This is a great blog about homework, in a teachers opinion...say goodbye to homework  ...

This is my $.02

Wow- I am sending Nolan off next year for kindergarten.  We went to the first meeting were we were told benchmarks that were expected in the first quarter.  If they were not reach they would attend a special class.  Mind you Nolan is well beyond that benchmark the idea that a kid could be singled out so early in his school life was scary to me. 
Personally, mind you I am not a teacher, I think homework should address more how how the work that was learned in school relates to a childs everyday life, especially the first couple of years.  i.e. reading signs and newspapers- math in everyday life.

That's a great link, and I totally agree!  Kids absolutely need time to just be kids and play and use their imaginations, etc.  Being in school all day, sitting and learning and studying, is hard for little kids.  To stick them with a bunch of homework to do every night on top of that is just too much.  For Emma, as a kindergartener, there hasn't been much in the way of homework.  Usually every Friday, they have one or two little paper books to bring home and read to us, using sight words that they are learning.  Then they will occasionally send home a work sheet talking about topics that they are learning (personal space, handling conflicts, etc).  It will have some conversations starters to get you talking with your child about that issue, and reinforcing what they are talking about in school.  After you talk about, the parents sign it and send it back.  I think those things are totally manageable.  Talking to one of my sis-in-laws, I was amazed at all of the work that they are expected to do with my niece at home, who is also in kindergarten.  It was almost like a full-time job for them to get all of the stuff done that the school was requiring.  It just gets crazy!

"I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples.  For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.  Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth." -Psalm 57:9-11. 

 

glitter-graphics.com ...

Homework should reinforce and practice what was learned during the day. It should not be busy work or anything that requires a parent's help. It should be short in the early years and at least 30 minutes per core subject by the high school years. Most importantly, the assignment should be meaningful, and the student should be able to understand why it is meaningful.

I'm homeschooling my 6-year-old yvonne and I think it's comfortable both for me and my yvonne. Every afternoon I teach her some  math or reading. Then I want to know what level is yvonne on. So I guide her to do weekly exercises on beestar.org. A friend refered this website to me. Almost every weekend, my yvonne appears on the honoure roll and earns the ribbons. So my homeschooling work is prety good, isn't is?

Lisam

We have homework everynight here.  With 4 children and only one capable of doing her own homework without my help, it takes me several hours to get it all finished. 

I totally understand why homework is assigned. I don't really like it, but I get it. LOL!  I do enjoy seeing the progress that my children are making and watching them as their little minds are trying to find the answers. 

 Both my kindergartner and 2nd grader get packets of homework which are due at the end of the week.  I like that I have the option of having them do the work all at one time or a little bit each night.  My kindergartner loves to do hers the second she gets the packet.  She LOVES homework!  My 2nd grader, on the other hand, doesn't enjoy it at all, but is really smart and can get most of the work done by himself.  Occasionally he has a few questions, especially since the homework packet that is given out has things in it he hasn't learned at school yet.  My 7th grader (special needs) gets homework every night.  Several sheets that he can not do all by himself.  Besides being exhausted from his long day, he gets frustrated when he can't remember what to do.  Many times after school he has fallen asleep with the pencil in his hand trying to do his work.  I love his teacher and think that she is challenging him in so many areas.  Just watching him learn, when we were told he may not be able to, is inspiring.

My biggest frustration in the homework area...2nd grade projects.  Ugh!  These were assigned every month.  They absolutely could not be completed with out an adult's help and without several purchases from the store.  The projects always suggested using items from home, but we just didn't have stuff like that laying around.  Who has poster boards in their closets? or costumes of President's for their children to wear?  better yet, teach the class "how to" do something and bring enough for all 30 students?  These got just a little expensive.

At any rate, school will be out in just a couple of days and I am looking forward to a few months with no homework. 

i fear homework and dread simon bringing it home when he is in school. my nephew would get packets of homework for over the weekend only problem is he is over at his dads over the weekend so his older brother and his step mom would "help" him with his homework which really means they would just do it for him or it just wouldnt be done. his kindergarden teacher knew when someone else did his homework so he would have to do it all over again. his dad didnt think kindergarden was important either so he would pick him up from school thursday and keep him out of school on friday alot which made for even more homework during the week for him to catch up.

i quit doing homework in hs. i would get homework for almost every class i was in but having to get up at 5am in order to catch the bus then not getting home till after 5pm and being dead tired from the heat i would usally fall asleep shortly after getting home hehe. i just had no time to get all the homework done.

Are you concerned with the social aspect school provides students that a home schooling environment can't offer?  Just wondering.  --- Referring to Lisam's comments