Vent (again) about the school system here...

My son is almost 8 yrs old and in the 1st grade. He should actually be in 2nd but was held back in kindergarten because he wasn't prepared for 1st. He has ADHD and ICP (impulse control disorder).He is also a slow learner and gets distracted VERY easily. I have told his teacher about this on several occasions. Well it seems like she is sending more and more homework home every week. They send the weeks homework home on Modays. Today I opened up his folder to see what his assignments are and he has 9 pages of homework to do by wed night (it has to be turned in every day) and 3 different books to read EACH night. They have a short week because they are out of school this friday. This upsets me because how do they expect the children to do all this? Not just this week because it's a short school week, but at all? They dont get out of school until 3pm and when he gets home, he has a snack,and has to start his homework until around 5, we eat dinner, he gets a bath, then has to do MORE homework, his daily chores (feeding the cat, cleanin his room) then he has to read his 3 books, and goes to bed by 8.... It's like he has NO time to be a kid! I know he shouldnt take that long for him to do his homework, but he struggles with it so much that I almost have to fight him to do it because he's SO tired of doing so much.
I remember when I was in first grade they sent home MAYBE 2 pages a WEEK!
I have scheduled 2 parent-teacher meetings with her in the past because I thought 7 pages a week was a bit much, and for whatever reason she has canceled both of them. Should I contact the guidence counsulor at his school or the principal?
Im so frustrated because he is frustrated!

Ugh, I've noticed that with the kids I babysit! How are these kids supposed to be kids when they have several hours of homework to do each night?! And the kids around here are so overscheduled with soccer and scouts and whatnot...I remember the days when we would just run around and play...what's wrong with these people??

I would be curious to hear what the teacher has to say about it. Maybe she doesn't even know that she's assigning too much HW

School is not the same as when you went. The emphasis is on student achievement and school accountability.

I don't know what the homework policy is in Pinellas County, but usually about 30 minutes nightly is an acceptable amount for a primary student.

If your child has a medical diagnosis, then he is eligible for a 504 Plan under IDEA. The best person to talk about at school regarding this would be the guidance counselor.

It sounds to me like he is still struggling academically. Has further academic testing been indicated?

Now, I know I'm in a different state than you, but in my son's school district, or at least grade school, their policy is about 10 minutes x grade. So, 10 minutes a night for first graders for homework, 20 minutes for 2nd graders, and so on. In kindergarten, they had about 10 minutes of homework a week....and usually that involved "reading" a story that they had basically memorized as a class, and maybe practicing writing the ABC's.
I realize that things are different nowadays, like MA said, however, I DO feel that the amount of homework your son is bringing home is a bit excessive, and I would definitely be going to the guidance counselor, or DEMANDING a conference with both the teacher and the school principal.
I wish you luck!! Give your son lots of hugs from me! It sounds to me like he has an awful already on his plate, and this teacher is making the education process more work than it really needs to be. I know school shouldn't be all fun and games, but then again, they need to take heed from the saying, "All work and no play..."

I had to pull my daughter out of high school and let her get a GED a few years ago. Between the violence, (student and teacher) the teachers that would teach ONLY black history, the teachers that would teach nothing in class, then give them impossible amounts of homework, it was just too much for her.

My brothers & cousins are going through the same thing right now. They are all in sports and always have AT LEAST 3 - 4 hours of homework A NIGHT! They get out of school at 3, have practice til 5, come home and eat supper and then do homework until at least 10 every night. Now how is any child supposed to enjoy being a child when they are bogged down with hours upon hours of homework a night? Like you had mentioned, my brothers have a hard time academically, and its impossible to get them any help, or any help on their homework load. Sometimes I dont understand the school system, it makes me scared for what it will be like when I am ready to have children, how much worse can it get...how much can they really load on a kid?

I don't get it. I didn't have "homework" until junior high. What can a grade 1 student possibly need to do, that can't be done during classtime hours. I do remember "seat work", work sheets that we completed during class time, at our desks. Is that what they assign for "homework"?

