First Graders

Jake and Chase are in different classes for the first time and I am amazed at how much homework we get every night.

Jake has a math paper every night, a reading folder with work for the week and another paper to pick 3 activities from for the month.

Chase has spelling words every night (20) and also math for the week.

Does this seem excessive for 1st grade? It's been a while since my girls were there.

What do you think?

 

We have a baggie book every night (8 pages), a monthly reading log with a goal of 60 minutes per week and a monthly calendar that we have to do three activities each week, our choice. Cassie and Ethan are in separate classes, but all the first graders in their school get the exact same homework.

 

When I taught 1st grade this was their homework for the week. I did not think it was to much at all... (I am just cutting and pasting)


Dear Mrs. K letters
A letter to each student is sent home on Monday. Please help your child write a return letter to me by Thursday (Letters are also accepted on Tuesday and Wednesday). A more detailed note will come home with the first letter.

Math
Home Links (copied on colored paper) are sent home intermittently.
PLEASE RETURN COMPLETED HOME LINKS TO SCHOOL THE FOLLOWING DAY.

W.E.B.
A self-selected book is sent home on Friday. Please listen to your child read and comment in the W.E.B. journal. Return book and journal to school on the first day of the week.

Spelling
A list of spelling words is sent home on the first day of the week. Please help your child study these words throughout the week. A test will be given on the last day of the week.

 

I guess maybe to me it seems like a lot because it has to be done seperately and before football practice. (Home at 3:35 - unwind, snack, homework, football) Thankfully there is only 2 more weeks of it.

 

QUOTE(2girls2boys @ Oct 7 2008, 08:29 PM) [snapback]1016613[/snapback]
I guess maybe to me it seems like a lot because it has to be done seperately and before football practice. (Home at 3:35 - unwind, snack, homework, football) Thankfully there is only 2 more weeks of it.

I am sure it would seem like a lot if there were two kids you had to sit with, each with different assignments. And on top of everything that goes on after school too.

(Personally I think 20 spelling words is a lot for the beginning of 1st grade- just wanted to share my personal thought on that)

 

My school's policy is 20 minutes twice a week and also--reading or being read to each night.

 

My boys also have different classes. We don't start spelling words until mid-October, so I don't know anything about that yet. Generally they get 1 reading assignment and one math assignment a night. The goal in 1st grade here is about 6 min. of homework a night. I am sure some kids take longer, but both of mine get theirs done quickly.
Personally, as a teacher, I hate "weekly" or "monthly" assignments (except for specific long term projects). Homework is supposed to supplement what they learn in class, and to me, should come home in a way that reflects that daily work.

 

Aidan has 10 spelling words per week - tests every Friday. He has to write all 10 words 3 x's each on Mondays & Wednesdays. 10 vocab words per week - must be able to read and use words in sentences - review words as needed. Usually 1 math worksheet per day about 10 - 15 problems and English worksheets 3 x's per week.

Christy

 

We put our twins together in first grade so they would have the same homework. There are 3 First grade teachers at our school and each is so different. The teacher my children had last year assigned one homework sheet a week. Once in a great while they would have 2. They also had to read their story and study spelling and vocab words. One of my friend's little girl had a different teacher. She had, besides spelling and vocab which all three classes have, 1 -2 worksheets every night except Fridays. The other teacher, according to another friend never assigned worksheets. To me, every class should be the same, but since they aren't, it is easier for us to put them in the same room. Works out well and their First Grade teacher recommended it again.

 

At curriculum night the teachers told us homework should take approx 20 minutes per night (what a contrast to 6 minutes!!). We get a packet home on Monday, it is due on Friday but it has specific instructions for each day and it is not accepted early. I think this works out great because it does reinforce what they did each day but I can see the whole week at a glance and plan accordingly if we have something planned that could make homework time a little short or something on one night or another. We just started spelling words this week. We are getting into a rhythm and the children love doing their homework but sometimes I feel stressed about it (and this is only the beginning right?, sighh!!.

