xmlns:og='http://ogp.me/ns#' Yeah. Good Times.: Homework: what do you think is reasonable?

Monday, September 26, 2011

Homework: what do you think is reasonable?

I spent a lot of time last year at this time talking about homework and how much I hate it. It's true. I hate it. Especially with Child 1, because I'm a shitty teacher and he's a difficult student. After a few months last year I just said fuck it, I'm not doing homework anymore; this is too hard and too frustrating for all of us. I made a half assed attempt to find a tutor for Child 1 but then I gave up on that, too, and had some changes made in our IEP so that homework was modified and also done in school. That took a lot of the pressure off. Off of me, that is. Because this is about me... not about either of them.... Just kidding. No I'm not.

Toward the end of the year last year, however, I was feeling really shitty about never doing homework with either of them; I had rationalized that Kindergarteners shouldn't even have homework and I was doing him a favor by not making him do it, and that worked for a few months, but then I went back to feeling like a shitty slacker mom. So, this year I'm determined to stay on top of things and get this shit done every day so that I'm not a horrible terrible no good shitty parent. Because... as I said... this is about me... not them....

I've hired a tutor for Child 1. This shitty economy means that I get really lucky when it comes to tutor choices, apparently. I've found a credentialed teacher who works as a Resource Specialist in a public school but doesn't make enough money as a single parent so she picked up my tutoring gig (there's your proof, Fox News, that teachers and teacher's unions are ruining our economy!!!). Child 2 is a frickin genius, at the end of Kindergarten he was reading at a 2nd grade level, so I figure I can handle helping him and his genius brain.

So, this was all just a really long winded introduction to my question, because I need some perspective: How much time do you think is reasonable for a 4th grader with autism to spend doing homework, and a 1st grade genius to spend doing homework?

Child 1, with his tutor, can take up to 2 hours. Child 2, with just me, can take up to an hour. And he's not struggling or anything, he's speeding through it; there's just a lot of it.

That seems like a long time to me, for these guys to be spending this much time every day.

Does it seem like a long time to you?

How much time does it take your kids to do their homework, with or without your help?


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Posted by jillsmo at 5:17 PM
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illbeyourwater 35p · 704 weeks ago

I remember spending about an hour on all my homework until late jr. high, and then in high school I had a crap load. I would say, depending on the child, it may take a bit longer. Some of my brother's took 2-3 hours.

I would just be worried if maybe Child 1 was getting frustrated with how long it was taking for him to do it.

Disclaimer: although I am still suffering through homework, damn college. (And really should be getting back to it...lol) I don't have kids of school age yet, so it's a student not parent perspective. And you can always tell me to go pound sand. :)
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Dana K · 704 weeks ago

I can't speak about the needs with autism but I think it's rigodamndiculous that a first grader has homework. Other than the occasional "special" "report," I don't recall having homework...especially 2 hours worth of it.
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Paul Jones · 704 weeks ago

My 6th grader has anywhere from 1 to 3 hours of homework per night, and about an hour and a half's worth on the weekends. I despise homework, it is a battle because he is gassed at the end of the day, and even though he is not in many afterschool activities, that homework hell bender is always looming, being a killjoy to whatever he wants to do in the free time.

I think homework should be project based to expand whats in the classroom, not rote drills. I am not a popular person at parent teacher conferences.
2 replies · active 704 weeks ago
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LizDitz 51p · 704 weeks ago

National PTA's recommendation is 10 minutes per grade.

Personally I think homework before 3rd grade is useless.

If what *takes the time* is pushing the pencil (and a lot of kids struggle with handwriting) 1. Answers dictated to parent/tutor (for written responses) 2. Math practice: either orla language; use number tiles for response, or (if it is math fact drills) use software // web sites // apps.