I was on a committee through my Rotary club that was organizing a Careers Day for grade 8 students. They wanted the kids to make a "portfolio", a collection of stuff that showed their interests and skills. And they first said, it could be in any format. Then they started discussing having a standardized format, like having every student burn a cd with all their material. And this was all to be done out of class time. I spoke up, and said, basically, this is going to be a homework project, and you are requiring that every student have a scanner and cd burner. And the technical knowledge to use them (This was about 6 years ago, so not a lot of people had these). I said, you aren't giving this homework project to the kids, you are giving it to the parents.

The teachers on the committee didn't know what I was talking about.

If kids need that much extra time learning their curriculum, and then they send it all home, that turns the parents into the teachers. And the lucky kids have good teachers for parents. The unlucky ones just won't learn as much.

Grr. Can you tell this makes me mad? And I'm not even a parent.

Holy cow i didn't have homework until elementary school though I never really..did it anyway..

That sure seems like a lot for a first-grader to handle. I know learning is important, but so is social interaction with family and friends, and getting exercise to shape a strong growing body. When are children supposed to play, interacting with their families and neighborhood kids, and use their imaginations?

If these children are having to spend that much time hunched over books and writing, and using computers, I can't help but think there will probably be a huge number of musculoskeletal problems among them - even before they reach high school age.

I used to serve on a school Board and that is an excessive amount of homework for grade one -esp for a special needs child who one who has those problems. Have you talked to the teacher? Principal? Director of Student Services or person in comprable position? You would be wise to sort it out now asap.

DEB stated what I would ... No 1 grader should have that...

Now I did because of "being a slow learner" had likely an hour or two a night ... Please dont listen to the teacher , in my case that made the diagnoises come years late (5 to exact) ... If I were you I would DEMAND extensive testing ... and get an IEP ( that is what my high school called it )

Originally Posted by DixieDarlin256

My son is almost 8 yrs old and in the 1st grade. He should actually be in 2nd but was held back in kindergarten because he wasn't prepared for 1st. He has ADHD and ICP (impulse control disorder).He is also a slow learner and gets distracted VERY easily. I have told his teacher about this on several occasions. Well it seems like she is sending more and more homework home every week. They send the weeks homework home on Modays. Today I opened up his folder to see what his assignments are and he has 9 pages of homework to do by wed night (it has to be turned in every day) and 3 different books to read EACH night. They have a short week because they are out of school this friday. This upsets me because how do they expect the children to do all this? Not just this week because it's a short school week, but at all? They dont get out of school until 3pm and when he gets home, he has a snack,and has to start his homework until around 5, we eat dinner, he gets a bath, then has to do MORE homework, his daily chores (feeding the cat, cleanin his room) then he has to read his 3 books, and goes to bed by 8.... It's like he has NO time to be a kid! I know he shouldnt take that long for him to do his homework, but he struggles with it so much that I almost have to fight him to do it because he's SO tired of doing so much.

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Ahh... that brings back "fond" memories of my childhood. I can sympathise with your child since I too had quite a lot of homework growing up. Furthermore even the kindergarten that I went to also gave me quite a bit of homework. Add to the fact that the school I went kept having tests and daily quizzes (maths and spelling). And of course since the school subscribes to the policy that language is best learnt when young, spelling is not limited to one language. On top of that there was "enrichment classes" outside of school which my parents thought would be essential for me to enrol in. Come to think of it perhaps that is the reason why I never did have a bed-time.

I know it can be frustrating but I have to admit that it was quite beneficial in the long run. Since the homework is related to what was taught, it is beneficial for your child to have a quick read of what is expected to be covered the next day. He need not fully understand it but having just a glance at what is to be taught helps. Which in turn would make it easier to do the homework resulting in a more productive student, that is being able to complete more work in less time yet not allowing the quality of the work to suffer.

If there is trouble understanding the work and either you do not have the time or do not know how to help then I suggest you get a tutor. The tutor need not be someone with a Master's degree but a simple competent college student is more than adequate especially at that level. Given today's technology, it is possible to have an online tutor especially if you cannot find a person.

Originally Posted by sharky

Now I did because of "being a slow learner" had likely an hour or two a night ... Please dont listen to the teacher , in my case that made the diagnoises come years late (5 to exact) ... If I were you I would DEMAND extensive testing ... and get an IEP ( that is what my high school called it )

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An IEP (Individualized Education Plan) only comes if educational testing shows the student qualifies for exceptional education services. In most systems, there is a wait for that kind of testing and often an intervention period prior to, but if she has concerns, it's not to early to get that ball rolling.

