How on earth do schools expect the kids to do so much?? My fifth grader is gifted...makes straight A's...BUT, she has HOURS of homework everynight except Fridays already! She is miserable. She barely gets done and it is time for supper..and shortly after bed. She wants to play soccer, but I am not sure how we will manage this. Anyone have any ideas? I just can't believe how much they are giving them at this age!

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Shaking in my boots (well, if I was wearing them in the middle of summer!), but glad to be back!

I wonder if all the kids her age have that much or if it has something to do with being in the gifted classes, or since you say she makes straight A's, maybe she's a perfectionist spending longer on homework than she would have to. My dd was in gifted classes and one of her friends there had to finally drop out because the mom said she was so stressed all the time trying to make sure she made good grades. So maybe it's not the teacher, but your child...just a thought. You might want to talk to the teacher and ask her how long she thinks it should take your dd to finish her homework per night. HTH

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I am also wondering if it has something to do with being in the gifted program? My girls did not have much homework at all at that age.

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~Happiness is a large family~

If I were you I would start by taking a good look at the homework your DD is bringing home. Put her in a central location to do the work and see if she is maybe taking to long to do it, or if it is maybe an issue of struggling to get the material.

If this is an issue of too much I would then talk to the teacher and find out why so much and if class time is alotted to work on any of this.

I had this issue with my DD last year and was getting hopping mad with her 4th grade teacher because the kid was bringing home more homework every night than either of her brothers, one in middle school, the other in high school. For us though the amount of homework on the weekends actually doubled over the weeknights. IMO, school time is for school work and home time is for families, friends, relaxing, and unwinding-and playing if you're a child. We keep busy in the evenings and her homework was really getting in the way. There were many nights the work wouldn't get done and she would be in an absolute panic the next day b/c she was afraid of what her teacher would do. I finally visited with her teacher and we came to a mutual agreement very fast. I don't dictate her school day, and she won't dictate my evenings. And if the majority of DD grade is on completed homework, then I want a majority of the teachers pay. Needless to say I wasn't on the teachers pet list, but I noticed a major drop in the amount of homework being sent home.

I am not a fan of any kind of homework at all. Most people don't bring home work from their job. And this may sound cruel and uncaring but any homework that comes home in this house better be able to be done by my child without my help, else it returns the next day unfinished. I am a firm believer in if I have to do the teachers job, then I want a portion of the teachers pay. Just as the schools and teachers hold my child accountable for their work, I hold the school and teachers accountable for my childs education. God knows I pay enough in taxes every year to fund education.

One of my DS teachers said it best IMO. (her and I got along great) She doesn't give homework. What she assigns for homework she gives enough class time to complete if the class time is used wisely. Why? Cause she has a life outside the classroom and she expects her students have the same. And never once did I see DS come home with homework from her class.

I realize that our school system demands homework at all age levels b/c as they state they are trying to teach the child responsibility, but that is my job, and it started long before any of them entered school. IMO they demand homework b/c they are trying to teach these kids way too much in too short a time period. Time to go back to the basics. Of course I tend to get a little testy when DS french grade plays more heavily than his math grade. Give me a break, I live in NE, we are inundated with Mexican's and Iraqi's. If you're gonna require a foreign language class the least you could do is teach one that will help the kids to understand the conversation going on around them.

Sorry about the vent, JMO.

mommysparkles, aren't you the same one that said it was your "constitutional" right for your child to get a free calculator? (just wondering if you ever went back & saw the comments on that post). If not, sorry I have you mixed up with someone else.

I agree that children shouldn't have tons of homework and especially if it's just "busy" work, but I think it's entirely unrealistic to think that children would have NO homework. JMO

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I absolutely understand getting homework...it reinforces what they did that day, teaches them some on own responsibility, etc. TOTALLY agree with you, aliadam, on that one. However, I did ask my dd's teacher...and she just nodded, and said, yep, she realized they were bogged down...that they were trying to show them what jr high and high school would be like!! Well, I have one in jr. high and one in high school, too, and neither have EVER brought home work like this. DS is also gifted, so he takes enriched classes for his whole schedule, and DD, who struggles in school, still doesn't have this much! I am hoping that as we go along, the teachers themselves will get tired of checking it all, and we will slow down. For now, we are just praising dd for her hard work, and yesterday she got a pair of shoes as a "we are proud of you just because you are YOU". Sounds silly, but she walked to the bus with lighter steps today....and you do what you have to do.
Oh, and as far as being gifted, this homework is from her REGULAR TEACHER....NO extra at all from being gifted.

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Shaking in my boots (well, if I was wearing them in the middle of summer!), but glad to be back!

I so agree! It should not take hours and hours, but to have no homework? I think that would be irresponsible on the part of teachers. They always have "homework" they bring home in grading and lesson plans. You say that nobody brings home from work, but I beg to differ - again look at teachers. I always did, my dh does sometimes (he can't too much because of classified issues). Having homework is a way to learn responsibility and time management. It also prepares you for real life and working.

My son is only in first grade and does not bring home much homework, but it is my job (not the teachers) to help him practice his schoolwork in homework. The school and my husband and I are a team to make sure he gets a quality education. It doesn't stop just because he leaves the school's doors. JMO

I totally agree. My kids have homework every night and have since they were in Kindergarten. You can NOT learn math or spelling without doing it repeatedly. Teaching is for the classroom I agree but if a child does not practice what is taught in the classroom they will not retain it.

ANYONE who believes they deserve half of the measly pay teachers receives needs to spend a week with a teacher. As the daughter of a teacher I can assure you my dad has NEVER worked 9 to 5. He brings home homework daily. He spends MANY long hours both in the classroom and out of the classroom making sure his students are prepared for college.

I expect my kids to get the BEST education possible. That is just as much my responsibility as it is the teacher's or principal's or anyone else's. I take responsibility and play a vital role in EVERYTHING in my kids lives anyone who helps along the way is an added bonus.

Soccer might be a great outlet for her if you can squeeze in the time.

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I totally agree with this. I see education as a collaboration between the schools and the parents. I try to do everything I can to make sure my child is receiving the best education. That does not mean doing their homework for them, but it DOES mean quizzing them on spelling in preparation for a test, perhaps checking math homework if you know they're having problems and saying, "Why don't you look at #4 again?" Or offering to read an essay they've written to give feedback. Or let them practice giving a speech to you before they do in class. Children who have parents not actively involved in the education will unfortunately be the children who do not do well. I feel sorry for them.

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