General Discussion

LWolf

(46,179 posts)

14. That's too much.

Tue Sep 2, 2014, 08:23 AM

Sep 2014

I have a couple of questions, and some suggestions.

Does your daughter have an IEP? The solution is quick and easy if she does. If not:

How focused is she? Is she using her time efficiently, or does she spend a lot of time day dreaming, getting drinks, dropping the pencil, sharpening the pencil, going to the bathroom, etc.? Are the tv and any other distractions off? Some extra time may be due to some of the above. At least, it is for my 6th graders.

As far as the homework itself? I honestly can't think of any good reason to copy things from a book. Are any of the homework assignments actually purposeful practice? Those are what I'd concentrate on. As for the book copying, get in touch with the teacher, and in a warm, cordial manner, ask what standard the copying is addressing.

Check or demerit...I don't know what state you're in, but the current obsession with "proficiency" has, in some places, determined that homework shouldn't be graded. Or practice of any kind. That could be the issue, and if so, it comes from the district and state, not the teacher. In your conversation about homework, you could ask the teacher to explain the grading system, and why some things get grades and others don't.

Those answers can determine where to go from there.

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How much homework for a child is too much? My grand daughter spends at least four hours on [View all] mfcorey1 Sep 2014 OP

That's per night? It seems an awful lot for a 6th grader... Violet_Crumble Sep 2014 #1

It varies from day to day, but not less than two hours. I should amend to say up to four hours. mfcorey1 Sep 2014 #5

As a retired teacher and admin, I find this unacceptable and reprehensible. It should be criminal. NYC_SKP Sep 2014 #34

My sixth grade teacher prepared me for academic success Generic Other Sep 2014 #60

Excellent, but anecdotal. And, in some cases illegal and/or impossible. NYC_SKP Sep 2014 #62

I always felt she was a slavedriver Generic Other Sep 2014 #68

taught for 30 years. 20 minutes a night and doesn't count a half hour to an hour just reading roguevalley Sep 2014 #78

That teacher is lazy. DetlefK Sep 2014 #2

destroying a child's love of learning ProdigalJunkMail Sep 2014 #3

Agreed. Hemmingway Sep 2014 #4

nailed it... ProdigalJunkMail Sep 2014 #10

That's exactly what I'd call it. Heidi Sep 2014 #13

exactly...when i'd act up i would be assigned a page in the dictionary ProdigalJunkMail Sep 2014 #16

My son in in 8th grade and has about an hour a night. RiffRandell Sep 2014 #6

as an aside...I have an 8th grade boy, too cyberswede Sep 2014 #21

Awww...cool! RiffRandell Sep 2014 #23

Yes, I have a 6th grade daughter, too. cyberswede Sep 2014 #24

That's good that she loves it. RiffRandell Sep 2014 #29

It has to be hard to levy the same amount of avebury Sep 2014 #7

My take on this is lots of homework indicates a poor curriculum and inept teachers. n/t RKP5637 Sep 2014 #8

Thank the NCLB and privatizers MattBaggins Sep 2014 #35

Sad, isn't it anymore. The worst floats to the top. Greed rules, shenanigans rule and RKP5637 Sep 2014 #47

Every night or is this a week's worth TBF Sep 2014 #9

Every night mfcorey1 Sep 2014 #12

Too much is my thought - TBF Sep 2014 #26

I suppose anything is possible, but it's unlikely to have copying large sections of a book. Sancho Sep 2014 #11

That's too much. LWolf Sep 2014 #14

I second this... YvonneCa Sep 2014 #65

My son is in fourth grade and every night he also has about two to three hours abelenkpe Sep 2014 #15

Poor kid! RiffRandell Sep 2014 #17

If he's diagnosed with dyslexia, SheilaT Sep 2014 #18

Not anymore. Arne wants ALL kids to be able to take IB classes. madfloridian Sep 2014 #46

