my friend wrote this (but it's exactly how I feel and why we are "anti" homework at our house)

Homework? No problem...
+ First 5-9 yr old children are supposed to get 10-11 hours of sleep ( 24 - 11 = 13hrs free )
+ They are in school for 7 hours ( 13 - 7 = 6 whole hours of free time )
+ They need time to eat a healthy breakfast, dress appropriately for the forecast, brush their teeth, and receive a few positive messages from Mom/Dad in the morning. That is easily accomplished in 30 min, right? ( 6 - .5 = 5.5 )
+ For us, there is at least 30 min travel time each day just to and from school ( 5.5 - .5 = 5.0 )
+ They are supposed to read 15, 20, or even 30 min each day (5.0 - .5 = 4.5 )
+ Everyone knows how important it is to sit down together as a family for a meal; 60min.
Wait, aren’t they supposed to help cook occasionally? Oh well, another time. (4.5 – 1 = 3.5 )
+ Children need chores to feel they’re an important part of the family:15min. (3.5- .25 = 3.25)
+ They are supposed to get 30-60 min of physical activity each day. But this one’s complicated. At this age, they should try lots of different types of sports and physical activities. And they’re supposed to enjoy it. So calisthenics in the front yard (or living room when the weather’s bad) won’t cut it. Soccer, basketball, gymnastics, and many other physical activities for kids don’t come in 30min increments, and don’t happen every day. And Healthy Kids (and other experts) tell us that the each day part is important; averaging the 2 days of 90min with 4 days of 0min and a weekend 30min does not count. Even things that sometimes are just 30min (like dance, TaeKwonDo, or swimming) have travel time and changing clothes time. So, 45 min each day. Don’t worry about the days with extra hours; surely a 6 yr old can afford an extra hour once or twice a week. ( 3.25 - .75 = 2.5 )
+ If they don’t know their math facts well enough yet, you are supposed to practice them; just for 15min a day. If your child is a math whiz, this would be a good time to practice spelling words, or maybe fine motor skills. A good parent would be organized so that this practice could occur in the car to and from the physical activity. Remember, we are only looking at ONE child, forget siblings for now. Don’t worry if your child seems tired, he/she can rest while you make sure he/she is buckled/fastened in correctly. ( 2.5 - .25 = 2.25 )
+ Lets just assume that a 6 or 7 yr old can take a bath, get PJs on, lay out clothes for tomorrow (based on that day’s specials class), pick up his toys, brush his teeth, and hear a bedtime story in an hour or less; 60min. Mine can’t, but that’s because I’m a bad parent. (2.25 - 1= 1.25)
+ Let’s also assume that there are no sibling conflicts that need to be talked through nor choices to be discussed and made. How about just 15 min a day to develop solid relationships with parents, grandparents, or other extended family? Or friends? ( 1.25 - .25 = 1 )
+ Wow, if you are careful and efficient, you have a whole extra hour! Since the schools no longer have much time for science, social studies, music, or art, you should use some of this extra 1 hour a day for developing those areas. At home. Otherwise, you’d incur travel time.
Playdates? Sorry, no time left.
One on one time with Mom or Dad? Sorry, Mom/Dad are willing, but you don’t have any time left. Didn’t the bedtime story count?
Something at school has you upset or worried? Sorry, I guess you’ll have to talk to your teacher about it; we have no time left. What? She said the same thing? Oh well, you’re young; just don’t worry about it.
You want to go to the library? Don’t they take you to the library at school?
Odyssey of the Mind? Chess club? Scouts? Children’s theater? Sorry, no time.
What do you mean you just want to sit and play with your legos?
But you have homework!!!

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

Well said! (and, yes, very sad)

Bravo!!!! I never sat down to figure this out. Thanks for doing that.

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cmemaloy@yahoo.com


I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not.

