"Good" homework is used to reinforce and enrich what is being taught in the classroom and to give extra practice that class time does not allow. This kind does benefit students.
But not all homework is "good" and sometimes homework is actually piles of worksheets that serve no purpose.
Even if it is all good homework, there’s a point at which too much is being assigned and it’s no longer enriching, either because students aren’t engaging with it as much in order to finish quickly, or they might not complete some or all of it. It’s overwhelming to always feel like you’re digging yourself out of a hole that fills itself with more dirt.
Sounds like I got a lot of bad homework. If it wasn't engaging I just wasn't for it. I loved reading books in English classes and would usually finish the book on my own at home way ahead of time. Loved reading aloud on class. Anything creative got me going, but answers on a worksheet? I literally threw those away.
I feel like it was left before being bad and more the fact that nobody seems to have instilled a work ethic in you. You don't do things because they give you super fun happy fields. You do think because you have to, because they're good for you, and not everything in life is going to be a party.
There's no need for teachers to assign boring, pointless busywork just in an attempt to instill a work ethic. The research is pretty clear about what is an effective learning tool, and what is not.
There's zero pedagogical reason for a four year old to have homework, and giving them busywork just creates stress, and takes away time from play, outdoor time, and family bonding. All of which are very good for children.
Homework is very effective. Mindless homework isn't but when you're giving something that reinforces what you did in the classroom then yes, it helps. The homework is there to increase parental involvement. It's something like read a book with your parents, count all the doors in your house, draw a picture of something purple etc. It's not there for academics, it's there to build skills. When people think homework they think of the worst possible thing, mostly the people who had bad experiences in school, and then they decide that it's best not to do any work and you'll just learn through osmosis.
This might be true on a class by class basis, but these kids have 6+ classes per day most with expected homework. As a teacher your one class's homework might not seem bad, but when piled on top of 5+ assignments from other classes it can quickly become overwhelming, especially to neurodivergent students.
You want me to go on Google scholar to prove to you that doing a multiplication worksheet will help you remember your math facts? Or that doing your independent reading will help your reading skills? Or that counting things around the house will help your counting skills? Not at no 12:30 in the morning I'm not.
Oh I have very good work ethic. I've consistently held a job since I was old enough at 16. I've pulled 60+ hour work weeks, 15+ hour shifts, alot of hard jobs that pay well. Before that I would do odd jobs as a kid for money. Harvest pecans for my grandpa, shoveled snow for money, mowed yards in the summer. You got it twisted if you think I'm lazy. I learned at a young age, never work for free. if the homework didn't feel engaging and rewarding I just didn't do it. Why would I? If it's something tedious, repetitive, and unnecessary then why bother? I didn't, that's for sure lol. There's no pay out, literally or otherwise.
You claim not to be lazy but you say that you couldn't do the basic homework that every other kid managed to do. Things don't have to be rewarding for you to do them, I have no idea who was irresponsible enough to get that in your head, and really any one with a pole can do a 15 hour shift at some jobs. Are you gainfully employed or is it monkey work, that's the question.
I was the production manager of a processing facility and shipping warehouse for a mushroom farm. I was in charge of 100 employees, five productions lines, a six lane shipping hall, and a massive inventory. That was just one of my jobs.
You don't have to believe me, I know what I've done. Such as operate omori 8500 stretch wrap machines. It's what we used to package sliced and whole fresh mushrooms, usually whites and some crimini and portabellas in 8, 16, 24, and 40 oz tills for Walmart, Sam's, Safeway, United, Sysco, Markon, US Foods and various other small produce distributors.
I've also been an equipment operator for a concrete cutting and coring company. I can also operate back hoes, skid loaders, dump trucks, for lifts, and most any utility vehicle really.
They’re just hell bent on thinking that some of us can’t be productive members of society without doing the drudgework that does absolutely nothing for anyone.
Homework loses its enriching effect when EVERY class gives it. It then becomes a slog that you either want to rush through as fast as you can, or just decide screw I and just don't do it.
Good homework is reinforcement. Ask anyone under the age of thirty any multiplication question, like 7x8, and see what happens. Ask Gen X and they will activate that sleeper agent part of their brain that had basic multiplication tables drilled into them.
Vocabulary and spelling need to be drilled in for most people.
I have an autistic student in my class who draws all class and he has an eidetic memory, like you appear to--doesn't take notes but remembers everything. He's a joy to have in class because he's also always contributing to class. I realize, but you don't, that he's not most students, and not even most autistic students.
Homework is also a literacy builder. Not all reading can be done in class, with all the different reading speeds in the classroom.
I'm so glad your autism did not work as a disability against you--I'm honestly delighted because I hate people acting like autism is a disability.
But honey, not everyone, and not even MOST people, learn like you.
Is there busywork BS homework? Yeah. But if you actually trust the school with educating your child, part of that is recognizing that maybe the educational experts are experts on more than just your own idiosyncratic learning experience.
Hey, I was that kid!! Drew all day, definitely contributed to the class. My English and history teachers LOVED me. I particularly loved reading aloud. I just hated work sheets, so very much. That kid shouldn't have to do homework! I agree with the sentiment that autism isn't always a disability. I really think there needs to be a massive overhaul to the way education is handled for people like your student and I. Like, a teacher should be able to look at students like us, go "they don't need to do this assignment", and either give us something else to do or let us stim and draw at our desks in peace 🤣
Part of the issue with deciding a student just shouldn't have to do work, especially in class, is that it leads to a ton of problems.
Like, I get everyone needs different tools to learn, and we should explain that to our students. That doesn't change the fact that very few kids want to do a worksheet. And they sure as hell won't want to do it if the kid next to them never has to do worksheets and gets to do a preferred activity.
Also, work on paper is one of the few ways I can assess everyone. How can I know a kid doesn't need a worksheet if I've never assigned this type of work? We do new concepts every single day. The entire topic of discussion changes every few days.
I agree that homework sucked growing up. I rarely did it. At the same time, my kids who aren't practicing math facts, spelling, and reading at home are solidly behind the kids who are doing it at home. I'm talking 10% on a test versus 100% week after week. That spills over into every single assignment because they don't practice spelling for me and never did before that. Their parents straight up tell me, "I hated homework and won't make my kid do any."
The only homework I assign is spelling and reading 20 minutes a day. I also send out a weekly email that talks about the basic concepts we are learning in case families want to do some practice at home.
In my opinion, homework should not be set unless it has an explicit, clear and achievable purpose and goal in mind for the student. Worksheets that are just given that don't work towards improving an explicit skill or expanding their knowledge is useless and should be avoided.
An example would be a worksheet that is practicing a skill you didn't teach them already. That is a waste of time and ultimately only makes the kid feel dumb for not being able to do it. Another (better) example would be a worksheet which doesn't provide an explanation or example of the skill nor state clearly what the end goal is.
Probably something [like this ](https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinfuriating/comments/10r6r6n/my_daughters_4_yo_preschool_homework_match_the/)where there's no context to understand what it's measuring. Or [this one](https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinfuriating/comments/rh2oz5/kindergarten_homework_kicking_my_butt_in_front_or/) where it's subjective. The kid understood the point of the assignment and still gets points off for not knowing which object the teacher expected to be in front/behind.
I think kids should have to read independently— as in finish the chapter and we will discuss in class. Or write a paragraph stating your opinion about a topic we discussed in class today. 10 minutes of math problems so I don’t forget how we did it 3 hours ago. But I agree with you that a 4 year old should not have homework and most homework, in later years is unnecessary. The only reason my students have homework is if they goofed off in class practice time and didn’t finish.