 

We get homework on Fridays and its due the next Thursday. It's generally some math and word searches with optional pages of harder work, that most likely has not been covered in daily classroom stuff. They also have daily reading assignments and the occasional poetry journal.

 

There is rarely any homework for Hayden and Brady. Occasionally Hayden won't finish something in class and will have to bring it home, but I think that's been twice since school started. They have to read 20 minutes every day, and once a month they choose a book to read and fill out a brief book report sheet about it, answering questions about the setting, characters, problems, and resolution. Other than that, there's nothing.

 

My girls get a worksheet or two every night and we study sight words and/or read every night. I also put my girls in the same class.

 

The girls had about 20 minutes (sometimes less) a night in 1st grade. Every night. A few minutes of reading and then a sheet or 2. Now in 2nd grade, we still have about 20 minutes (sometimes more) a night. 10 minutes of reading (at least) and then a math sheet and then some other sheet (spelling, sentences, etc....). Actually we were prepared for this because when they went to K (full day in Louisiana) they had A LOT of homework. Sometimes up to half an hour a night. I thought it was a lot then, but to be honest, it really prepared them for the homework now, and it seems such a breeze too. One of them had less in K and is the one who always complains about doing homework (although she has gotten better because she is realizing she doesn't have a choice!), and the one who had a lot, just does it with no problems.

 

QUOTE(momotwinsmom @ Oct 9 2008, 12:55 PM) [snapback]1018934[/snapback]
The girls had about 20 minutes (sometimes less) a night in 1st grade. Every night. A few minutes of reading and then a sheet or 2. Now in 2nd grade, we still have about 20 minutes (sometimes more) a night. 10 minutes of reading (at least) and then a math sheet and then some other sheet (spelling, sentences, etc....). Actually we were prepared for this because when they went to K (full day in Louisiana) they had A LOT of homework. Sometimes up to half an hour a night. I thought it was a lot then, but to be honest, it really prepared them for the homework now, and it seems such a breeze too. One of them had less in K and is the one who always complains about doing homework (although she has gotten better because she is realizing she doesn't have a choice!), and the one who had a lot, just does it with no problems.


OMG Heather....I thought I had it bad...but homework in Kindergarden?!

 

in 1st grade Berkley had 15 minutes of reading every night and had to complete her spelling homework between Mon-Thurs. Occasionally there was other random homework.

 

QUOTE(2girls2boys @ Oct 9 2008, 04:12 PM) [snapback]1019554[/snapback]
OMG Heather....I thought I had it bad...but homework in Kindergarden?!

Yeah, you should have seen what came home if one was out sick. Sometimes we got a packet that was to be completed by the end of the week and it had 15-20 sheets in it. It really was quite a bit for K, but it really helped shape her homework habits, to be honest.

 

We have to go thru their reading folder every night and fill out a paper about how well they read a small book that's sent home with them every night. It's really only about 20-30 minutes a night and it's amazing how they READ now!! I love watching them understand what they're reading!!

 

We had homework in K as well, packet came home on Monday and was due on Friday.

 

that does sound like too much to me.

there was a big tussle last year between parents and the PTA over homework. As a result this year 1st graders have 10 minutes of homework a night, 3 nights a week. I am thrilled!! That seems completely reasonable. They have the kids in school 5-6 hours, and if they can't get the work done in that time, then they need to rethink the curriculum, not send the extra home.

 

My girls are in the same class, Mon-Wed they bring home a book that they have to read to us. We initial a paper that says they did. They also have to study their sight words. On Thursdays they bring home a math sheet. It usually takes them less than 10 minutes which is great! I cannot believe how good they are at reading and doing math already!

 

I teach 2nd, but I know 1st at my school does pretty much the same thing.

They have to read every night for a certain period of time (my 2nd graders read 10 minutes) and answer a question (who was the story about etc). They have a math page to do (always about that day's lesson), and a spelling assignment (ABC order, 5x each etc...)...but we only give 7 words! 20 words is insane in my opinion. That is what my 5th graders had when I taught 5th!

It takes the kids about 20 minutes to do their hw, cause the math page is pretty easy as is spelling.