At what point to kids become responsible enough to be able to remember and start homework without a parent's reminder? I'm going to go out on a limb and say that 5 years of age is not that point. So in effect by giving a child homework in kindergarten you are testing parents to see if they will support the education of said child.
All the studies in the world aren't going to convince me that giving homework to a 5 year old is a good idea until you can show me that it helps the latchkey kid in Chicago who's single mother works 2 full time jobs to pay the rent and put dinner on the table. You tell me that kid is getting his homework done. He's not and because my kid is the latchkey kid gets further and further behind the curve.
I'm not a supporter of forcing everyone to be treated the same so that the gifted children aren't challenged, but come on this is kindergarten.
I don't remember having homework until 8th grade. Maybe it hurt me in the long run. Maybe if I had been given homework when I was 5 I would be in a neurosurgery residency, learning how to treat the rest of the world like dirt (the only neurosurgeon I have ever know was actually a very nice man, but that doesn't play well into the stereotype).
Then again maybe I should just stop complaining and go help Spencer write his T's.
6 comments:
I'm pretty sure I didn't have homework in kindergarten, but 8th grade?
I distinctly remember math homework in 2nd grade.
I can't say I'm a strong supporter of the homework in kindergarten but I have to say that I think your latchkey kid example is flawed at best.
I'm pretty sure I didn't have any homework (except band) until about 8th grade. Seriously I finished 4 math books in Second grade.
Bob, welcome, you have to give me something more that "flawed at best".
Olivia is thrilled with homework. Me, not so much. Sure, it teaches them the homework routine, while taking all of 30 seconds to complete, but if I forget to put it in her backpack one Friday, it's not really her fault, but she'll be the one who gets embarrassed. (Considering the length of that sentence, maybe I should have been given a little more English homework in elementary school.)
I wish Spencer's homework took 30 seconds. He gets it about 2 times a week so when it comes it is an entire worksheet of letters to write. We have to have Goldfish bribes to get through it.
I teach kindergarten and I give homework. Each Monday my children take home a book that is to be read and discussed with an adult during the week, then returned on Friday. On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday they take home one sheet of practice work- handwriting, phonics, or math. They have all week to complete their pages and return them by the next Monday, but most return one each day. I do not give homework on Wednesday.
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