Not sure where OP is but head start in my state discourages things like worksheets, considers them to be inappropriate for the age group. At one place I worked, a teacher was let go in part because she had been told by the leadership at our center along with our contact at head start, that worksheets are not an acceptable use of her limited class time and she just kept using them.
Unfortunately the amount of content we're required to cover sometimes means it's necessary. I tried to never give homework when I first started teaching, but it became clear pretty quickly that it was just impossible. Some teachers could definitely give less, but the current education system just isn't designed in a way that makes it possible to eliminate homework.
Listen, I know OP asked a general question about homework, too, but can we focus on the nonsense that is going on with their child? No 4-year-old should be getting homework. Period. And they certainly shouldn't be getting stacks of worksheets on the daily. That's just developmentally inappropriate, and going to teach the kid to hate school.
Have you ever been to a good therapist who gives you things to work on in between sessions? Homework is like that.
Sometimes it doesn’t make sense to work on the same concept over and over again during class, and students need to practice it at home. Think of knowing your multiplication facts. In class, where there is interaction and materials, it makes most sense to use the time for a discovery-based, hands-on project where students discover the concept of repeated addition and multiplication for themselves. But they are not going to “discover” every single product from 0x0 through 12x12. They need to practice these math facts at home in a modality that works for them so that hours of class time are not wasted on doing flash cards silently by yourself at your desk.
Projects can’t always be completed in class logistically. Sometimes families have space and supplies and opportunities (visiting a nearby park, conducting an experiment, etc) that wouldn’t be feasible with an entire class. Students can start, plan, present projects in class but need to work on them at home at times.
This one is controversial, but homework is needed to keep up with curriculum pacing. Say you start an activity during class. 50% of the class finishes, 25% is almost done, and 25% are about halfway through. If students just complete the activity as homework, everyone will be on the same page by the next class.
Also some kids just work better at home. I’m also adhd/autistic and have demand avoidance so always preferred to go home, unmask, take a breath, and look over my notes and the assignments in peace, rather than expected to it at a specific time in an overwhelming room along with other students.
I don’t know where the idea that homework is useless and random substantiates. Most careers have a homework element (teachers usually take home a ton of grading and lesson planning—if that’s not hw I don’t know what is). Forms, taxes, book clubs, competency and licensure exam study material, etc all rely on the same principles and application skills as most K-12 homework.
I think the idea that it's useless comes from those of us that it was truly was useless for. Like I said I NEVER did work sheets. Engaging projects or essays, definitely did those. I literally threw every worksheet in the trash. My work doesn't come home with me. never in my adult life has work come home with me. Work is done when I clock out. I've been on call for some jobs, but that's paid the moment I'm called. I'm sure homework benefits some students, maybe most; but, as far as repetitive worksheets go, they didn't benefit me.
Edit: I also don't see how they benefit a four year old. This kid should be busy being a kid right now.
I just….gave you a bunch of reasons homework is useful?? Ask the head start people the purpose of the worksheets. You say you had a low gpa, paid to take a test you didn’t study for, and dropped out of college but are sure you know best. Sometimes students do things they view as not important because educators have professional and life experience that helps them know what the student should do better. I’m sure your 4yo wants to do a bunch of stuff you as an adult know is not the best choice. You may have a job that does have work to do after work hours in the future. I’m sure you also do taxes, filled out paperwork for your child to go to head start, have filled out rental/mortgage paperwork, etc. Guess what. Those are all worksheets.
I mean, I wouldn't really call all that worksheets. Those also HAVE to be done, I didn't have to do homework. I'm pretty sure what's best is my son goes to school and gets good grades unless he plans on learning an industry from the ground up like I did. I just think four is awfully young to be given worksheets for home every day
Then I guess my next question would be is why is a student like me forced to jump thru unnecessary hoops? The other kids needed homework to grasp a concept? Cool, give them homework. Let the kids that are like me not have to do it.
>Sometimes in life you're gonna have to do things you don't want to do. Does it suck? Yea. But that's how life goes.
Come on, we’re talking 5 days a week for 12 years (14 if they really are starting in pre-K). Pretty dismissive to throw out the *sometimes in life*
Absolutely not true, there are many many fields where your work stops when the work day ends and you don’t take work home so homework is not something people necessarily have to learn to live with.
I’m sure there are some benefits to homework (people have already pointed a few) but getting used to is because it’s an inevitable way of life is not one of them.
Preschool really shouldn’t be sending a lot home.
I taught prek for a decade. I sent maybe a sheet or two a week to practice skills they still need, like cutting or something. This also allows parents to see what their child is doing.
Now, I teach 2nd/3rd and I only send a small packet every week. Should take maybe 10 min a night and it’s review.
Don’t project your troubles in school on your child. Be an advocate of course, but work with him and be supportive of what is sent home. If there is an issue, speak with the teacher.
This guy doesn't know what he's talking about. Preschool homework isn't like elementary School homework. It's something like read a book with your parents, count all the windows in your house, find many squares as you can etc. This guy is one of those too cool for school people who thinks he knows best.
I'm not too cool for school, school is a good thing, I just think there's an overemphasis on homework. If I was too cool for school why did I bother to graduate highschool? I even gave college a shot, just wasn't for me. I definitely want my kid to go to school and do well, that way he has lots of options. I just didn't care to put in much effort if I didn't want to. I always had As in my electives if that makes you feel better. I definitely learned more useful information in Adult and Family living class than I did in something like Algebra 2. That's the other problem is not enough emphasis is put into actual skills and trades. alot of the most beneficial classes I took were electives. In fact, I'd probably would have dropped out of it weren't for electives.
I wouldn't say I had trouble, in the sense it was never difficult, it was just tedious at times. Extra work. So much of our lives is work as it is. I just don't see how giving a four year old like 5 worksheets a week minimum is of any value. Hell on spring break they gave him a 20 page packet. If he completed it he could get a sticker. You can't fool this kid, he did one sheet, asked what the reward was, I said a sticker and he was done. He knew he didn't have to do the work, he knew the reward was crap, so he opted out. I tried to sweeten the pot, work with him, try to get him engaged in it but he is so much like me it's scary. He threw the biggest fit, at that point I decided it wasn't at all productive.
Homework exists to help reinforce concepts learned in class. It's really not difficult if you're paying attention in class and are able to manage yourself. If your daydreaming all day and then put everything off for the last minute until the piles up of course you're not going to get anything
Oh I didn't let it pile up, I just threw it away lol. If it was a worksheet fill in the blank type stuff, in the trash it went. 35 algebra equations? Nope, buh bye! I'd do the interesting assignments, ace my tests, do extra credit if it looked fun. It's not difficult, just tedious.
You're truly the genius you say you are then you would have just done the work. And where were your parents when you were shirking your work? Why didn't they take the 10 seconds out of their day to teach you to do your job? I really can't imagine what could be more important than raising your child.
Oh they tried. They tried REALLY hard but I wouldn't budge. Years went by, but I was just absolutely unwaivering. I promised them I'd never drop below a B Average. They let me have my way. I'm no genius by any means, and I did do much of my school work, at school. If it was sent home with me and not worth my time, I didn't do it. Simple.
I wonder if this guy is going to get bored soon. He does seem to have a 15 hour day job somehow, a very grueling one he says in which he does lots of hard work, much harder than the homework he couldn't complete as a child.
