Is this abnormal for 4th grade homework?

@boomerang,

boomerang wrote:

Oh! Some of the homework studies I've been reading talk about economic status and homework and how less free time/less parental help/more responsiblities in low income children is creating an even bigger gap in the "haves" and "have nots". I'll have to see if I can find some of those again.

You sound like my nephew -- the one who quit school after 5th grade and beat his peers into college. He's fabulously smart and learned most of it on his own.

Well yes I neglected to metntion in the other post because I thought it would be infered is that the socioeconomic change from then to now has created a free time gap for those families with sufficient money. Also that to be a financially successful adult more education is needed for the average person than was decades ago. However I feel that the homework load is not underlying problem with those studies. the homework load is the surface, under that the parental help and so on.

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@boomerang,

Mmm.. I went to elementary school in the later 40's and early 50's. I don't think I disremember homework - your source is saying homework came to be viewed as a symptom of needless pressure in the late 60's. By then I was out of university. That is probably true that there were changes around 1965 - about that time pass/fail came into consideration for certain courses in college, probably part of the same change in thinking.

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Here's how it goes at my school:
Officially, students in grade 7 have as much as 2 hours of homework per night. Grade 6 about 1.5 hours. Grade 4 should get less than 1 hour tops (and not every day).

My thoughts on your situation:
* Definitely keep the football.
* All of the homework sounds normal-ish EXCEPT for the book report with a 1-day turn around. Is it possible that the book report was assigned earlier and Mo missed it until Thursday?
* Not all kids finish work at the same speed. What takes one kid an hour to finish might take another 40 minutes. Does your school have a sing-off policy?

I'd ask the teacher how long homework should be taking Mo, in general or by subject. And then if necessary ask if you can sign off after that specified amount of time (making sure he's hit a little of everything).

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@boomerang,

boomerang wrote:

I think athletics are equally important to academics.

Also, many people suggest that attending school has great benefits in social development.
I think team sports does a better job with it than school does.

When I was in school, I refused to join in sports.
I still refuse, except for gunnery practice.

David

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@OmSigDAVID,

Come on, that's not really a sport! You barely move your body!

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@Mame,

Mame wrote:

Come on, that's not really a sport! You barely move your body!

My finger gets plenty of exercise.

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@ossobuco,

And that's why I said SOME of the respondants might be misremembering.

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@littlek,

I got an email back today explaining the assignment -- yes, there is a one day turn around on it but just knowing that it's coming might help us prepare for it.

I really do want Mo to do all of the work being assigned. Do you think that if I asked if he could get some extra time, maybe bring some of it home early that she'd allow that?

No, I guess we don't have a sign off policy because I don't even know what that is.

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I've just come across this NPR series on homework. Good stuff.

http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/2003/mar/homework/index.html#series

GoshisDead -- it really hits a lot on the gap we were talking about.

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@boomerang,

cool thx

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@boomerang,

What time does school end and what time does football practice start?

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@boomerang,

Does Mo have an IEP? I can't remember.

My guess is that the teacher is trying to get the kids ready to write for the MCAS. But, it seems a little early for that. Did he get the essay done?

Re: signing off - he does all his homework, mostly. If he has a worksheet, he skips every other answer. It would work for math and for the english grammar worksheets which are repetitive.

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@Intrepid,

He gets out at 3 and leaves at 5. He usually gets home about 7:30 - 8 and has to shower, have dinner and read.

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@littlek,

Yes, he has an IEP. School just started so we haven't had our meeting yet.

No, he didn't get the essay done. According to him, only 2 kids turned it in so I'm thinking there was quite a bit of confusion about it.

I wrote back to the teacher and she agreed that he could have the weekend to work on it in the future.

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@boomerang,

Does his IEP indicate a writing or ELA goal? Does it say he should have extra time to finish writing assignments?

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@boomerang,

boomerang wrote:

I wrote back to the teacher and she agreed that he could have the weekend to work on it in the future.

Good!

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@sozobe,

Yes. I didn't realize it was due the day after being assigned.

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@roger,

roger wrote:

Yes. I didn't realize it was due the day after being assigned.

Maybe its a speed reading course.

David

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@OmSigDAVID,

Un huh

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@roger,

roger wrote:

Un huh

Now, u see: it woud not take him long to read THAT answer.

David

1 Reply

Is this abnormal for 4th grade homework?

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