I did not see that all schools have SheilaT Sep 2014 #59

When funds start to be denied for non-compliance with Dept of Ed... madfloridian Sep 2014 #61

Get an IEP if you don't already have one kcr Sep 2014 #41

Working on it! abelenkpe Sep 2014 #50

Good luck! kcr Sep 2014 #54

Stay firm and keep making noise Ilsa Sep 2014 #74

I taught. Are_grits_groceries Sep 2014 #19

Can you talk with other parents and group up? JaydenD Sep 2014 #20

I have a 6th grader, too. cyberswede Sep 2014 #22

Way too much. AngryAmish Sep 2014 #25

How about a new system entirely? hedgehog Sep 2014 #27

Regardless of hours, that is the wrong kind of homework. merrily Sep 2014 #28

The guideline is generally 30 mins per grade, max. LeftyMom Sep 2014 #30

Where on Earth did you find that figure? Six hours in 12th grade, really? NYC_SKP Sep 2014 #31

EGUSD has used that guideline since forever. LeftyMom Sep 2014 #33

Elk Grove? I've got a bunch of teacher friends there. They have some strong programs. NYC_SKP Sep 2014 #36

PS: Grade 12 x 30 minutes = 6 hours/night. NYC_SKP Sep 2014 #37

I'm not sure what you're arguing about. I said in my post that LeftyMom Sep 2014 #38

EGUSD: Sixth grade: 1 hour 15 minutes, Four Nights per Week. (link) NYC_SKP Sep 2014 #39

That's minimum. I'm talking about the maximum guideline. LeftyMom Sep 2014 #43

Three hours for 6th grade. But the same formula for 12th would mean 6 hours -- pnwmom Sep 2014 #42

I said I thought it was excessive, did I not? LeftyMom Sep 2014 #44

Yes. But you still appeared to claim that that was the guideline. pnwmom Sep 2014 #45

It's not your fault that some people have no ability to comprehend the written word. TalkingDog Sep 2014 #63

That was also the guideline in our district (PA). femmocrat Sep 2014 #56

12 times thirty minutes is six hours treestar Sep 2014 #71

But 12 times 30 minutes IS 6 hours, so that formula tblue37 Sep 2014 #76

We're about to find out underpants Sep 2014 #32

The top school system in the world, Finland's, gives NO homework: Arugula Latte Sep 2014 #40

they get her all day, if she isn't learning what she needs in that time, they suck at their jobs J_J_ Sep 2014 #48

I didn't do that much homework on a typical night in university Sen. Walter Sobchak Sep 2014 #49

That's too much gollygee Sep 2014 #51

Awful, elleng Sep 2014 #52

That's as much as I got sixty years ago but at least I got a Cleita Sep 2014 #53

Unless there is some specific reason for her... Mike Nelson Sep 2014 #55

Do you have custody of your granddaughter? femmocrat Sep 2014 #57

No, I do not have custody but am concerned and involved in the academic growth of my mfcorey1 Sep 2014 #66

Copying spelling words is different than copying passages. Repetition is one way all humans KittyWampus Sep 2014 #75

There is a lot of teacher-bashing going on in this thread. femmocrat Sep 2014 #77

There is no teacher bashing. I posed a simple question and sought input. Do not assume mfcorey1 Sep 2014 #81

I doubt my students get that much a la izquierda Sep 2014 #58

Our K-8 school had a philosophy of 10 minutes per grade, so a 6th grader would have 60 minutes MissB Sep 2014 #64

Ten minutes per grade seems pretty common. demmiblue Sep 2014 #70

As a child, I would have refused such treatment... kentuck Sep 2014 #67

Very odd. treestar Sep 2014 #69

I was in a gifted and talented fifth grade class that assigned tons of homework Lydia Leftcoast Sep 2014 #72

My kids usually do about 4 hours a night. dilby Sep 2014 #73

Starting early on the slave laborer conditioning. Good luck. lonestarnot Sep 2014 #79

That is too much Marrah_G Sep 2014 #80