Parenting: 4 & 5-Year-Olds Community

1. Emily -- 2nd grade, Elizabeth -- Kindergarten

2. Emily -- Every night read 15 minutes (which I don't really consider homework), 20 spelling words, 10 vocabulary words, and then usually 1 sheet of math.

Elizabeth -- 3 nights a week she has 1 to 2 sheets.

3. Emily -- 15 to 20 minutes plus 15 minutes of reading before bed.

Elizabeth -- around 5 minutes.

4. Emily -- I've noticed a difference this year. We still help with spelling and vocabulary, but have started to let her do the math on her own. We just review it to make sure she has done it right.

Elizabeth -- help with all of it.

5. I'm thinking in 3rd grade, Emily will be responsible for all of her homework, and we will just have to check it. I'm not sure when teachers want us to stop checking it, though, and let her get things wrong.....

1. What grade is DC in? Tre -1st - no homework but every now and then practice reading Henry 2nd -15 mins reading, 15 mins math
2. How often does DC have homework? Henry every night and Tre's teacher doesn't really like giving homework. Henry spelling on the weekend
3. How long does it take DC to do homework? Tre is 15 mins when he has it. Henry is 30 minutes
4. How much do you have to help with homework? I really do not help. Just have them read aloud and with math we use some internet programs , print off sheets ect.
5. At what age do you think DC is responsible for completing homework without your help? Not sure it depends on what it is ect. I am trying the be responsible ect. They are very good about doing it right after school. Of course both of them love to read so it is really not like homework.
Now spelling with Henry is a whole other story. He absolutely hates spelling and it takes him a rant of 30 mins before he sits down to do it I try to make it more fun but hey spelling isn't all that exciting! I detest Sunday night spelling along with him !

1. 1st grade
2. spelling test once per week, plus suggestions to practice sight words, reading and math skills daily but no assignments
3. We make it an ongoing thing
4. We help with spelling practice but there really isn;t much assignment-wise yet
5. THis is an interesting question. I haven't had to think about it much yet lol...

Sandra, I bought a small blackboard (it is adhesive in the shape of a flower, like a stick-on) and put it up in the kitchen. Every week I write DD's spelling words on it and then we quiz her whenever we feel like it, word by word, throughout the week.. That way she gets a little practice throughout the week instead of making it one painful evening lol. And I sometimes wonder if just seeing it all the time doesn't help. Also, if she complains of being bored or is hanging around the kitchen bugging me then I tell her to copy her spelling words one time.

Ohhhh..... I LOVE your idea of copying spelling words when they are bored......

1. What grade is DC in? He gets a homework on Fridays and it ranges sometimes from 2 pages to 5 pages.
2. How often does DC have homework? We try to get most of it done over the weekend but if not then we do a little everynight.
3. How long does it take DC to do homework?FOREVER!
4. How much do you have to help with homework?It's been less and less lately. He's reading really well so he doesn't need me to read the instuctions to him anymore.
5. At what age do you think DC is responsible for completing homework without your help?Depends on what it is. I think when he gets into harder math and science we'll still be helping.

1. What grade is DC in? First grade.
2. How often does DC have homework? Monday through Thursday
3. How long does it take DC to do homework?FOREVER! He gets a math sheet (front and back), a reading/writing sheet (usually front and back), sees a reading teacher and has to read 1-2 of their books a night and usually complete an activity that pertains to one.
4. How much do you have to help with homework? To keep it moving, I usually have to sit there the entire time.
5. At what age do you think DC is responsible for completing homework without your help?Depends on what it is. I think when he gets into harder math and science we'll still be helping. (Agreed!)

1. What grade is DC in? 1st grade

2. How often does DC have homework? He is expected to read 20 minutes a day (including weekends) and since the New Year they have word study homework Monday - Thursday with a word study test on Friday. He also gets occasional math homework.

3. How long does it take DC to do homework? Reading - 20 minutes, he often does this while riding the bus to school with DH. Word study varies: Monday, they are to sort the words (20 to 25) into vowel sound groups (this week it is short a CVC, long ay CVVC, long a CVCe, long ai CVVC and oddball a): Tuesday, they are to look for additional words that fit the vowel groups in the books that they are reading; Wednesday, do a Wacky Word study excerise; Thursday, do a written word sort. We also do oral and written test practices each day during breakfast and dinner. All in all his word study homework ranges from 15 to 20 minutes, including the extra quizzing we do. His occasional math, he knocks out in less than 5.

4. How much do you have to help with homework? I assess what needs to be done and make sure he gets it done. With specific homework: Word Study, I help with the quizzing and double check the other work. Math, I just double check. Reading he does on his own. I will ask what is happening in the book he is reading and check for comprehension.

5. At what age do you think DC is responsible for completing homework without your help? By 3rd grade he should be old enough to be sure to get the work done and to seek assistance when necessary.

I don't mind homework. It gives us an opportunity to see what he is doing in school. We have made it very clear that homework is his job and he is expected to do it well. If he is sloppy, we make him do it over again. He has learned that there is nothing gained from giving us flack or trying to rush the work.

1) DD1- 4th grade.
DS- 2nd grade.


2) DD1 has a math page every night (10-15 minutes max), a Language Arts writing assignment every week (20-30 minutes), a PE writing assignmnet every month (30-45 minutes) and the occasional Science or Social Stiudies reading/writing assignment (10-15 minutes).

DS has a math page every night (5-10 minutes max).

3) Most nights DD1 is done in less than 30 minutes with whatever combination of things she needs to do but also reads for 20-60 minutes before bed each night. DS is usually done in 5 and then reads for 15-20 minutes before bed.

4) Normally, I don't do much to help. They both know what to do in math and usually don't even need me to check it. M will often ask to read her written assignments aloud to me but I try to only listen and not edit too much. I do help more with bigger reports and projects (CA Mission project, Family Heritage project, etc.) but there is only one of those for 2nd grade and two during 4th grade.

5) I think both of them are capable of independent work and need to be held responsible for getting it done correctly with minimal assistance. I still remind the 2nd grader to do his nightly math work and have both of them check their assignment day planners (which are provided by the school and filled out by the kids each afternoon) but that's about it.

1. Jacob--3rd grade Cristopher--1st grade

2. Jacob--Monday through Thursday a page of math and then read at least 20 minutes a night. New spelling words come home Friday night. Cristopher--We just started homework with him again. He does 1 page of math and phonics a night as well as he reads 3 books that they send home a night. He also, has a weekly spelling test and a high frequency word list (they have to be able to read).

3. Jacob--10 minutes at the most. Cristopher--about an hour. The last few nights though it has been in about 15 minutes. The rule at our school is no more than 5 minutes per grade.

4. Jacob -- We don't. He may have a question but generally he does it himself. Cristopher--I have to help through the whole thing.

5. We start in the 2nd grade. They have to have a parent sign their homework until the 6th grade but it is their responsibility to do it. I will remind them twice. They have an agenda (provided by the school) that they have to have their parent sign as well this starts in the 3rd grade. Cristopher will probably always need help with his homework.

I don't mind homework as long as the child is capable of doing the work. I won't have a yelling/screaming match with my child to get it completed.