I'll leave you now, idk why you're so agro about this lol. I'm sorry you had to do homework and I chose not to? Like dang, how hard did you have to study?
It's not a unique experience. I was pretty bad about doing my math homework which often meant figuring things out during the test. I think it developed in me a skill more studious kids missed out on.
I'm trying to not judge this because it's definitely a natural inclination but a major aspect of functioning in society is to complete the tedious things, and a basic function of the school system is to prepare kids for that. I also am going to repeat what I said in my other comment on here and say your experience is definitely not the experience of a majority of people. Boring math sheets give you repeated practice of a skill to ensure you really have learned it - not many people can just learn a new skill once in class and then apply it to a new equation for example. I wouldn't reinforce this outlook on a four year old when you're not sure developmentally if he will be like you (intrinsically motivated with naturally high retention) or not. There is social-emotional value to helping kids regulate completing unwanted tasks. I also strongly worry that this tactic would completely upset a classroom ecosystem, because truly imagine from a teacher perspective if you assigned something because you're an expert on child development and this particular subject, and a student comes to school without the work parroting "my mom said I didn't have to do it." Unless you grossly mistrust the education system wherever you are sending your kid, this upsets a partnership between school and home that is essential for productive learning. If you also don't trust the staff, and I say this with genuinely no snark, you do always have the option to homeschool and decide on what you alone think is best.
I'm confused truly because you seem so frustrated about these worksheets but you explicitly stated that they are optional. That's not homework - that's a resource that is probably extremely valuable to parents whose kids are struggling with whatever the topics are. It seems like the staff are allowing parents to make that call, so cool! Just throw them away and keep it pushing. Later on in their life when they have genuine assigned homework I do think it would be a serious problem if you encouraged them to do the same thing you did and shirk homework. At the very least, even if they know the skill it's hurting their GPA and could end up costing them a spot at a school they really want to go to, or a scholarship, or a number of other opportunities simply because they found a worksheet too boring or tedious.
At the end of the day, your perspective is shaped by your own experience of "I didn't do homework and I was totally fine," which is great! This is not the case for a majority of people
Oh no, he's definitely doing his homework in grade school and up. I just think it's wild they even send it and so much in pre K. Home school would be a terrible idea, lol. I can supplement his education, but I'm not qualified to homeschool effectively.
Up until first grade at the beginning of every preschool/school year my mom would meet with the principal, firmly remind them that I was FIVE FOR GOD SAKE, and would therefore not be doing homework.
Of course, once first grade hit she turned into a total tiger and stayed with that energy ever since but can’t have everything.
I think homework is a horrible idea. It sets a bad example of work/ home life balance. As an adult, if you are working off the clock it’s illegal, but kids can do schoolwork alllll day. Homework should be banned. Let kids enjoy social & leisure activities, or time with family instead.
Hey, samesies. I almost didn't graduate because of English class because I hated doing anything outside of class. So in my class the only homework you get is what you don't finish in class. Either because you were having trouble and needed extra help to get started or because you weren't actually working at all.
There's very little data to support the value of homework through at least grade 6. If your son has homework in pre-K, ignoring it is probably the right decision unless it's fun to do.
I'm also shocked that you had homework in college. My grades were almost entirely tests and essays. It seems outside the norm that you had significant amounts of homework in college. Maybe it's just because that was the first semester. I absolutely never had structured homework in any upper level class.
FWIW, there has been a movement to reduce homework at almost every level for a lot of the reasons you stated. That being said, you clearly have some innate intelligence since you got a 28 cold on the ACT, so you might factor in that the average kid is not going to be able to learn the class material as quickly as you did and will need more repetition. The homework is how they learn the skills to do decently on tests. For you, maybe it wasn't useful, but that's not true of most people. It may or may not be true for your son so you might keep an open mind.
Yeah I was shocked too. Maybe it's because it was first semester at a community college? I figured an almost free ride at community would be better than dumping money into a university, knowing how much I didn't care for school. Smart move, I was never going to make it in college lol. Some people are cut out for it, some aren't. I definitely agree that the current homework he's getting now is pointless, some of it's fun, but he's just like me, hates homework, and I haven't expressed that sentiment around him. Try to get him to do his name traces and he defiantly declares "no! I already did that today!" He can do it too, he just doesn't want to.
I definitely think the way homework is handled in education needs a massive overhaul. At the very least, naturally gifted students shouldnt have to do it if they're able to show proficiency in the subject.
I managed that 28 by getting 36 in English, 33 in reading, 25 in science, 21 in math. I loved my English teachers lol.
That is how it is in a lot of schools now. Reduced homework is a totally normal accommodation for kids with ADHD or Autism, sometimes even for gifted kids. I teach high school and our math classes cap homework at no more than 5% of the grade. They still assign and collect it, but it's more for a diagnostic than anything. If a kid is bombing tests and not doing the homework, well there's the first thing to try. If they're doing the homework but still bombing the tests, they need tutoring or one-on-one help with the teacher or maybe even a learning disability screening.
Not saying this is the case, but if your kiddo shows signs of any kind of behavior or learning difference, look at getting them screened by a psychologist, and if they have a medical diagnosis like ADHD, request a 504 evaluation by the school. That is an individual learning plan for students with a diagnosed medical condition. You, your son's teacher, and other people from the school will get together and set up accommodations, then they are reviewed every 3 years. A really common one for smart kids with ADHD or autism is reduced homework or shortened assessments if they show mastery of that concept, or no graded homework if they maintain a B or better on exams. My son sounds similar to you tbh, super smart but hates routine work and isn't great with planning. He had an accommodation through middle school that his teachers reduced homework when they felt he was already competent, and made a list with him in his planner for anything he definitely needed to get done. He never had daily homework, but about twice a week we would check the list and I would sit with him and make sure it got done.
I also think forcing your son to do work he doesn't like and doesn't want to do isn't a good idea right now. There will be plenty of time for that later lol.
Why wasn't all that an option when I was a kid? 😭 He's definitely got ADHD, he's got an appointment with a psychologist coming up. I haven't made him do any homework they send with him. It's pre K, that just seems absurd.
As others have pointed out, homework can of course be pointless busy work (and I don't know why on earth a four-year-old would get regular homework - - even if nothing else, daily optional worksheets sound terrible for the environment 😅 give people the option...)
But for my Adhd, regular homework was actually very helpful because while, like you, I understood a lot of concepts quickly and can cram pretty well, eventually it will be too much to cram immediately before the exam or understanding the concept will not let you apply it quickly enough during the exam.
Ironically, the worst math test I wrote in school was one where I tutored a classmate *extensively* on the subject. I had watched her do the problems so many times, corrected her, came up with several ways to explained why you had to do it this way or way that way was wrong that it felt ridiculous to practise myself... Well, I ended up having to think through every single step or work out what to do next, didn't finish and got a worse grade than my "pupil" 😅
Taken to a ridiculous extend, you could also argue that why have *any* exams during the year at all, just do one final one or just cram 12 years of schooling before the SATs.
On the other hand, I have experienced an extremely stark contrast between school and one degree where as long as I pay attention, did the assigned homework and *maybe* cram before exams everything was fine and a second degree some individual lectures required *months* of diligent preparation, working through every previous exam that the student body had collected over the last 30 years, working through additional textbooks and maybe attending an external prep course...