The 504 Plan will also be able to provide some educational accommodations in the meantime.


Just to clarify, it is common for primary (1st and 2nd grade) teachers to send home all of the homework for the week in a packet, instead of making daily assignments as is done in older grades.

I sent a note to school AND called yesterday stating I demanded to speak with the teacher about this.. low and behold, he had a substitute teacher yesterday... this is the 3rd time in 3 weeks. If I don't get any response by tomorrow about the issue I am going to walk right into the school and throw a fit about it until I get some answers!

Really the fact that she was gone 3 times in three weeks has little to do with the situation. If she has gotten sick, doing an in service for the school, or many other things, it is in no way a reflection of her avoiding you. Yes it might be a little much for him at that age, but before you meet with this teacher, find out how long it takes his classmates to do the same work. If they have it done in 30 minutes, then I wouldnt say its excessive.

You have a special needs child, and he is going to need help, no way around that. As others have suggested a IEP and 504 help wouldnt be a bad idea.

As for the seat work someone commented on earlier, yes they have a lot of work that is done in class. It is honestly impossible to fit everything we need to fit in a 7 hour day that our kids are supposed to learn. With state benchmark testing, standardized testing, some schools now doing portfolios, PE requirements, art and music requirements, recess (which is being considered taken away to make more time for learning) ect. its a lot packed in.

I hear a lot of people say that oh my childs teacher is terrible, or our school systems are no good. I hear a lot of people complain and think that our job is easy. It is not, we have the third highest stress job, period. I dont know what the second is but I know the first is Airport tower control person. I think the second is ER doctor, but the third is teachers. As with any field of work, you have people that are good at their jobs, and you have those who are just trying to get to the end of the day.

No kids dont have time to be kids anymore, but teachers are not the only ones to blame. There are so many kids involved in 3 or 4 sports, dance, art lessons, music lessons, scouts, etc. that for them school and practices are not over until 8 at night. I cannot change my lesson plans around every single kids extra cirricular life because its impossible. Ever notice how the field trips have declined dramatically in recent years? not because they were not fun and great expirences, but because the time and the money are not there anymore.

Simply put, there is too much pressure being put on your children. This pressure has been put on states to have high test scores, superintendents to make sure their districts meet benchmarks, administrators to make the school look good, therefore put on teachers to make their classes perform well, and the on the students. Water rolls downhill. Is it right, no, is it a fact of life, yes. I do the best I can with my students, we have a lot of work we have to do, but we get done what we can, and what we cant they take home. I know this makes me sound like a strict teacher, but I'm not really, and I am sure your teacher isnt trying to overload your child. When you talk with her, ask if some of his reading can be sent home on friday night. This way he will have a little more time to read or do other work. An hour on Sat. and an hour Sunday evening will most likely help him out quite a bit during the week.

Now for what I tell all my parents, when your child has homework in reading, have them read outloud to you. It will make your bond stronger, help the child become a better reader and help them have more confidence.

Originally Posted by DixieDarlin256

If I don't get any response by tomorrow about the issue I am going to walk right into the school and throw a fit about it until I get some answers!

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As a school administrator, I'll advise that 'walking in and throwing a fit' is not the most efficient way to get something accomplished.

Originally Posted by Deb25

As a school administrator, I'll advise that 'walking in and throwing a fit' is not the most efficient way to get something accomplished.

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As a Mom, I agree. Just call again tomorrow, and ask for a meeting. In the meantime, write it all down, how many times you have called the teacher, and how many times you have been cancelled. If she cannot meet with you again for some reason, call the principal and ask for a meeting. Let him/her know of your concerns.

My eldest had great difficulty in school, and often had a lot of homework, because she wasn't doing the work in school, so had more to do at home. I am so glad those days are over!

My ds is in first grade. He gets one page of work nightly, usually spelling. He is also to read 15 minutes nightly. I am appalled at the amount your child has been assigned. 9 pages in 2 days, and 3 books nightly? That is excessive for any first grade child.

Finally, is your son being treated for the ADHD and ICD? His psychiatrist/therapist should be able to help you navigate the school system.