do you assign your kids homework

[workingmom]

Do you assign your younger elementary kids homework on days your not homeschooling (like if you're on a 4 day week)? I thought I'd do it so ds (2nd grade) gets in the habit of being responsible for his assignments. The two days I work, I send him with two pages of spelling workout and a math drill. He hates doing hw there and would rather play with the other kids (its a group daycare). He said he's rather do his math drill in the evening before dinner and today he did it and even his spelling/handwriting was beautiful when done at home rather than there.

So I'm reading this book "The case against homework" and it started me thinking why really do I need to assign him homework. We get our "work" done during our regular days, I just wanted to keep math drills up on all days. But I guess if he's willing to do it when he gets home those two days, what's the big deal.

[AudreyTN]

My kids beg for homework. Goofy kids. :D

If they didn't ask for it though, I probably wouldn't give them any.

[Ellie]

Nope. Never ocurred to me to do that. And if we were doing a 4-day-a-week schedule, why would I assign homework for the fifth day? Then we wouldn't be doing 4 days a week.

[Alana in Canada]

workingmom--I think it's a great habit for him to get into--doing work on his own, without direct supervision! He's already figured out "when" it is best for him to do--that's terrific.

I strongly encourage you to continue this little training in independence and responsibility. (See, it's not just homework!)

[Julie in MN]

No homework here. Don't need it with 1-on-1 tutoring.

But we have "school hours" when only educational stuff is allowed.

[nmoira]

No. I could see assigning work later on with specific due dates, but not homework per se.

[Mari]

It's something I reluctantly just started with my ds. It's been hard motivating him lately and we seemed to take so much time on one subject after another. I felt as if we weren't progressing as I had hoped despite his ability to grasp the material. So, in math for instance, our lessons would go well but he would dawdle so long at completing the exercises even though I was sure he could do the work. It's just that laziness had crept in. But boy as soon as the doorbell would ring with kids wanting to play he was ready to run out the door, KWIM? So everyday I tell him what needs to be completed within a reasonable amount of time for each subject. Whatever is not done goes in the homework folder for him to complete before doing ANYTHING else he wants to do outside our normal school hours.

[Julie in MN]

So, in math for instance, our lessons would go well but he would dawdle so long at completing the exercises even though I was sure he could do the work.

Oh, I forgot about dawdling. We do "homework" for that, too. Usually just the threat is enough: Okay, we've spent long enough on this; you can finish it at 2:30... This causes the impossible to suddenly happen!

[dmmosher]

My girls let me know that they really don't like SWO, so we started SP this year and all love it. Not one to waste things, I told them they had to finish the SWO book that we purchased and got half way through. There are only 10 or so lessons left to go. So just recently I picked out a SWO lesson on Mondays and told them it had to be finished by Friday. I don't care when they work on it, I just want to see it done (and done well) on Friday. So, I guess this could be considered "homework".

But I don't do it for anything else. Not having to deal with homework is one of the reasons I love homeschooling! When we're done for the day they can just be kids and have a life, or do their chores, or help me bake or read a book or, or . . .

[sgmaddox]

Lately, I have had to for my son, he has been doing his Math using the scratch paper and not transfering the answers to the assignment. He was not motivated to do what was required, so Sunday before he could watch the SB, he had to complete his assignment that he had done really sloppy. I really did not want to do it, but I wanted him to understand that when he gets into college, a teacher is not going to sift through his scratch paper and look for the correct answers to his work. Yesterday, he made sure that he wrote the number to the problem on scratch paper just in case he forgot to put the answers on the assignment, so he could go back and transfer the answers.

[MIch elle]

because we ski on Friday's and he has to complete 4 days of work at the very least.

Your dc are too young for homework! :D

[Colleen in NS]

Do you assign your younger elementary kids homework on days your not homeschooling (like if you're on a 4 day week)?

I don't give homework for my elementary kids on a 4 day week schedule. The work I want them to do gets done during our lesson/tutoring times.

As ds has been going through grade 5 this year, though, some of his assigned work has been spilling over to the afternoon, though, and some to Fridays. I don't even call it homework though, I just think of it as work that I want him to do (finish math problems, do Latin exercises, complete the history map activities, etc.). I don't give him "busywork" just to say he has "homework" though.

I think if you want your son to do math drills on other days, do them at whatever time you think works and don't bother calling it homework. It's just work that you've deemed necessary and he has to do it. And bonus that he's happy about it and doing a good job!

[Parrothead]

Mine gets homework when she doesn't use my time wisely. If she has a two page math assignment and uses all the 45 minutes I allot for math playing and doesn't finish the assignment, she has the left over as homework on her time.

Other than something like that, no, no homework.

[angela in ohio]

I do (sort of,) but I wouldn't in that situation.

I teach all the lessons, and then older dc (from about 2nd grade) have additional work: read the chapter, write a response, answer questions, etc. It is usually due when we meet the next time for that class (the next day, a few days later, or the next week, depending on what it is.)

I expect a LOT of maturity our of my dc, but I wouldn't expect a 2nd grader to complete school work in an environment like that. (daycare with all other kids playing.)

[workingmom]

thanks for all the advice. i think you're tight about him finding out which time works for him and letting him do it then. so we'll try for a few weeks him doing it before dinner and if does a good job and sets a good example for his little brother we'll just keep it at that. i also hate the concept of busywork but i want the math drills and handwriting to be a daily habit even if its just 5 minutes total.

[ilovemy4kids]

Yes, we have "homework" most days. Usually it is just something they can do on their own. Grammar, a math lesson, reading, etc.... but it doesn't involve me. They are given a 3x5 card with 1 or 2 "homework" items in the morning. They are responsible to complete them during times when I am not teaching and show them completed by dinner.
Blessings
Sandra

[WendyK]

No not at this point. My son is 7. I would consider that for junior high or high school level though.