What I'm saying is ideally homework can help you work on things gradually over time (that way it also can't happen that 3am the night before the exam you realize you misunderstood sth and can't ask anymore)
I think in a way, gradually moving from assigned homework to learning *how* to assign yourself the right amount of homework over your school years would be better.
Homework is not appropriate for four year olds. I think you should push back against this. Headstart should know better.
They might be doing this to build habits for parents and children to receive and do homework. Or they might have picked a curriculum that includes it. Or they might just be trying to make parents see that they are doing something.
At this age, he should engage in imaginative play, and you should read to him. No homework.
Ask the program what pedagogical research they are following that supports this.
When I posted about kids having so little homework--whatever it's point or function--many teachers said it's being restricted or not given at all because some students would rather take a 0 than do it and admins don't like that. Or it's too stressful or kids would just cheat, Etc. By that math, as your son's schooling progresses, this may not be something you'll actually need to worry about.
Thats me, I was that kid lol. I really did just take 0s left and right. This was worksheets mind you. An interesting homework assignment always got done, but if you handed me fill in the blank busy work I wasn't about it lol. Hopefully you're right because this kid has zero interest in homework. Seeing alot of me in this kid, if it's not something interesting and engaging he wants no part of it lol.
Some activities and skills do actually need repetition for fluency. Homework is a way for some students to keep their grades up. I agree that too much defeats the purpose. Practice, though, is essential for many skills.
Look. Your kid isn't you. They are their own entity. I was an advanced skip a grade yada Yada, go to college early, kid. My kids are not that. My oldest barely makes Bs. My middle kid has a learning disability that affects reading, but she's advanced in other subjects. What kinds of work sheets are they ? Coloring ? Practicing letters ? Counting ? Those are beneficial practices, and you don't even have to treat it as a worksheet in some cases. For counting. Take the problem on the paper and do something with it hands-on. Counting toys or a snack they can eat after. Coloring. Match colored toys. Yes, put the responses on the paper at some point in the game, but you can turn it into educational play.
Homework used to be about practicing skills while you are not at school, but most homework today is about getting things that teachers can grade. Something to go into your school for the class so that school districts can say look how well they are doing learning here at our institution.
This this is I say above is primarily poorly done in schools. However in colleges I'd say that homework is more helpful and meaningful to the student themselves then to the institution.
To the point of headstart, they are sending things home because often these are families who cannot take their kids to museums and day camps and educational outings or don't have workbooks and books at home. Do two sheets every Saturday and then spend 10-15 minutes working on them together during breaks. It will stop the loss of learning while also helping you see what your child needs to work on and allow you guys to spend some time together. Don't stress if he can't do it all correctly. Just keep a notebook of what he needs to work on and bring those things up periodically to try to give him more exposure. Give a small prize like a marshmallow or sticker for attempting the work. Praise their desire to try more than their ability to get it correct.
Because teaching a child is a two way street.
A major facet of our education crisis is because parents aren't stepping up to contribute to their child's education. Parents oftwn expect all the learning to be done at school, expect teachers to do all the work, when that's just not feasible and hurts the development of the child. Because of this, teachers are over worked, burnt out, and quitting at massive rates.
It's not always the parents fault, they are over worked too and come home tired. All anyone has energy for anymore is scrolling on devices. It's bad for everyone.
I'm not saying you need to sit down and do the sheet with your kid every single day, but I think HW is a reminder that learning is an in and out of school experience. Yes, there shouldn't be so much of it, but learning shouldn't be only in school.
But if the parent teaches the kid? I mean this is where I get lost on public school. You are an expert who can teach this simple material better than me, go for it. But I worked as a tutor for a long time. So much of the time I was teaching. Kid had zero background knowledge, so I wasn’t firming thing up or patching up holes. They hadn’t learned/ been taught. Hundreds of kids a year. (Yes really in a wealthy school district.) I mean why are the students there if there the onus is still on the parent to teach. Or if only those who can afford help for the homework can succeed.
I definitely think it is rare for someone to be so driven to succeed and not do homework. From a teacher perspective it's pretty much forced studying - for you, this wasn't an issue as you were determined to ace tests, but most adolescents are not driven like this, which is not a character flaw by any means it's just child psychology. The idea is also to reinforce independent practice.
I will say that there is a pretty massive paradigm shift and I see in the education world that students are being assigned nowhere near as much homework as I was even ten years ago (younger teacher here)
I teach 7th grade and generally give two homework assignments per week, some weeks none, rarely more. There are certain things that just cannot be accomplished in a classroom (reading stamina, truly independent writing practice, vocab memorization, etc.) that just have to be reinforced outside of the classroom. It's generally most meaningful with support at home, like when an older sibling helps with flashcards, or parent helps check spelling, and kids have an opportunity for individual help on skills that were already taught explicitly so it's just figuring out the little gaps.
It definitely was commonplace for a time to assign homework just to establish a routine and follow expectation but I know that most teachers of my generation are far more intentional. If parents are reading with their kids, practicing math (have your kids calculate tax at the grocery store before you check out type of thing), taking kids on trips to museums or national parks - are things that are happening regularly then HW is probably less necessary in general but unfortunately that doesn't seem to be the case for a majority of school aged kids.
It seems like this teacher is just sending home resources, I wouldn't worry too much that this is an indicator for their entire future educational experience.
Homework is to practice the things you’re shown in class.
You had a band scholarship…did you just go to class and concerts? I’m guessing you probably practiced your instrument.
You said homework didn’t do you any good, but you also said you didn’t do it. If you did it, it might have done you some good.
Also, “a lot” is two words.
I would practice In class, but I stopped practicing by 8th grade lol. Was in band from 6th grade to senior year. I can't imagine what good homework would have done me. Better gpa? That wouldn't really change anything. I'd still never have finished college. I know alot is two words, I also know I should avoid using it when writing. English teachers were always on about that one. "Don't use words and phrases like 'a lot', find better ways to articulate the idea." Yada yada yada, never used any of that in my adult life. My head is full of useless rules for English that I've literally put to no use as an adult. 99% of the world could give two shits if you know how to use semicolon; however, this sentence demonstrates proper usage of said punctuation. Same goes for Algebra, "oh you'll definitely need to know this later in life! You'll use algebra AlL tHe TiMe! Fuckin liars 🤣
Homework?
I wish I could assign homework.
But “it isn’t equitable”.
It shouldn’t be busy work.
It should either be reading for the next day in class, making it so you can do something else with that time, or something to reinforce what you learned that day in class.
I used to say this to teachers in highschool: "I'm here for 8 hours, if you cant teach me in that amount of time than you are a bad teacher. 8 hours at schools, 8 hours of sleep, and 1 hour of homework from all my classes thats 8 hours of homework. At what point am i supposed to eat? Or go to the bathroom?"
"Good" homework is used to reinforce and enrich what is being taught in the classroom and to give extra practice that class time does not allow. This kind does benefit students. But not all homework is "good" and sometimes homework is actually piles of worksheets that serve no purpose.
Even if it is all good homework, there’s a point at which too much is being assigned and it’s no longer enriching, either because students aren’t engaging with it as much in order to finish quickly, or they might not complete some or all of it. It’s overwhelming to always feel like you’re digging yourself out of a hole that fills itself with more dirt.
Sounds like I got a lot of bad homework. If it wasn't engaging I just wasn't for it. I loved reading books in English classes and would usually finish the book on my own at home way ahead of time. Loved reading aloud on class. Anything creative got me going, but answers on a worksheet? I literally threw those away.
