it down in a “reading log” which I despise. She reads so much, but I refuse to time her! Plus, before I had a talk with the teacher, she was sending home Emma’s homework with a check if there was something wrong with absolutely no reason WHY it was wrong, and then Emma would cry everyday because she felt like a failure. The sad thing is, I couldn’t find anything wrong on half the homeworks to tell her why. Just what I need, the first grade teacher squashing Emma’s love for school. So I went in and had a lengthy discussion with her about how Emma was feeling, and things have improved, but yeah, we still have AT LEAST 20 min of homework every night. sigh.
I totally agree with you. As a 3rd grade teacher (pre-kid era) I never gave it. They have plenty of time in the school day to cover what they need to learn. As a mom of 8 it cuts into way too much family time. Besides, I don’t tell the teachers what to do with their evenings–why should they have control of mine? Sigh, it keeps getting worse though . . .
I second that!