The tricky bit is math -- yes, kiddos need A LOT of repetition to get to mastery with math facts (addition, subtraction, and multiplication) but they don't have to be pushing a pencil to get that drill.
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amorninggrouch 45p · 704 weeks ago

Unfortunately with state mandates about curriculum that needs to be covered at each grade level teachers often feel pressure to send work home, since re-teaching and practice time is minimal. However, often they don't realize how long it may take a student with autism or other needs to complete the homework. I work at a high school where the average amount of time students spend on homework each night is 2 hours, and for students with reading disabilities or autism the number of hours is significantly higher (for those with good g.p.a.s) and the ones who are too exhausted to complete it all suffer grade-wise. IEPs at our high school very, very rarely allow modified homework, unless the work is repetitive - 25 similar problems etc... the problem is at h.s. it normally is 25 DIFFERENT problems. It's tough. Good luck to you!
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Amanda · 704 weeks ago

I'm probably the wrong parent to ask because my oldest had worksheets that were no more than busy work until 3rd grade. I flat out told his teachers that they were busy work and I wasn't going to fight my kid to do them when he knows the material, but feel free to send stuff home that's actually challenging. Yes, I had a kid questioning authority in 2nd grade. It's awesome. Now that he's a 5th grader, he often only has about 20min of homework. He is supposed to read 15min each night, but my kid reads. Some days it's 4 hours, and some days it's not at all, so I just sign his sheet. This falls under my not doing busy work rule.
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solodialogue 73p · 704 weeks ago

2 hours sounds like torture!! That's his whole evening! Is that with breaks? Thank God for that great deal on the tutor. That sounds like a great way to preserve your relationship and give yourself less stress!

I don't know how long 1st grade homework should take... but what is it with the homework in kindergarten? It looks like you got the answer I'm looking for back on the other post! All I can say is for my autistic 5 year old in kindergarten (who can also read and spell at a 2nd grade level) it takes about 30 minutes with breaks between assignments. It's like arm wrestling every night. He HATES it because it involves holding a writing implement and he hates to write. If he could do his homework on an iPad, I'm sure he'd sail right through. That's gotta be some kind of accommodation, right? ;)
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sherilinr · 704 weeks ago

that's just crazy to me. if the kid spends 7 hrs with structured activity in school, homework is just adding insult to injury. if it's not a project or maybe some reading, i think homework is nutty in the elementary grades. i'm homeschooling my aspie 3rd grader & i don't think i'd be able to force that much work out of her if she was in school all day & then had more in the evenings. they need some time for their brains to calm the heck down & do things they like.
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Brian · 704 weeks ago

When I worked in an elementary school, the general principal was 10 minutes per grade level, on average. Like, your 2nd grader would have 20 minutes of homework. A 6th grader would have 60 minutes. Was that unclear? Well, I don't care. Found that more would just be diminishing returns the more that was done. Gotta be a kid.
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prairiepride 19p · 704 weeks ago

I am an elementary school teacher and a mother to a child with autism. As someone posted above, the goal should be 10 minutes times the grade level per night. So if your 1st grader is getting more than 10 minutes per night, the school isn't following the guidelines. That should be pointed out to the principal. If your fourth grader with autism is taking 2 hours, that is way too long. Modifications need to be made to the IEP that state his homework load should not exceed 40 minutes per day.

Your school should reduce homework for all students. There isn't any solid research showing that more homework than the recommended amount improves learning, so it really is just a waste of everyone's time.

You are not being a bad mom by not wanting to spend your whole evening struggling over elementary school worksheets - we are all exhausted in the evening, especially if our kids do afterschool activities. And when are you supposed to enjoy family time? When I was a kid I wasn't sitting at the kitchen table doing endless pages of homework every night. I was sitting in front of the TV with my parents and siblings, eating garbage and watching the Cosby Show. And somehow I turned out OK. ;-)
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Alicia · 704 weeks ago

My kids go to a hippie charter school that goes by a general rule of 10 minutes per grade level, so 50 minutes max for my 5th-grader (except he's dyslexic, so it sometimes takes him longer, even with accommodations) and 20 minutes for my 2nd-grader. In reality, my 5th grader almost never has homework (and his grade level made the decision NEVER to send homework home on weekends), and my 2nd grader has even less (I don't think she's had any at all this year yet). In addition, they're both supposed to spend 20 minutes a night reading on their own.
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meghan · 704 weeks ago