Life! is a coin. You can spend it anyway you wish, but you can only spend it once.

and the bad thing is that our local paper said there "are talks" about extending school hours from 7:30-5:30. If that happens, I'll homeschool....don't want to but I will. That's nuts. Article said they had *pilot* programs across the US to test it out

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

I agree that if the school day is extended as many states are considering, I would homeschool in a minute. I read an article online about it how US schools need to go longer day or more days to keep up with other country's....

I feel that if the school taught effectively, there would be no need for an extended day.... For example my six grader is in advanced math..she is actually ahead of the average 7th grade math student, BUT is required to sit through "Math Skills" once a week...in "Math skills" the teachers "focus" is on preparing the students for 7th grade math and refreshing 5th grade math.... When I questioned the teacher why my daughter needed to be in a class that is preparing her for a class that she has already exceeded, I was told its a requirement.... Makes NO sense..... She should be in a computer or language class.... or something that she would benefit from...not a year of review and how to use a calculator class....

Instead of sending my Elementary school son to the Library every week and forcing him to pick a book and reading a toddler age book to him... We read at home, we have books at home...Oh do not get me started on that one LOL......

That is just sick... these people making these decisions are workaholics who never see their kids OR who have never had kids. I hope my kids grow up before any of this happens. YUCK.

I woldn't mind them extending the school day to 5:30 pm if they gave the children Fridays of - just think how much money they would save - not heating the buildings on the 5th day - no hot lunch on the 5th day- no running the buses on the 5th day.-- We would have Fridays for Family days. I have heard of school districts looking at these options.

Wow - that sounds really great! You have to assume that there will be some recess and stuff designed into the longer day to make it manageable for the kids....but I like this idea....especially for working parents.

We lived in a county in which they did this (Fridays off)... It was not easier for working parents and did not last. They went back to 5 days a week. They lost money because some parents were willing to take their kids out and transport them elsewhere which = loss of revenue. Test scores went down = loss of revenue. Ew, what a mess.

I would love Friday's off and vote for longer 4 days but they won't do it that way. Too many families have 2 working parents (or single parents who work) so they need that 5th day of school or they have to pay for daycare. I used to go to school in an area where they started year round school (go 9 weeks off 3 I think) for elementary and middle school but high school was still reg. year with summers off. Didn't last because during those 3 weeks off there were no high schoolers to babysit the younger kids since they were in school and parents can't up and take 3 weeks off every 9 weeks KWIM?

The article in our paper said 7:30-5:30 and that it was an 8 hour school day. So, that leaves 2.5 hours for lunch and recess/breaks/whatever else

I was talking to my MIL the other day and was telling her how when I was in elementary school, they grouped the kids together with other kids on the same level. That way, you ended up having the same kids in your class every year til middle school. We learned faster (because we didn't have to sit thru lessons we already knew or had to wait on other kids), didn't feel *stupid* (because we were all at the same level), and basically I think it helped us with our education. She said that's illegal now! *Tracking* or something. Huh? Sounds a lot better than what they do now. Why group brighter kids with those we can't speak english so they are bored to tears? Why not focus on the strengths of each group of children and grow and learn with that? My DD is in kindergarten and I was amazed at how many kids couldn't count to 100 or know their ABC's! My DD was bored because they were teaching counting and ABC's That's not right in my eyes. I understand everyone is at a different level but those kids should be grouped together so they can succeed...not this

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

At our school the teachers for each grade get together with the teachers from the year before with all the kids files and group the kids based on equal amounts of each type kid in each class. Having kids with differences is good. It shows kids that everyone works at different levels. When these kids get out in the work force they don't group you by your intelligence so why do it in school.

My kid couldn't do his ABC's or count to even 20 when he started Kinder doesn't mean he isn't bright and won't excel it just means he wasn't ready to learn them yet.

I didn't mean to offend anyone with the kindergarten comment...honestly. At our school, kids were already supposed to know these things before school stared and instead, we spent half a year learning what was already supposed to be learned. That's why it bugs me.

