I was wondering how homework time for my 1st grader compares with other first graders. Please explain a typical homework session. For example, do you sit with your child the whole time, or do they do it on there own? Can they get through it fairly quickly without being distracted or is it a battle to get them to finish? How long does it take?
My son gets a homework packet on Mondays and he has all week to finish it. My husband sits down with him after school and they work on it together the whole time. Every once in a while there will be something he can do on his own. He is very easily distracted to the point we have to take his pencil away when my husband is explaining something to him. It is a battle to keep him focused He takes about 45 minutes to finish. Then he writes his spelling words three times each on his own. He is being treated for ADHD but I wonder if his medication is worn off by the time he gets home or if this is typical behavior for a 1st grade boy who would rather be playing then doing homework.
My daughter is in 1st grade.
My daughter is in 1st grade. She does not get a packet on Monday to do when she wants. Instead, she gets daily assignments Monday through Thursday. Friday she will come home with no homework for over the weekend.
Every night she has one math work sheet to complete. They take from 5-15 minutes to do typically.
She also always has 20 minutes (or more) of reading to do. This reading must be aloud to me (vs. alone quietly in her bedroom). Typically, her teacher assigns a book to her and we read about 2 or 3 chapters. Magic Treehouse books are big in our house!
Then, we also have spelling homework. Spelling is NOT done every night. She has to write each word 3 x's (there are 10 or 12 words) - and this is due on Wednesday. So sometimes we do that work on Monday; sometimes on Tuesday. Then, for Friday she has a practice test due, in anticipation of the real spelling test that is given on Friday at school. We typically do not do the practice test Wed. night b/c that is too far away from her real test; so we wait until Thursday after school when I dictate all 12 words to her. If she gets them all right, we are done with spelling homework. If she misses a word, she is supposed to write it again, 3 x's to ensure she gets it right for Friday's test.
That's it!
All in all - we spend 30 min. to 1hr. 4 days/wk on homework!
Happy2BMommy, is a stay-at-home mom who just turned 40 (argh!) with a 7 yr. old daughter and a 5 yr. old son, and is a discussion leader for arizonamoms.com living in Scottsdale.
In answer to your other
In answer to your other question - no we don't have many fights to get through it. We take breaks between subjects...maybe a snack after the math sheet, cuddle on the couch for the reading...
But we do it right after school each day, before she is tired and before we get involved with cooking dinner. After dinner it is time for showers, stories (when we always read to the kids) and bed!
Happy2BMommy, is a stay-at-home mom who just turned 40 (argh!) with a 7 yr. old daughter and a 5 yr. old son, and is a discussion leader for arizonamoms.com living in Scottsdale.
My first grader gets a
My first grader gets a packet on Friday due the following Thurs. I encourage him to get it done so it's done, but he does a few pages and then starts to fuss. So, we take a break. Sometimes it is a battle just to get him to do it. He promises to as soon as __________ and then later I'll ask if it's done and he'll say "oops." He is a gifted student, so for us the problem isn't so much content as attitude. I think it is very universal to have to fight and fuss to get it done at this age. He sounds like a typical boy to me. Good luck!
Lovemy4 is a discussion leader for North Central Phoenix, tired mother of 4 great kids and wife to one great husband.
I have a 1st grade boy as
I have a 1st grade boy as well. He does his homework at the same time as my 4 year old (yes, I know - homework in preschool??? But he likes it, because he's doing homework just like his big brother), so we all sit in the kitchen together. Obviously the 4yo needs constant supervision, so I am right there for my 1st grader as well. I am always monitoring and supervising, but he basically completes it on his own. We spend about 20 minutes (total) on math, spelling, and grammar each night, and then do reading later. I think 45 minutes is pushing the limits for any 1st grader's attention span, whether they are ADHD or not! Can you break it up into shorter segments? I don't want homework to become a dreaded chore for my son, and I think it helps to break it up into more manageable segments.
My second grader with ADHD
My second grader with ADHD still struggles with his homework because the medication has started to wear off by the time we start. But first grade was tougher because he had not yet been diagnosed. Homework time was usually stressful with lots of crying and frustration. When I met with his teacher about it, I realized that a lot of that was my fault, because I expected him to sit and and just work through it without a lot of involvement from me. She explained that the homework was less about getting everything done correctly and more about getting accustomed to doing homework. The expectation was NOT that he turn in perfect homework, but that he made an effort at it, and it was okay for me to help him.
Now, in second grade, he knows that he does his "quick" homework and 1-2 pages of his weekly math packet, (usually takes 10-15 minutes) right after school, and then we do the spelling list and reading at our storytime before bed. Breaking it up like that helps him not feel overwhelmed, especially for an ADHD kid.
Susan is mom to Alexander, Isabel, David and stepmom to Eric. Make sure your email address is current, we'll be giving out great prizes DAILY in September after our site makeover! Don't miss out!
My first-grader gets a
My first-grader gets a weekly packet, but he knows that we have to do a set amount of homework and reading each day. I give him a snack, drink and little play time and then tell him to get in "homework mode.'' He's pretty good but it takes about 30-45 min. And yes, he gets distracted with that silly pencil!
We typically do two pages from his packet, his daily reading assignment and then extra reading that either I do or he does (like a chapter or so). Sometimes we do something extra, like practicing alphabetizing or counting money - whatever is going on in class that week.
He sits at the kitchen table by himself and I use that time to pack his lunch and go through his school work. I'm nearby so I can answer questions and check his work.
Susie is a discussion leader in the east valley for arizonamoms.com. She has two sons, ages 7 and 3.
Similar situation for
Similar situation for us.......
My 1st grade son receives a packet on Monday with 15 spelling words and reading/writing assignments, due back to school on Friday. It takes us about an hour to complete homework each night. My son, also, has been officially diagnosed with ADHD; inability to focus on most any task at hand. Although the school has pressured me into medicating my son, I have ended that 'trial' and have chosen to wait it out to see if it's just 7 yr old boy squirming. Perhaps it's something he will grow out of or learn to cope with, rather than zombiefying his personality. It would be helpful to hear other parents' experience beyond the 1st grade. It's also comforting to hear others with the same questions and struggles.
kudos to you honeybeez81!
kudos to you honeybeez81!
bookworm_mom ~ mommy of twins