My fourth grader has had ungodly amounts of homework since the day she started first grade. Oddly, now in fourth grade, she seems to have less than the previous years. I hate doing homework with her b/c she has the attention span of a toddler with a sippy cup of Redbull, so they do it with her during her after school program. Plus, I feel crappy having her come home and making her sit down and work while we play with her sisters. She's already spent like, 50 hours at school and I dont think it would be too much to ask that she be allowed to come home and kick back for the rest of the evening. (We don't usually get home until about 6, then its play, dinner, bath bed). Where am I supposed to fit in two hours of busywork???
anyhoo...my point...not fond of the excessive work either! Ugh, I dont even remember if that was your question. Sigh.
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Rebecca · 704 weeks ago

The general rule of thumb is that homework should take 10 minutes per grade (if you are in the first grade it should take 10 minutes). Of course if you take breaks and slack around, get distracted, don't understand it will take longer. That considered it shouldn't take over 20 minutes for first grade.

I bribe Isabella to do her homework. Sips of Pepsi works wonders for her. Sometimes there is a candy bribe and other times (like today) there is a bribe of outdoor fun.
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thissideoftypical 57p · 704 weeks ago

THIS is one of the main reasons I no longer teach...

Philosophically, homework is only supposed to be "practice" of the ideas taught in class that day. So "time" is relative to the child. The amount of time spent should reflect his/her mastery of the concept. However, districts seem to think that copius amounts of homework equal achievement, which I think is total horseshit.

And hippie charter schools rock.
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Marianna Annadanna · 704 weeks ago

K, so, i don't have kids, and I was in 4th grade in 1994, but I didn't really have major homework until grade 5. By then it was maybe 8 hours a week? But once I figured out that I could still get good grades without even doing the homework, that weekly rate went WAY down. My suggestion, for what it's worth? Keep the genius child doing about an hour every day as part of his routine and maybe he'll stick with it even when he's smarter than everyone.

I've no decent advice for your other little guy. Exceot maybe as long as it isn't hurting him, keep him doing it.

Also? Can you get my Hubby a tutor? I think he missed some important shit in school.
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Jen · 704 weeks ago

No kids just yet, but I can tell you, I hated homework. Most of it was busywork, designed to monopolize and ruin my afterschool time. Some of it made no sense; my math homework was always on the new material, which was then gone over and taught the next day. That one always got me. I was supposed to teach myself the new math, through homework, and then learn it again with the teacher. Screw that.

I am a no-homework advocate. Keep that crap in school. That's what study halls are for. (I foresee many parent-teacher conferences..."Well, Jen, little Sally isn't doing her homework." "No, Mr. Teacher, she isn't. Because it is stupid." *silence*
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Tessa · 704 weeks ago

Okay--I live in Louisiana, so we're a little shitty compared to everyone else, but my school's rule of thumb is ten minutes times the grade level, so a 4th grader should have about 40 minutes a night, and a first grader should have about 10.
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Margaret · 704 weeks ago

Two of the best parts of homeschooling - no fighting to get daughter up and out of bed to make the bus and two no more fighting about homework. Let's face it who is making sure the homework gets done - the parent and ruining any family time left in the evening. If the child wants to do the homework then great let them do it other wise then it becomes about determined the parent it is to get it done with little or no benefit to the child.
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lkelley13 25p · 704 weeks ago

In BC (British Columbia - Canada) I believe it is actually against the School Act to give homework prior to grade 3. When I was a primary teacher- before moving into special ed... I expected my students to read at home for 20 min or so with their parents, and maybe practice a few math math facts. We would do a fun "family project" about three times per year (Like inventing Leprechaun Traps).
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Stasha 77p · 704 weeks ago

I wish I could answer your question but my kid's school made changes this year concerning homework.

Meaning, only the kids who 'need it' get homework.

Totally stupid to me. Doesn't EVERY kid need homework?

How do they differentiate who needs it and who doesn't without making the kid feel horrible about themselves?

