How much homework is enough???

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Bren1222

In the Brooder
11 Years
May 6, 2008
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Iowa
To make a long story short.....My 10 yr old DD is in 5th grade. Our small town has a wonderful school system that tests way over even the bigger schools. But.....here is the problem.

When we found out last summer whom her teacher was going to be we heard the rumors of lots and lots of homework. For the first time my DD did not want to go to school. It was really heartbreaking. She has always loved school and is a wonderful student. I told her not to judge the teacher until she gets into the class and to at least give the teacher a chance. I explained it to my DD as how would she feel if a new student came to school and automatically didn't like her because of what others had said about her. My DD has tried to go into this with a possitive attitude.

The rumors were true. We are talking about at least 3 hours of homework a night. Last night we didn't even get done until 9:30. Her bedtime is 8:30. By 9:15 I was basically giving her the answers just so she could get to bed. Besides....what 10 yr old child comprehends anything that late at night?
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Then today my DD comes home with 3 late assignments because she "forgot" to do a whole subject of homework. So it comes down to even though we worked from 4:30 to 9:30 on homework breaking only for supper she still wasn't done. Now I am not defending my DD about the late assgnments because she should have got them done and she knew better but what am I suppose to do?
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My DD also said that the teacher yelled at them today because there were 24 late assignments today. She said, (and this was backed up by other parents) "It is my right to give you homework and if you think I am going to stop giving you all this homework because you are all turning in late assignments then think again. You will still get just as much homework if not worse!"

I decided to call a few parents tonight and ask them if they are going through the same thing. All of them are. They are all stuggling with getting homework done and are up just as late as we are. I told them I was going to be speaking to the teacher at confences next week about it and one of the parents told me that her oldest son had her 2 years ago and 6 sets of parents all went to the principle at one time and it didn't do any good.
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It has got my DD so upset at night. She says she hates school, her nerves and stomach are a mess, and she doesn't have anytime to do anything else. When are we suppose to have family time, time for her to practice her piano and flute, go to 4H and book club, etc? We have already had to have her start taking her showers in the morning because there isn't time at night. We also have cut out her chores. When is she just suppose to be a kid?????? I am so frustrated beyond belief right now!

Now my question is how much homework do your kids have and how do you handle it?
 
That sounds like way too much for fifth grade.

Our city has an honors high school, and I know they tell the kids going in that they should expect three hours of homework a night in seventh and eighth grade. Three hours seems normal in high school, and not enough in college, if you count reading and studying time.

If you aren't having luck with the principal, go to the school board with your entourage of frustrated parents. Most school board meetings have open time where you can speak on any issue that is concerning you, though.
 
My answer to the homework problem was to pull my youngest two out and homeschool. Seriously. And we love it.
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I would definitely talk to your DD's teacher. Better yet, maybe a group of you parents could express your concern/complaints together. If that doesn't help, then perhaps a visit to the Principal's office is in order. No 10 year old needs that much homework after being in school all day. When are they supposed to be kids?!
 
Wow, I'd be IRATE.

My son is in 4th grade, they start school at 8am and finish at 3:30 - and no homework, unless they don't finish something in class, which hasn't happened yet - the only homework he has had, is to practice for music.
 
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I honestly would think about homeschooling but I have to work. I also think my DD would hate it. She loves seeing her friends everyday and the social aspect but this year she hates the school part and at this point I can't blame her.
 
Yeah, go talk with them again if it seems out of line to what the "standard" is. At best it's opening parent student communications which is better than some places. Even if nothing happens to the hw load, they will know which parents care and you'll be able to have more of a voice later on if needed.

On the subject of HW... I went though some "summit" program and the whole honors thing and we did at least 3 hrs of hw a night besides quarterly projects. That was my gunea pig-ing for 2-5th grade. It was pretty intensive and some of those kids had their own tutors. By the time I got into middle school, which the program I had been in didn't extend into, I thought most classes were a joke because I only spent a few hours a day on hw, but to make up for it, my parents had me doing work books on the side. (That was a big downfall of the program, it sped us up so far that middle school was a waste of time.) HS was the same deal but minus the workbooks from parents, plus a tutoring job for some money, and plus after school activities and college prep. Guess I never felt that hw was a lot of work myself, since my brother and I would have "hw" over the weekend too and our dad would tutor us in the math and sciences during breaks and summer.
 
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Our school hours are 8:35 - 3:25. When she was riding the school bus, after school to home, she wasn't getting home until 4:45. She was the last one dropped off. It was causing her to be up until 10:00 doing homework so I made arrangements at work so I could pick her up and she could start her homework right away and it is still 9:30. It is just getting worse as the school year goes on.

I am so stressed out about it and can't even imagine what it is doing to her.
 
I work in a high school and I know our students don't have nearly that much homework for 8 subjects!!

I would talk to the teacher. If she is nonreceptive and it doesn't quell the amount of homework being given, I would go to the administration. Take other parents to the admin with you if necessary. If the teacher gets "ugly" with your daughter, DEMAND that she is given another teacher.

Keep working your way up the line if you don't get satisfaction at the school level.

Your local news may like to get involved too
 
I personally think that for anyone in elementary school, 1 hour of homework is enough. Children don't have the attention span it takes to do 4 hours of homework until they are in high school! Having been through the nightmare of dealing with principals, I would suggest telling them this no longer an option and she needs to be moved to another class. History has shown that fighting it doesn't work, so I would ahve the child moved. that's just me...
 
My high schoolers don't even have 3 hours of homework. But, SC does rank like 49th in almost everything education related, so maybe I'm not the best person to ask. LOL. Seriously though, that is too much homework for the 5th grade. That is causing those children entirely too much stress, which we all know, can lead to all kinds of problems.

I think that you parents, as a group, should speak with the principal. If that doesn't work, I wouldn't stop there. I'd also go to the school board. The old saying is true...the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Make enough noise, as a group, and someone will notice.
 
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