Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion ds does loves his kindergarten

But if the teacher doesn't have the tools or background or time to perfectly tailor a curriculum to the child's ability, isn't afterschooling the perfect way to do it? I have no desire to homeschool, but I have to afterschool in one subject. That doesn't mean my DD gets no benefit from the social aspects of school, learning to read and write there, doing music, art and PE, science, show and tell. So what is the problem with arranging with the teacher that the studying at home time will be spent doing the work that she's unable to provide between 9 and 3?

I've seen lots of arguments for homework:
- good study habits (so it doesn't matter what they're doing)
- drill and memorisation (only counts if you're actually drilling/memorising new facts)
- extra practise time (only counts if you need the extra practise)

A child's going to get more of those benefits if they're doing appropriate work.

We may have to agree to disagree. I don't believe in seeing school work, in or out of school, as something the child is doing for the teacher. Setting the work is something the teacher is doing for the child. Its being done is of no benefit to the teacher. If it isn't of benefit to the child, it shouldn't be being done.

I strongly dislike the "they'll be bored in everyday life" argument, because I see it as fundamentally off the point. In adult life, they will probably never do anything that is of no benefit to anybody. Possibly there are some jobs where there's no point in an employee thinking about whether what they're doing is of benefit to anybody, where it's best just to do what one's told, mindlessly. However, I think those jobs are rare (in fact I can't think of one, off hand) and even if they exist, I doubt that any of our children are going to those jobs.

As a university teacher, I wish more students did arrive from school with the attitude that it's their job to make sure they only spend their learning time on things that help them learn - students who want staff to take responsibility for what they spend their time on are problem students who have to be trained out of this bad habit.

Absolutely! I afterschool with DS6.5.

But the OP didn't go to the teacher yet, number one. And number two, if the teacher is requiring the homework, regardless, then it can go against the student's grade, etc...

DS gets docked points if he doesn't turn in homework. So even though we do extra Math at home (3rd-4th grade, he is in 2nd grade), he is still required to do his homework for school.

I don't think the work they do is for the teacher necessarily either. However, there are requirements that the teachers must meet with the students, and if the students are not given the work in that particular grade, the teacher cannot report correctly. If the student is not doing the addition homework because it's below his level, how can the teacher grade on whether or not he knows addition? Just because the parent says he can?

There is PLENTY in my job that is boring and below my academic level, what I would consider mindless, but I am still required to do it. I'm probably MG, and I do this job for the income and hours to be with my children, not because it is "at my level". It doesn't mean there isn't a benefit to someone for me to do it. But if I take the approach that it's "below my level" or "boring" to me, and I shouldn't have to do it, then what's the difference in that than what you are saying about the child not doing his/her homework because it's not at his/her level or it's innappropriate to him/her?

You are right, we are going to have to agree to disagree on this one.

Phew! You had me worried for a minute there. I was thinking if I shouldn't afterschool, what can I do for her?
I think you're arguing different things. I don't think Colin'smum means that this is just one mundane repetitive task in amongst a pattern of learning and our precious kids can't bear to be bored for even half an hour. I think she's saying that this is a extension of a day in which they are not challenged and this extra non-challenging work is taking time from when they could be learning how to actually work at something.

I'm sure I'm not the only parent here who learned the fine art of doing exactly nothing at school and walks away from anything that might pose a challenge. I don't intend to let my kids develop the same problems I have.

I agree that the non-challenging work is taking time away from challenging work. I think my point was mainly the fact that I am not going to tell my children they don't have to do their homework just because it's not challenging. And as a parent, I am not going to tell the teacher my child is not going to do his/her homework because it's not challenging. Instead, I am going to work WITH the teacher to see if there's something that can be worked out.

Luckily for us, DS's homework takes maybe 10 minutes each night, and most days he has it done before he comes home.


Oh believe me, you are not the only parent. I am not about to let my DC become me! I just feel there is something to be said about teaching my DC to do what is expected from school, regardless of the level of difficulty. If more challenging work is needed, then we go to the school, the teacher and/or do it at home. DC do not just get to choose not to do an assignment because it's not challenging.

But if the child is turning in work done at home on multiplication and division, shouldn't the teacher be smart enough to figure out that he knows how to do addition and should be working on something else?

When DS started 2nd grade last year, he brought home what I call the "silly sheets" for homework. I threw those away and printed out multiplication and division for him to do instead. He took that in as homework, and next time I saw his teacher she said not to worry about the silly sheets, she just gives them to everyone out of habit, and she started giving him better homework. Problem solved. She knew what he should be doing, but "take one and pass them down" was giving him stuff he didn't have to do.

My child can multiply and divide but not borrow/carry in addition/subtraction. So no, there can be (huge, gaping) holes in their knowledge or skills.

Just wanted to update everyone about the homework situation. I guess the parents complained and the teacher now doesn't give the busy work homework and for the last week it has been better. It now only takes him 15 minutes to do his homework. The school he is in has never had a g&t program before and I guess they are still trying to figure out what works and what doesn't. They really are listening to the parents and adjusting things accordingly so we are very lucky. Apparently one of the problems is that they just don't have the resources so parents are now donating books and money for games, blocks, etc. On Tuesday ds came home with a Henry and Mudge book which is near his reading level rather than really easy books. He told me he had to go to another classroom to get it though. I asked the teacher about it and she said that they didn't have books that went up that high so now they have to order them. As for the Kumon we did about 3 pages this week and that seems to be good and we were also able reading a few books extra that are at his level. This seems enough for him. Since this is the first time doing work books with him it was interesting to learn that he probably will not need to do the whole workbook to have the concepts down. I introduced him to how adding and subtraction works and showed him how people write number sentences rather than using just pictures and he seemed to catch on write away. The Kumon book is all word problems since it is what he is good at. I tried teaching him 5+1 orally a few months ago and he didn't seem to understand it that way but using the word problems that seems to click much better.

Well the start of school has proven to be quite interesting.
Apparently DS is the highest in reading level in his class but yet he only got 2 of 4 spelling words right today on their "quiz". He couldn't write the letters fast enough he said and then the teacher moved onto the next word. The teacher had written "quiz" in quotes on the note sent home so we thought it would be informal but it was quite formal with it marked and everything. I still haven't decided how I feel about grading in kindergarten. I think I am against it. We will see. Must go eat I I think I am delirious.