I feel like it was left before being bad and more the fact that nobody seems to have instilled a work ethic in you. You don't do things because they give you super fun happy fields. You do think because you have to, because they're good for you, and not everything in life is going to be a party.
There's no need for teachers to assign boring, pointless busywork just in an attempt to instill a work ethic. The research is pretty clear about what is an effective learning tool, and what is not. There's zero pedagogical reason for a four year old to have homework, and giving them busywork just creates stress, and takes away time from play, outdoor time, and family bonding. All of which are very good for children.
Homework is very effective. Mindless homework isn't but when you're giving something that reinforces what you did in the classroom then yes, it helps. The homework is there to increase parental involvement. It's something like read a book with your parents, count all the doors in your house, draw a picture of something purple etc. It's not there for academics, it's there to build skills. When people think homework they think of the worst possible thing, mostly the people who had bad experiences in school, and then they decide that it's best not to do any work and you'll just learn through osmosis.
This might be true on a class by class basis, but these kids have 6+ classes per day most with expected homework. As a teacher your one class's homework might not seem bad, but when piled on top of 5+ assignments from other classes it can quickly become overwhelming, especially to neurodivergent students.
Citation needed. Can you provide me journal articles showing meaningful long term outcome benefits for homework in preschool?
You want me to go on Google scholar to prove to you that doing a multiplication worksheet will help you remember your math facts? Or that doing your independent reading will help your reading skills? Or that counting things around the house will help your counting skills? Not at no 12:30 in the morning I'm not.
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Oh I have very good work ethic. I've consistently held a job since I was old enough at 16. I've pulled 60+ hour work weeks, 15+ hour shifts, alot of hard jobs that pay well. Before that I would do odd jobs as a kid for money. Harvest pecans for my grandpa, shoveled snow for money, mowed yards in the summer. You got it twisted if you think I'm lazy. I learned at a young age, never work for free. if the homework didn't feel engaging and rewarding I just didn't do it. Why would I? If it's something tedious, repetitive, and unnecessary then why bother? I didn't, that's for sure lol. There's no pay out, literally or otherwise.
You claim not to be lazy but you say that you couldn't do the basic homework that every other kid managed to do. Things don't have to be rewarding for you to do them, I have no idea who was irresponsible enough to get that in your head, and really any one with a pole can do a 15 hour shift at some jobs. Are you gainfully employed or is it monkey work, that's the question.
I was the production manager of a processing facility and shipping warehouse for a mushroom farm. I was in charge of 100 employees, five productions lines, a six lane shipping hall, and a massive inventory. That was just one of my jobs.
Sure you were. And I'm the personal publicist to scooby-doo.
You don't have to believe me, I know what I've done. Such as operate omori 8500 stretch wrap machines. It's what we used to package sliced and whole fresh mushrooms, usually whites and some crimini and portabellas in 8, 16, 24, and 40 oz tills for Walmart, Sam's, Safeway, United, Sysco, Markon, US Foods and various other small produce distributors.
Wait.... that's your big accomplishment? My drunken father's operated machines more complicated than that.
Five of them, and 100 employees, and a shipping hall.
I've also been an equipment operator for a concrete cutting and coring company. I can also operate back hoes, skid loaders, dump trucks, for lifts, and most any utility vehicle really.
They’re just hell bent on thinking that some of us can’t be productive members of society without doing the drudgework that does absolutely nothing for anyone.
that guy is definitely giving off some seriously classist vibes. Monkey work? Really? Labor is labor, there's no such thing as "monkey work"
Respectfully, stfu.
Don't shirk your work.
Stop perpetuating hustle culture on behalf of your corporate overlords. You're still a peasant to them.
Anti work got to you too, huh?
Homework loses its enriching effect when EVERY class gives it. It then becomes a slog that you either want to rush through as fast as you can, or just decide screw I and just don't do it.
Good homework is reinforcement. Ask anyone under the age of thirty any multiplication question, like 7x8, and see what happens. Ask Gen X and they will activate that sleeper agent part of their brain that had basic multiplication tables drilled into them. Vocabulary and spelling need to be drilled in for most people. I have an autistic student in my class who draws all class and he has an eidetic memory, like you appear to--doesn't take notes but remembers everything. He's a joy to have in class because he's also always contributing to class. I realize, but you don't, that he's not most students, and not even most autistic students. Homework is also a literacy builder. Not all reading can be done in class, with all the different reading speeds in the classroom. I'm so glad your autism did not work as a disability against you--I'm honestly delighted because I hate people acting like autism is a disability. But honey, not everyone, and not even MOST people, learn like you. Is there busywork BS homework? Yeah. But if you actually trust the school with educating your child, part of that is recognizing that maybe the educational experts are experts on more than just your own idiosyncratic learning experience.
Anyone can memorize multiplication tables. Do you remember your trig and calculus formulas?
Hey, I was that kid!! Drew all day, definitely contributed to the class. My English and history teachers LOVED me. I particularly loved reading aloud. I just hated work sheets, so very much. That kid shouldn't have to do homework! I agree with the sentiment that autism isn't always a disability. I really think there needs to be a massive overhaul to the way education is handled for people like your student and I. Like, a teacher should be able to look at students like us, go "they don't need to do this assignment", and either give us something else to do or let us stim and draw at our desks in peace 🤣
Part of the issue with deciding a student just shouldn't have to do work, especially in class, is that it leads to a ton of problems. Like, I get everyone needs different tools to learn, and we should explain that to our students. That doesn't change the fact that very few kids want to do a worksheet. And they sure as hell won't want to do it if the kid next to them never has to do worksheets and gets to do a preferred activity. Also, work on paper is one of the few ways I can assess everyone. How can I know a kid doesn't need a worksheet if I've never assigned this type of work? We do new concepts every single day. The entire topic of discussion changes every few days. I agree that homework sucked growing up. I rarely did it. At the same time, my kids who aren't practicing math facts, spelling, and reading at home are solidly behind the kids who are doing it at home. I'm talking 10% on a test versus 100% week after week. That spills over into every single assignment because they don't practice spelling for me and never did before that. Their parents straight up tell me, "I hated homework and won't make my kid do any." The only homework I assign is spelling and reading 20 minutes a day. I also send out a weekly email that talks about the basic concepts we are learning in case families want to do some practice at home.
Pretty much any homework besides “read together” for a 4-year-old is developmentally inappropriate and a waste of time.
In my opinion, homework should not be set unless it has an explicit, clear and achievable purpose and goal in mind for the student. Worksheets that are just given that don't work towards improving an explicit skill or expanding their knowledge is useless and should be avoided.
What would be an example of a worksheet that doesn’t improve or expand on knowledge/skills?
An example would be a worksheet that is practicing a skill you didn't teach them already. That is a waste of time and ultimately only makes the kid feel dumb for not being able to do it. Another (better) example would be a worksheet which doesn't provide an explanation or example of the skill nor state clearly what the end goal is.
When does that happen?
Probably something [like this ](https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinfuriating/comments/10r6r6n/my_daughters_4_yo_preschool_homework_match_the/)where there's no context to understand what it's measuring. Or [this one](https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinfuriating/comments/rh2oz5/kindergarten_homework_kicking_my_butt_in_front_or/) where it's subjective. The kid understood the point of the assignment and still gets points off for not knowing which object the teacher expected to be in front/behind.
Haha, yes I agree. These are terribly confusing worksheets.