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annanonamus 19p · 704 weeks ago

My 4th grade Aspie is coming home with homework nightly this year. Last year, it was once a week. So far, it's a single sheet of math work, which she whips through in under 30 minutes IF she's paying attention. She's a math whiz, though honestly, if she paid attention and just did it, it would only take 10 minutes.
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K A B L O O E Y · 704 weeks ago

We just instituted a bribery plan for her to get ready in the morning and for her to do homework in 10-30 minutes, depending on assignment. First grade. Without limits, it's an hour of arguments while she flits around like a hummingbird. The work isn't tough for her, so I can't imagine what goes on in homes where kids struggle. Last year she had repetitive, stupid busywork everyday. It was easy, but beneath her level (colors for a week) and it got harder and harder for her to sit and do it. I didn't blame her, but also didn't want to encourage slacking. I just wrote to ask for more challenging work, when feasible, but got no word back. A few more years of this repetitive worksheet crap and I'm going to look for an option to our "excellent" public schools. And my daughter was in a SPED school from 3-5. You guys are doing too much homework, I'd say. What do other parents think?
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justjenannhall 53p · 704 weeks ago

My husband and I hate homework with our daughter who has ADD. It has been the biggest night mare since her very first piece of homework. I especially resent that what they're sending home is HARDER than what they did in class. Excuse me? I'm not the teacher!

Our son just started Kindergarten and, as far as we know, does not have ADD, so I anticipate homework being easier with him. What the teacher has sent home so far is super easy and totally K appropriate. Except....does a kinder really need to do homework?
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Carolyn · 704 weeks ago

I didn't even do that much homework in law school! No, really, I didn't.

My newly minted kindergartner, whose current IEP only deals with delayed speech but probably will soon touch on some other issues that I'm SO EXCITED TO DEAL WITH!! Anyway, she goes to this ridiculous "accelerated curriculum" school, and even there, they only give 10 minutes of homework to the K's (the fact that it takes an hour to get her to sit down and do it? Another issue altogether) And it seems to step up much the way the other parents have described, about 10 minutes per grade, perhaps a tad bit more.

The school system is broken. Everywhere. I don't know what will fix it, whether one person can make a difference, but seriously woman, that is an insane amount of homework. Go to a PTO meeting or something, raise a voice (and a glass), holler at a principal. We shall overcome, we will survive, we will get by! Cuh-RAY-ZAY!!
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Cheryl D. · 704 weeks ago

I'm not a big fan of homework either. My daughter, when she was in first grade last year (and also a genius) spent an hour doing homework. The teacher would give her about 8 worksheets a night to do.

This year, at the gifted magnet, her new teacher is awesome! Homework can still take awhile on some nights, but they're doing pretty cool things. Tomorrow's homework involves doing a science experiment to see what happens to water when you add 5 rocks to a glass of water, one rock at a time. The kids are supposed to draw pictures to show the changing water level after each rock is added.
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Amy · 704 weeks ago

I always thought my kids had WAY too much hw. Especially since they both have autism. They were always so overwhelmed by just getting through school that hw was horrible. I mean, for a kindergartener it was taking an hour. For KINDERGARTEN. I think two hours should be more like a junior high hw level, not fourth grade. Just my opinion, though.
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raquel · 704 weeks ago

Ummm zero time. Come on. By the time they get home they have 4 hours or so to shower, eat, do chores, god forbid play. Screw homework. Of course I make my kids do it but I still say screw it on here bc they do not blog!
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Sharon · 704 weeks ago

I don't really see the point of homework for kids in kindergarten or first grade. Second and third, maybe a half an hour or something to reinforce something they did in school. My first grader has several worksheets per night and I think it's ridiculous. My fourth grader seems to have around 45 minutes of work, but it's always things I need to be involved in. Again, if they are giving homework, it should be to reinforce something that was already learned, not something I need to teach to the kids myself.
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Monica · 704 weeks ago

