Should I be concerned?

[ChickensRCool]

I agree with Southernbelle.
My third child is in 2nd grade this year and he has spelling words and is to read 15-20 minutes every night, just like the older two when they were in second grade. And, they come home with a "Thursday Folder" filled with that week's work and any notes/letters from the teacher.
There is a good series of books by E.D. Hirsch called The Core Knowledge Series-- you would want "What your 2nd Grader Needs to Know". It gives lots of info at the child's level and will give you an idea of what she should be learning in second grade. My children like these books. Also, your school district might have their curriculum guidelines online that you could look at. These will tell you what the teacher should be teaching for that grade. If they aren't online you can go to the school district office and ask to look at them.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

The Hirsch books are EXCELLENT. And knowing the curriculum guidelines for the state & district is a very good idea. A conference is a great idea, but please start with the teacher before escalating--especially if your child is at all likely to be in that classroom all year. If you are not happy after the conference, THEN move up the chain.

 

[whitecra]

I saw on the news where studies show that homework is a waste of time. I would be happy that she doesn't have any homework.
Chris

 

[mom'sfolly]

I don't think I would worry much if a second grader doesn't have much or any homework. Your kid spends seven hours in school, all they should have to do at home is read. Maybe practice math. If they need to repeat the spelling words to get them right, by all means do so. But if your kid is able to do the spelling without a lot of repetition, why do it?

So much of little kid homework is busy work. I resented having to make my kids do it in the lower grades, and when my then 5th grader got coloring assignments, I was really torqued.

I think what is expected of very young kids at school is much more than when I was in school, but what is expected in the higher grades is less. Studies bear this out.

 

[kla37]

My son is in second grade in a public school, and my older son attended a private school in second grade. They ALWAYS have homework with the exception of Friday. Some sort of spelling homework and math every day, and 15 minutes of reading every night. Every Friday the entire week's work, classwork and homework, is sent home marked and graded. He has an assignment notebook that the kids have to copy down their assignments in off the board every day, and parents are required to sign it, as well as write down the title of what book or story they read. Our teachers communicate very well with all of us parents, using the assignment book to comment of how the children are doing and what they may need extra help or encouragement with. This is the way it should be! Requiring not only homework, but making sure the parents are involved in it and checking up on their child's progress. And elementary school is not 8 hours of work. Between recesses, lunch, "specials" like music, PE, Art, and Spanish, only about 3 hours a day is spent on the ABC's and 123's. You need to just bypass the principal and go straight to the superintendent of the school board. It would be best to gather a group of parents who share your concerns and go together, they can't ignore you if you go as a pack! Good luck, and I hope you get that changed soon. Kids without homework, and even worse, a lazy teacher, are bound to fall behind.

 

[kla37]

Quote:
Homework is not just about the work itself, it is an exercise in organization, memory, persistence, and self-discipline.

 

[PineappleMama]

mom'sfolly :

So much of little kid homework is busy work. I resented having to make my kids do it in the lower grades, and when my then 5th grader got coloring assignments, I was really torqued.

x2 on that one, but last year DS was in SIXTH and still getting them. Seriously? Tell me what, exactly, coloring inside the lines has to do with Literature or Algebra or Biology... please?

I could understand if it was a paint by numbers thing, had to solve problems in each area then color according to the answer, I've seen those... I get it. And uber easy for teacher to grade because you just look at the color... but just a plain ol' coloring page? Busy work, plain and simple. And ours have plenty to keep them busy (messy room for instance) without adding that kind of nonsense.

Repeating does help it stick, I'll give you that. But going over it for 7-8 hours/day, five days a week is plenty IMO.​

 

[kla37]

Color is very useful in biology as well as chemistry. Went through I don't know how many boxes of colored pencils in college, and yes we colored pictures in all college level biology courses.

 

[redhen]

I would ask to see what "in school " work my child was doing...

 

[Ema]

my daughter is in second grade too and she also started end of august. her teacher sends a book they must read a few pages everyday. and they have to write a few lines explaining what they learned that week on fridays for me to sign and write my thoughts back.
Her teacher doesn't send too much homework home, because she gets them to do it all in class. but wants them to focus on reading 20 minutes each night.
at the end of the year the teachers put everything into folders and send all the school work done in school home for us to see. however we have communication agendas where we converse back and forth about anything to do with my daughter or what she is learning. I ask my daughter everyday what she learned in school today. today she said they studied soil in science and practiced vocabulary.

if you ask your kid about what they did in class and pretty much she or he says we just coloured I would speak with the principal and tell him/her you want to see that your child is learning not just by word of mouth. or take a day and go into the class and observe, we are allowed to do that here and we have gone in and actually sat down at a table and watch the kids and the teacher, and I was quite impressed with what I saw.