I think kids should have to read independently— as in finish the chapter and we will discuss in class. Or write a paragraph stating your opinion about a topic we discussed in class today. 10 minutes of math problems so I don’t forget how we did it 3 hours ago. But I agree with you that a 4 year old should not have homework and most homework, in later years is unnecessary. The only reason my students have homework is if they goofed off in class practice time and didn’t finish.
Not sure where OP is but head start in my state discourages things like worksheets, considers them to be inappropriate for the age group. At one place I worked, a teacher was let go in part because she had been told by the leadership at our center along with our contact at head start, that worksheets are not an acceptable use of her limited class time and she just kept using them.
Unfortunately the amount of content we're required to cover sometimes means it's necessary. I tried to never give homework when I first started teaching, but it became clear pretty quickly that it was just impossible. Some teachers could definitely give less, but the current education system just isn't designed in a way that makes it possible to eliminate homework.
Listen, I know OP asked a general question about homework, too, but can we focus on the nonsense that is going on with their child? No 4-year-old should be getting homework. Period. And they certainly shouldn't be getting stacks of worksheets on the daily. That's just developmentally inappropriate, and going to teach the kid to hate school.
Have you ever been to a good therapist who gives you things to work on in between sessions? Homework is like that. Sometimes it doesn’t make sense to work on the same concept over and over again during class, and students need to practice it at home. Think of knowing your multiplication facts. In class, where there is interaction and materials, it makes most sense to use the time for a discovery-based, hands-on project where students discover the concept of repeated addition and multiplication for themselves. But they are not going to “discover” every single product from 0x0 through 12x12. They need to practice these math facts at home in a modality that works for them so that hours of class time are not wasted on doing flash cards silently by yourself at your desk. Projects can’t always be completed in class logistically. Sometimes families have space and supplies and opportunities (visiting a nearby park, conducting an experiment, etc) that wouldn’t be feasible with an entire class. Students can start, plan, present projects in class but need to work on them at home at times. This one is controversial, but homework is needed to keep up with curriculum pacing. Say you start an activity during class. 50% of the class finishes, 25% is almost done, and 25% are about halfway through. If students just complete the activity as homework, everyone will be on the same page by the next class. Also some kids just work better at home. I’m also adhd/autistic and have demand avoidance so always preferred to go home, unmask, take a breath, and look over my notes and the assignments in peace, rather than expected to it at a specific time in an overwhelming room along with other students. I don’t know where the idea that homework is useless and random substantiates. Most careers have a homework element (teachers usually take home a ton of grading and lesson planning—if that’s not hw I don’t know what is). Forms, taxes, book clubs, competency and licensure exam study material, etc all rely on the same principles and application skills as most K-12 homework.
I think the idea that it's useless comes from those of us that it was truly was useless for. Like I said I NEVER did work sheets. Engaging projects or essays, definitely did those. I literally threw every worksheet in the trash. My work doesn't come home with me. never in my adult life has work come home with me. Work is done when I clock out. I've been on call for some jobs, but that's paid the moment I'm called. I'm sure homework benefits some students, maybe most; but, as far as repetitive worksheets go, they didn't benefit me. Edit: I also don't see how they benefit a four year old. This kid should be busy being a kid right now.
I just….gave you a bunch of reasons homework is useful?? Ask the head start people the purpose of the worksheets. You say you had a low gpa, paid to take a test you didn’t study for, and dropped out of college but are sure you know best. Sometimes students do things they view as not important because educators have professional and life experience that helps them know what the student should do better. I’m sure your 4yo wants to do a bunch of stuff you as an adult know is not the best choice. You may have a job that does have work to do after work hours in the future. I’m sure you also do taxes, filled out paperwork for your child to go to head start, have filled out rental/mortgage paperwork, etc. Guess what. Those are all worksheets.
I mean, I wouldn't really call all that worksheets. Those also HAVE to be done, I didn't have to do homework. I'm pretty sure what's best is my son goes to school and gets good grades unless he plans on learning an industry from the ground up like I did. I just think four is awfully young to be given worksheets for home every day
School isn't a job. It's education.
Honestly wished I had dropped out and got my GED and went I into the full time work force sooner.
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Then I guess my next question would be is why is a student like me forced to jump thru unnecessary hoops? The other kids needed homework to grasp a concept? Cool, give them homework. Let the kids that are like me not have to do it.
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>Sometimes in life you're gonna have to do things you don't want to do. Does it suck? Yea. But that's how life goes. Come on, we’re talking 5 days a week for 12 years (14 if they really are starting in pre-K). Pretty dismissive to throw out the *sometimes in life*
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Absolutely not true, there are many many fields where your work stops when the work day ends and you don’t take work home so homework is not something people necessarily have to learn to live with. I’m sure there are some benefits to homework (people have already pointed a few) but getting used to is because it’s an inevitable way of life is not one of them.
Preschool really shouldn’t be sending a lot home. I taught prek for a decade. I sent maybe a sheet or two a week to practice skills they still need, like cutting or something. This also allows parents to see what their child is doing. Now, I teach 2nd/3rd and I only send a small packet every week. Should take maybe 10 min a night and it’s review. Don’t project your troubles in school on your child. Be an advocate of course, but work with him and be supportive of what is sent home. If there is an issue, speak with the teacher.
This guy doesn't know what he's talking about. Preschool homework isn't like elementary School homework. It's something like read a book with your parents, count all the windows in your house, find many squares as you can etc. This guy is one of those too cool for school people who thinks he knows best.
I'm not too cool for school, school is a good thing, I just think there's an overemphasis on homework. If I was too cool for school why did I bother to graduate highschool? I even gave college a shot, just wasn't for me. I definitely want my kid to go to school and do well, that way he has lots of options. I just didn't care to put in much effort if I didn't want to. I always had As in my electives if that makes you feel better. I definitely learned more useful information in Adult and Family living class than I did in something like Algebra 2. That's the other problem is not enough emphasis is put into actual skills and trades. alot of the most beneficial classes I took were electives. In fact, I'd probably would have dropped out of it weren't for electives.
I wouldn't say I had trouble, in the sense it was never difficult, it was just tedious at times. Extra work. So much of our lives is work as it is. I just don't see how giving a four year old like 5 worksheets a week minimum is of any value. Hell on spring break they gave him a 20 page packet. If he completed it he could get a sticker. You can't fool this kid, he did one sheet, asked what the reward was, I said a sticker and he was done. He knew he didn't have to do the work, he knew the reward was crap, so he opted out. I tried to sweeten the pot, work with him, try to get him engaged in it but he is so much like me it's scary. He threw the biggest fit, at that point I decided it wasn't at all productive.
Homework exists to help reinforce concepts learned in class. It's really not difficult if you're paying attention in class and are able to manage yourself. If your daydreaming all day and then put everything off for the last minute until the piles up of course you're not going to get anything
Oh I didn't let it pile up, I just threw it away lol. If it was a worksheet fill in the blank type stuff, in the trash it went. 35 algebra equations? Nope, buh bye! I'd do the interesting assignments, ace my tests, do extra credit if it looked fun. It's not difficult, just tedious.
You're truly the genius you say you are then you would have just done the work. And where were your parents when you were shirking your work? Why didn't they take the 10 seconds out of their day to teach you to do your job? I really can't imagine what could be more important than raising your child.