OMG, the homework this year is out of control! Bethany has always taken longer than they say it 'should' take. Now that she is in 4th grade she is spending as much as 4 hours some nights. One morning I went into her room to wake her up and she was already up and trying to finish the homework she did not get done the night before!! I have to say I was proud, but also pissed at the teacher. Besides homework she also has a project due every 3-4 weeks, meaning now I get to do the homework too. The project she is working on now is great in theory, but I myself am swamped with my own homework and have absolutely no time to do hers too. We sat down to do it the other night and I was so pissed off and stressed out that it made the whole supposed-to-be-good-experience of me telling her where I came from and giving her family stories that I could not think of anything good to say. Im still pissed, the project is still not finished and the deadline is approaching. Im trying to have a positive outlook about it, that maybe this will help her to get faster at doing her work, etc. At least I pray that there is a positive outcome to all this. Soon she will also have to practice her instrument every night in addition to the homework. I have stopped making her do her daily chores, because she just doesnt have time. Many nights she does not get to play, we get no time together. The whole thing sucks.
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andrea · 704 weeks ago

That seems INSANE!!!!!!! I have a freshman in high school who doesn't have more than 15 minutes of homework on any given night. My 6th grader rarely even has her five minutes of homework. This is distressing to me that you have to face any kind of stress to do so much work at their age. :(
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Caroline · 704 weeks ago

I have a 1st & 3rd grader and yeah about an hour per night. That does include dropping the pencil eleventy times, bathroom breaks, pet-the dog breaks, another snack break, checking the next days lunch schedule break....you get the idea.
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Sweaty · 704 weeks ago

I have to admit that I'm a lazy-ass mother when it comes to homework. My daughter's in first grade now, and to be honest, doesn't really have any real homework. However, the school asks that every night parents would read to their children the books that they bring home that day. And this is how lazy I am... When she brings one book, I'm ok. But when it's three? Uh oh, no way. No thanks.

Blame it on my unhappy childhood or whatever, but I really am not a fan of homework. My mom used to hit me a lot just because she was tired and still had to help me with my homework. This really affects how I treat my kid now. I'm fortunate enough to be able to choose which school I want my daughter to enroll in, and I actually picked the one that's the least academic of them all. I really believe that especially when they're young, they need to be able to enjoy learning through playing, because that's where they would get their passion for learning--if ever. Burdening them with loads of homework at such a young age would just kill off the fun, especially if your child is not super extra genius.

Ok, enough rambling. Point is, at most, for first grader, an hour a night. At most.
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nuttydingo 56p · 704 weeks ago

My spectrum kid would destroy the house if I tried to make him do 1 or 2 hours of homework. Also, we'd have no time to have dinner or anything else. Mine is in first grade and struggling with reading and math, but I haven't found the amount of homework to be directly proportional to academic gains. Sometimes it's just a matter of his maturity and brain development, and things start to click in place when the time is right. I have a rule for now of a half hour for homework. If the homework isn't done, then it's not done. His patience wears thin beyond that time, and I don't blame him.
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Papa Bear · 704 weeks ago

I don't remember having any homework before 3rd grade. I was one of those kids who took a long time to finish even a small assignment, but my parents' attitude was that it was my homework, not theirs. And if I didn't finish it, it was my problem, not theirs. And my dad was a teacher.

We home schooled our AS son until high school. We never made him do more than an hour a day (school and homework total) because it was counterproductive. When the school tested him, they were impressed with his reading, vocabulary, and verbal skills, given his overall developmental level. They said we must have done something right.

Our 7th grade NT son is still home schooled. In the early years, I sat down and worked one on one with him, but our school day was shorter. Now I generally give him an assignment, and he works on his own. He only needs my help if he has a question. If he stays on task, he finishes all his work before the public school lets out for the day. Depending on how you look at it, he has no homework, or it's all homework.
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blogginglily 73p · 702 weeks ago

I've said this for five years now, "so, THIS year I'm determined to stay on top of things and get this shit done every day so that I'm not a horrible terrible no good shitty parent." I put it in quotes because you posted it in your blog, but I'm pretty sure you were quoting ME without giving credit.

(emphasis added by me)

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