I get your comment about the job force as well. Middle school and high school are VERY blended into different levels which is why I made the grouping comment about elementary school

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

I don't mind if they extend the school day, but if they do, then CUT BACK ON THE HOMEWORK!!! My son, 11, has anywhere from 1-3 hours per night and that doesn't include the nightly required 30 minutes of reading!! Never mind all the semester projects that are due and the monthly current event presentation he has to do. It's just wayyyy too much. There is no possible way he could do extra curriculars if he wanted to.

Amen, sister -- well said!!!

What gets me is that my DS (1st grade) watches videos and movies at school quite often (now granted, they are mostly 'educational', but still........) and then comes home with a folder full of homework. Ummm, how 'bout he does the home work at school and we watch the videos at home.

At least our school still has PE, music, art and recess. If (when) they start cutting those, I'm going to get really angry.

I HATE homework. I LOVE how at the beginning of the year they tell you (for fourth grade) "Oh, no more than a hour a night, if they can't get it done in that amount of time don't worry about it"....then they tell your kids the next day how they aren't responsible, they are going to fail and embarassed the CRUD out of them. It's amazing.
Some teachers are horrible....and some are wonderful.....just like any job your going to have the good and the bad. Don't be afraid to stand and say NO HOMEWORK. We put the timer on now, if she's not done in an hour she doesn't do anymore. I'm sorry but, usually when you leave your office your done for the day. You don't normally bring home 3 hours worth of work with you. Now, there are some exceptions of course but, if you are bringing home 3 hours of work with you each night, then you must not be a very productive worker to begin with. DD's have straight A's by the way. Just in case people think that the kids who don't do homework are not as smart, trust me they are probably smarter cause they have time to relax, unwind and be a kid for a change.

I didn't realize until reading all these education threads how fortunate we are here. My kids are home at 2:15...school day is 8:05-2:05 and they are first off the bus.

They have about ten minutes of homework per "grade" they are in...oldest in fourth has about 40 minutes or so...Kindergartner has none...second grader 20 min, third grader 30 minutes...no big deal. Often it is less than that, very rarely more.

So by 3:30 at the lastest homework is finished. Second daughter is a gymnast so Mon, Thurs and Sat. she is off to that...other three are yellow belts in Karate and they all go to the same class on Thursday at the same gym as gymnastics! SO convenient! All those classes run from 5:30-7:30.

My kids all go to bed at 7:00 (except gymnastics night)...oldest (she is 10) reads as long as she wants, other two girls usually read about a half an hour and fall asleep with their books in their hand!! Son goes right to sleep..,we get up around 6:45...

They have from 3:30 to 5:30 to "just be a kid". We don't do play dates during the week. They've been with their friends all day, it is family time. At 5:30 we either have dinner or are off to gymnastics...those nights we eat dinner at 4:45.

I am a firm believer in kids being able to be kids, being able to choose their own activitiy, go outside and get dirty!!! While two hours a day isn't a lot of time, it is better than none. They certainly make up for it on the weekend!

We're lucky, too (so far!). My DS is in 2nd grade and his homework takes him about 20 minutes, then he is supposed to read for 30 minutes each day, as well. He heads to bed at 8:15 (which usually means he gets in bed around 8:30 to 8:45 by the time he's had a drink, talked, taken a bath, etc.) then can read until he falls asleep. That is usually about 30 minutes, although sometimes it takes much less....

My 6th grader never has homework. I'm actually worried about how she will do in later years since she has developed no homework skills. She is a straight "A" student and very bored but only this year have they let her go in a excelled English, which just means she can work ahead but still has to listen to stuff in class. That gets confusing. When I brought up her boredom and no homework teachers response was that we should be happy because some of the students were spending hours on the same assignments! Yet she not smart enough to be in the gifted and talented program. I would love if a teacher would say she has to do a extra project. Now a days there is no individual consideration just go by the norm. Oh, my 2 grader has homework every night about 30 minutes worth and that's all she can handle. Not a straight A student she has to work harder. All children are individuals and I wish the schools would realise that too! Yes, it would be lots more work for the teachers but the rewards would be awesome!