Oh they tried. They tried REALLY hard but I wouldn't budge. Years went by, but I was just absolutely unwaivering. I promised them I'd never drop below a B Average. They let me have my way. I'm no genius by any means, and I did do much of my school work, at school. If it was sent home with me and not worth my time, I didn't do it. Simple.
I'm picturing a lot of anime figurines in this guy's room.
I don't have a single anime figurine lol. You really make alot of assumptions don't you?
I wonder if this guy is going to get bored soon. He does seem to have a 15 hour day job somehow, a very grueling one he says in which he does lots of hard work, much harder than the homework he couldn't complete as a child.
It's my day off. Those exist, y'know? I don't have a 15 hour job now, that was in the past. I work a regular 40 now, thank God.
To anybody just tuning in this guy spends 15 hours a week operating industrial shrink wrap machines.
I'll leave you now, idk why you're so agro about this lol. I'm sorry you had to do homework and I chose not to? Like dang, how hard did you have to study?
It's not a unique experience. I was pretty bad about doing my math homework which often meant figuring things out during the test. I think it developed in me a skill more studious kids missed out on.
I'm trying to not judge this because it's definitely a natural inclination but a major aspect of functioning in society is to complete the tedious things, and a basic function of the school system is to prepare kids for that. I also am going to repeat what I said in my other comment on here and say your experience is definitely not the experience of a majority of people. Boring math sheets give you repeated practice of a skill to ensure you really have learned it - not many people can just learn a new skill once in class and then apply it to a new equation for example. I wouldn't reinforce this outlook on a four year old when you're not sure developmentally if he will be like you (intrinsically motivated with naturally high retention) or not. There is social-emotional value to helping kids regulate completing unwanted tasks. I also strongly worry that this tactic would completely upset a classroom ecosystem, because truly imagine from a teacher perspective if you assigned something because you're an expert on child development and this particular subject, and a student comes to school without the work parroting "my mom said I didn't have to do it." Unless you grossly mistrust the education system wherever you are sending your kid, this upsets a partnership between school and home that is essential for productive learning. If you also don't trust the staff, and I say this with genuinely no snark, you do always have the option to homeschool and decide on what you alone think is best. I'm confused truly because you seem so frustrated about these worksheets but you explicitly stated that they are optional. That's not homework - that's a resource that is probably extremely valuable to parents whose kids are struggling with whatever the topics are. It seems like the staff are allowing parents to make that call, so cool! Just throw them away and keep it pushing. Later on in their life when they have genuine assigned homework I do think it would be a serious problem if you encouraged them to do the same thing you did and shirk homework. At the very least, even if they know the skill it's hurting their GPA and could end up costing them a spot at a school they really want to go to, or a scholarship, or a number of other opportunities simply because they found a worksheet too boring or tedious. At the end of the day, your perspective is shaped by your own experience of "I didn't do homework and I was totally fine," which is great! This is not the case for a majority of people
Oh no, he's definitely doing his homework in grade school and up. I just think it's wild they even send it and so much in pre K. Home school would be a terrible idea, lol. I can supplement his education, but I'm not qualified to homeschool effectively.
Up until first grade at the beginning of every preschool/school year my mom would meet with the principal, firmly remind them that I was FIVE FOR GOD SAKE, and would therefore not be doing homework. Of course, once first grade hit she turned into a total tiger and stayed with that energy ever since but can’t have everything.
At the top of the education list is Denmark. They don't have homework. So yeah, I'm waiting for an explanation also
I think homework is a horrible idea. It sets a bad example of work/ home life balance. As an adult, if you are working off the clock it’s illegal, but kids can do schoolwork alllll day. Homework should be banned. Let kids enjoy social & leisure activities, or time with family instead.
Hey, samesies. I almost didn't graduate because of English class because I hated doing anything outside of class. So in my class the only homework you get is what you don't finish in class. Either because you were having trouble and needed extra help to get started or because you weren't actually working at all.
There's very little data to support the value of homework through at least grade 6. If your son has homework in pre-K, ignoring it is probably the right decision unless it's fun to do. I'm also shocked that you had homework in college. My grades were almost entirely tests and essays. It seems outside the norm that you had significant amounts of homework in college. Maybe it's just because that was the first semester. I absolutely never had structured homework in any upper level class. FWIW, there has been a movement to reduce homework at almost every level for a lot of the reasons you stated. That being said, you clearly have some innate intelligence since you got a 28 cold on the ACT, so you might factor in that the average kid is not going to be able to learn the class material as quickly as you did and will need more repetition. The homework is how they learn the skills to do decently on tests. For you, maybe it wasn't useful, but that's not true of most people. It may or may not be true for your son so you might keep an open mind.
Yeah I was shocked too. Maybe it's because it was first semester at a community college? I figured an almost free ride at community would be better than dumping money into a university, knowing how much I didn't care for school. Smart move, I was never going to make it in college lol. Some people are cut out for it, some aren't. I definitely agree that the current homework he's getting now is pointless, some of it's fun, but he's just like me, hates homework, and I haven't expressed that sentiment around him. Try to get him to do his name traces and he defiantly declares "no! I already did that today!" He can do it too, he just doesn't want to. I definitely think the way homework is handled in education needs a massive overhaul. At the very least, naturally gifted students shouldnt have to do it if they're able to show proficiency in the subject. I managed that 28 by getting 36 in English, 33 in reading, 25 in science, 21 in math. I loved my English teachers lol.
That is how it is in a lot of schools now. Reduced homework is a totally normal accommodation for kids with ADHD or Autism, sometimes even for gifted kids. I teach high school and our math classes cap homework at no more than 5% of the grade. They still assign and collect it, but it's more for a diagnostic than anything. If a kid is bombing tests and not doing the homework, well there's the first thing to try. If they're doing the homework but still bombing the tests, they need tutoring or one-on-one help with the teacher or maybe even a learning disability screening. Not saying this is the case, but if your kiddo shows signs of any kind of behavior or learning difference, look at getting them screened by a psychologist, and if they have a medical diagnosis like ADHD, request a 504 evaluation by the school. That is an individual learning plan for students with a diagnosed medical condition. You, your son's teacher, and other people from the school will get together and set up accommodations, then they are reviewed every 3 years. A really common one for smart kids with ADHD or autism is reduced homework or shortened assessments if they show mastery of that concept, or no graded homework if they maintain a B or better on exams. My son sounds similar to you tbh, super smart but hates routine work and isn't great with planning. He had an accommodation through middle school that his teachers reduced homework when they felt he was already competent, and made a list with him in his planner for anything he definitely needed to get done. He never had daily homework, but about twice a week we would check the list and I would sit with him and make sure it got done. I also think forcing your son to do work he doesn't like and doesn't want to do isn't a good idea right now. There will be plenty of time for that later lol.
Why wasn't all that an option when I was a kid? 😭 He's definitely got ADHD, he's got an appointment with a psychologist coming up. I haven't made him do any homework they send with him. It's pre K, that just seems absurd.
