I have taught second grade for the past few years. Every year I either make homework less in amount, fewer in days, more repetitive in format (more predictiable) which only requires the parents to grab a sheet and get the kid to work. I have found that written directions for an assignment at home where the parents have to lead the child to make or create something (even very quick ones) is ignored or overlooked. I hear excuses: they do homework at the day care center and they (either the kid or the daycare worker) forgot to tell me that it was not finished, kid lost their homework sheet, they were at their Dad's or Mom's (in the case of divorced/ seperated). Homework seems to be a nussiance, if not a very low priority for many people. What will the role of homework be in the next few years, and more importantly what do parents want?
2007-01-04 10:36:57 · 8 answers · asked by escapeinthepalms 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Grade-Schooler
Oh, man! This is a very tough question! This is related to something else I've been pondering for a long time - What is effective teaching? Firstly, I feel that homework should be something that enforces what a child has already learned at school. Although I do understand that there are some assignments given to teach students to acquire knowledge from their parents as a source of information, a child should at least still be given basic knowledge. If a child cannot understand the instructions at his/her level, it may need rewording or may be inappropriate at the moment.
I am all for giving 2nd graders a few assignments to work with their parents (maybe 1 or 2 simple ones per semester), but the uncontrollable variable is the parents' response.
If you choose to involve parents or other people directly, then efforts should be made to write out instructions to be easily understood. Never assume all parents have high vocabulary. Nothing is more frustrating than reading something over and over without understanding it!
1. Homework should reiterate what a child has learned (not "should have learned")
2. The gist of the assignment should be understandable
3. Minimum parent intervention. Many kids do ask their parents for help on conventional homework anyway
The future? Homework will continue as it is an effective tool to learning and relearning.
2007-01-04 10:58:49 · answer #1 · answered by bz_sage_sedotes 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
When my daughter was in 2nd grade last year, the teacher used communication as a huge priority. She told us parents what she expected from the kids and from us. My daughter had about an hours worth of work a day.
I suggest sending home a heart to heart note to all parents and make recommendations and also tell them the consequences the child will face if homework is not done. Here's an idea for you. Why not send home a homework log that parents have to sign? Make sure it is written somewhere that the parent understands that by signing, he/she has checked over the child's homework and it is completed. By 2nd grade, kids need to be more responsible and so do parents. In my child's school, kids have to make up for what they miss by the next day or they miss recess.
Most excuses don't fly with me. School is more important then most anything else. I really suggest you meet with the parents that find homework a low priority.
PS: I just read the post above me and am shocked that 1 sheet and 1 chapter is considered appropriate for a 2nd grader. My kids did that in Kindergarten!
Here's my personal view on nightly homework: 1 sheet math, spelling exercise (write word 3X each or write word in sentence etc) and 20 minutes of reading that goes into a reading log.
2007-01-05 08:18:51 · answer #2 · answered by KathyS 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The homework really needs to have a clear and valid point. It needs to be easy to answer the question, "why does the child need to do this work at home?" I think many times kids get homework because the school has a policy that they must have homework every night. They get busywork that doesn't have a clear and valid point and seems to be a waste of time.
It needs to be a reasonable amount of work. Approximately 10 minutes per year of school per night. So a second grader's homework shouldn't take more than about 20 minutes per night.
Some good examples of homework assignments might be things that reinforce the week's spelling words in order to prepare for a spelling test, such as writing sentences, alphabetizing the words, compleating puzzles with the spelling words, etc. Working with flash cards on math facts. Reading out loud to a parent in order to work on fluency skills.
2007-01-04 18:50:46 · answer #3 · answered by momma2mingbu 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am the mother of a 2, 5 and 7 year old. My 7 y/o is in second grade... Her teacher sends her home with one page of math homework per night, as well as a chapter of reading. I find this reasonable for her grade level. I do find it difficult to help her at times as they have changed the meathods of math since I was little. My daughter does not always know what she was sent home with. I guess it would help to know what is being sent home is taught first.
I tell my daughter (and believe all parents should be aware)... if they don't do this work, they can't go to the next grade. If they fail they need more practice... even if it means staying back a year.
Let the parent know that homework is importent, counted in their grade, and can impact them going to the next grade.
2007-01-04 19:41:37 · answer #4 · answered by erinjl123456 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have an 8th grader and 4th grader. Right now homework is our biggest challenge. My oldest is pretty much failing math because she never understands her homework. Can I get a note or something to explain how to do it? NO and if I show up down at the school before school, she won't explain it then either. I have to come in during her planning period. It ain't like I have nothing else better to do. You know I don't understand it. I only took calculus in college. She works at it... but still has a 36 average.
My younger one does quite well at homework so far. She will do it easy enough and she understands it. I can explain what she don't understand well enough... so it is ok.
2007-01-04 18:54:51 · answer #5 · answered by Karen 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well I read where you are coming from. I am a mother of a 5 yr old. Homework is fun at the moment but it does impeade on family time. Homework may become non-existant in the future to make more room for family time but then that leaves the teachers to pick up the slack from that....I'm not sure what will happen in the future but hopefully it will be better.
2007-01-04 18:43:47 · answer #6 · answered by b_fab115 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i beleive that if a child does not finish work during school hours that it should be sent home. My childs teacher sends some home very night, which i find to be a bit much (she's in grade 1) Kids these days have extra activites out of school, and by the time a parent gets home, gets supper on, gets the kids bathed, there is not enough time in the day to get it completed.
2007-01-04 19:24:23 · answer #7 · answered by shaggy m 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
TRY TO MAKE HOMEWORK FUN! MAYBE YOU HAVE TO TELL THE PARENT STRAIGHT-UP THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE TO FAIL THEIR CHILD IF HOMEWORK IS NOT DONE+PARENTS SHOULD ALWAYS CHECK THEIR CHILDS HOMEWORK!!!
2007-01-04 19:31:28 · answer #8 · answered by Natalia Marie 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