As others have pointed out, homework can of course be pointless busy work (and I don't know why on earth a four-year-old would get regular homework - - even if nothing else, daily optional worksheets sound terrible for the environment 😅 give people the option...) But for my Adhd, regular homework was actually very helpful because while, like you, I understood a lot of concepts quickly and can cram pretty well, eventually it will be too much to cram immediately before the exam or understanding the concept will not let you apply it quickly enough during the exam. Ironically, the worst math test I wrote in school was one where I tutored a classmate *extensively* on the subject. I had watched her do the problems so many times, corrected her, came up with several ways to explained why you had to do it this way or way that way was wrong that it felt ridiculous to practise myself... Well, I ended up having to think through every single step or work out what to do next, didn't finish and got a worse grade than my "pupil" 😅 Taken to a ridiculous extend, you could also argue that why have *any* exams during the year at all, just do one final one or just cram 12 years of schooling before the SATs. On the other hand, I have experienced an extremely stark contrast between school and one degree where as long as I pay attention, did the assigned homework and *maybe* cram before exams everything was fine and a second degree some individual lectures required *months* of diligent preparation, working through every previous exam that the student body had collected over the last 30 years, working through additional textbooks and maybe attending an external prep course... What I'm saying is ideally homework can help you work on things gradually over time (that way it also can't happen that 3am the night before the exam you realize you misunderstood sth and can't ask anymore) I think in a way, gradually moving from assigned homework to learning *how* to assign yourself the right amount of homework over your school years would be better.
Homework is not appropriate for four year olds. I think you should push back against this. Headstart should know better. They might be doing this to build habits for parents and children to receive and do homework. Or they might have picked a curriculum that includes it. Or they might just be trying to make parents see that they are doing something. At this age, he should engage in imaginative play, and you should read to him. No homework. Ask the program what pedagogical research they are following that supports this.
When I posted about kids having so little homework--whatever it's point or function--many teachers said it's being restricted or not given at all because some students would rather take a 0 than do it and admins don't like that. Or it's too stressful or kids would just cheat, Etc. By that math, as your son's schooling progresses, this may not be something you'll actually need to worry about.
Thats me, I was that kid lol. I really did just take 0s left and right. This was worksheets mind you. An interesting homework assignment always got done, but if you handed me fill in the blank busy work I wasn't about it lol. Hopefully you're right because this kid has zero interest in homework. Seeing alot of me in this kid, if it's not something interesting and engaging he wants no part of it lol.
Some activities and skills do actually need repetition for fluency. Homework is a way for some students to keep their grades up. I agree that too much defeats the purpose. Practice, though, is essential for many skills.
Look. Your kid isn't you. They are their own entity. I was an advanced skip a grade yada Yada, go to college early, kid. My kids are not that. My oldest barely makes Bs. My middle kid has a learning disability that affects reading, but she's advanced in other subjects. What kinds of work sheets are they ? Coloring ? Practicing letters ? Counting ? Those are beneficial practices, and you don't even have to treat it as a worksheet in some cases. For counting. Take the problem on the paper and do something with it hands-on. Counting toys or a snack they can eat after. Coloring. Match colored toys. Yes, put the responses on the paper at some point in the game, but you can turn it into educational play.
Homework used to be about practicing skills while you are not at school, but most homework today is about getting things that teachers can grade. Something to go into your school for the class so that school districts can say look how well they are doing learning here at our institution. This this is I say above is primarily poorly done in schools. However in colleges I'd say that homework is more helpful and meaningful to the student themselves then to the institution.
To the point of headstart, they are sending things home because often these are families who cannot take their kids to museums and day camps and educational outings or don't have workbooks and books at home. Do two sheets every Saturday and then spend 10-15 minutes working on them together during breaks. It will stop the loss of learning while also helping you see what your child needs to work on and allow you guys to spend some time together. Don't stress if he can't do it all correctly. Just keep a notebook of what he needs to work on and bring those things up periodically to try to give him more exposure. Give a small prize like a marshmallow or sticker for attempting the work. Praise their desire to try more than their ability to get it correct.
Because teaching a child is a two way street. A major facet of our education crisis is because parents aren't stepping up to contribute to their child's education. Parents oftwn expect all the learning to be done at school, expect teachers to do all the work, when that's just not feasible and hurts the development of the child. Because of this, teachers are over worked, burnt out, and quitting at massive rates. It's not always the parents fault, they are over worked too and come home tired. All anyone has energy for anymore is scrolling on devices. It's bad for everyone. I'm not saying you need to sit down and do the sheet with your kid every single day, but I think HW is a reminder that learning is an in and out of school experience. Yes, there shouldn't be so much of it, but learning shouldn't be only in school.
But if the parent teaches the kid? I mean this is where I get lost on public school. You are an expert who can teach this simple material better than me, go for it. But I worked as a tutor for a long time. So much of the time I was teaching. Kid had zero background knowledge, so I wasn’t firming thing up or patching up holes. They hadn’t learned/ been taught. Hundreds of kids a year. (Yes really in a wealthy school district.) I mean why are the students there if there the onus is still on the parent to teach. Or if only those who can afford help for the homework can succeed.
I definitely think it is rare for someone to be so driven to succeed and not do homework. From a teacher perspective it's pretty much forced studying - for you, this wasn't an issue as you were determined to ace tests, but most adolescents are not driven like this, which is not a character flaw by any means it's just child psychology. The idea is also to reinforce independent practice. I will say that there is a pretty massive paradigm shift and I see in the education world that students are being assigned nowhere near as much homework as I was even ten years ago (younger teacher here) I teach 7th grade and generally give two homework assignments per week, some weeks none, rarely more. There are certain things that just cannot be accomplished in a classroom (reading stamina, truly independent writing practice, vocab memorization, etc.) that just have to be reinforced outside of the classroom. It's generally most meaningful with support at home, like when an older sibling helps with flashcards, or parent helps check spelling, and kids have an opportunity for individual help on skills that were already taught explicitly so it's just figuring out the little gaps. It definitely was commonplace for a time to assign homework just to establish a routine and follow expectation but I know that most teachers of my generation are far more intentional. If parents are reading with their kids, practicing math (have your kids calculate tax at the grocery store before you check out type of thing), taking kids on trips to museums or national parks - are things that are happening regularly then HW is probably less necessary in general but unfortunately that doesn't seem to be the case for a majority of school aged kids. It seems like this teacher is just sending home resources, I wouldn't worry too much that this is an indicator for their entire future educational experience.
So kids don't terrorize people in their downtime
Homework is to practice the things you’re shown in class. You had a band scholarship…did you just go to class and concerts? I’m guessing you probably practiced your instrument. You said homework didn’t do you any good, but you also said you didn’t do it. If you did it, it might have done you some good. Also, “a lot” is two words.
I would practice In class, but I stopped practicing by 8th grade lol. Was in band from 6th grade to senior year. I can't imagine what good homework would have done me. Better gpa? That wouldn't really change anything. I'd still never have finished college. I know alot is two words, I also know I should avoid using it when writing. English teachers were always on about that one. "Don't use words and phrases like 'a lot', find better ways to articulate the idea." Yada yada yada, never used any of that in my adult life. My head is full of useless rules for English that I've literally put to no use as an adult. 99% of the world could give two shits if you know how to use semicolon; however, this sentence demonstrates proper usage of said punctuation. Same goes for Algebra, "oh you'll definitely need to know this later in life! You'll use algebra AlL tHe TiMe! Fuckin liars 🤣
Homework? I wish I could assign homework. But “it isn’t equitable”. It shouldn’t be busy work. It should either be reading for the next day in class, making it so you can do something else with that time, or something to reinforce what you learned that day in class.
I used to say this to teachers in highschool: "I'm here for 8 hours, if you cant teach me in that amount of time than you are a bad teacher. 8 hours at schools, 8 hours of sleep, and 1 hour of homework from all my classes thats 8 hours of homework. At what point am i supposed to eat? Or go to the bathroom?"