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More School Issues (warning: VERY long!)
I have been posting on and off since Julian (now in first grade) started
kindergarten about my concerns regarding what I perceive to be an overly aggressive and academically pressured educational atmosphere at our elementary school. This post would be even longer than it's likely to be as it is if I went into all of the issues that have arisen in the past, but I think I need some advice/assistance/input/insight from others to help me decide what to do about the current problems. Julian's second trimester report card came home a week ago Friday. He is doing fine academically in reading (all marks at or above grade level) and in all areas of math except for the addition and subtraction facts, in which he got a "1" (below basic; last trimester, he got a "4" which is advanced, so he has lost ground here). In addition, he is still getting poor marks in writing (all below grade level although I think I have seen a lot of improvement). Finally, he got a "Needs Improvement" in completing homework on time, making good use of class time, completing work on time, and exercising self-control. So, to address each of the problem areas one by one and why I'm concerned about them or disagree with them: Addition and subtraction facts The California state standard calls for first graders to "know the addition facts (sums) to 20 and the corresponding subtraction facts and commit them to memory". For this trimester, they were tested on the facts up to 12. I don't have a problem with teaching this (although I do think it's a LOT to expect a 6yo to memorize) but I do have a bit of an issue with the standard they're using for testing it. This standard is that the child can write the answers to 20 problems in 90 seconds. Now, I can't find anything in the state standard that says this is the only acceptable way to measure proficiency (or even that it's the preferred method), but to me, it seems like setting the kids up for failure. I mean, giving them only 2.2 second per problem doesn't really seem reasonable to me--seems like it would take at least half that time to read each problem and absorb whether it's an addition or subtraction problem, let alone the issue of actually pulling the answer from memory (I know all my addition and subtraction to 20 and have them memorized, but it can take even me a couple of seconds to get the answer sometimes) and write it down. Apparently, a lot of the kids in his class are having problems this trimester in this area (according to the mom of twins in his class--more about her and them later), so it seems to me that it's not just Julian. Meanwhile, I'm trying to come up with some games (both of my own invention and online games) to help get him up to speed, but in the final analysis, I'm just not very happy with the way the standard is being applied. Writing I'm not as worried about the writing as I am about the math facts because I think that writing naturally comes with reading, provided the fine motor skills are there. Julian's fine motor skills have always been behind the curve, and he is on the younger end of the scale for first-graders anyway. I truly believe that most of the issues (legibility, etc.) will come up to speed in second grade as his fine motor skills improve. Still, I've seen remarkable improvement in his writing (both speed and legibility) since the first trimester, so I'm somewhat surprised that his marks didn't improve. The one area in which I have an argument is in the "use of standard spelling on tests" mark. Now, it's true, we weren't doing a very good job of reviewing the spelling test words and I suppose he didn't do as well as he could have on tests as a result, but really, some of the word lists she's giving just seem very advanced for first graders. Last week, for example, it was a list of animals. The only things they had in common were that they were plural and they were animals. The ten words we cats, kittens, turtles, toads, zebras, horses, owls, ants, snakes, and one other that escapes me. Now, Julian apparently got 100% on the test, but we had to spend well over 2 hours during the week (and a full 45 minutes the night before) drilling the words to achieve that. This is in addition to the standard homework that takes 10-20 minutes to complete (though, thankfully, he has gotten much better at buckling down and doing it). I just think this is way too much for first grade. Am I crazy? Completing homework on time Okay, what gives? Maybe some of you remember, but a while back, I mentioned that the teacher said she considered homework "optional". In addition, I have been told on at least one occasion that "late homework is never a problem." So, um, if it's optional and late homework isn't a problem, how can he "need improvement" in completing it on time On top of that, at least three times this trimester, his homework went to school with him on time on Friday but was not placed in his folder where it belonged and the teacher apparently didn't bother to look any further in the backpack. Twice, this was because his folder had been left at school (which his teacher must have known, since she put it back in the backpack that afternoon) and once because his dad put it in his backpack without knowing it had to be in his folder for the teacher to find it. None of these occasions were his fault and on two other occasions when it was late, it was due to familial obligations (deaths in the family, etc.) and I noted that when the homework was returned late. So, I'm pretty annoyed about this one. I don't necessarily want her to change it, but I want her to admit that it isn't optional because it obviously isn't, and also to take a few extra seconds to look in his backpack for his homework if it's a Friday and his folder isn't in the backpack. Other areas I see so much improvement in his ability to finish his homework quickly, without getting distracted and making better use of his time that I'm having trouble understanding how he is still getting "Needs Improvement" marks in these areas. Possibly, what's happening in the classroom is very different from what's happening at home, but it's hard for me to believe that it's really harder for him to do his work in class than at home when he's got two siblings playing, making noise, pestering him (when I can't prevent it), etc. So these are areas in which I feel I need to probe his teacher for more information. Okay, so I'm trying to make an appointment to sit down with his teacher to go over his marks. I really like her very much overall and certainly don't want to lay a lot of blame at her door for some of the curriculum issues, which I think are not dictated by her so much as by the state, district, and school itself. Still, I feel we need to come to some agreement as to how much extra work we should be doing at home to master the curriculum, and at this point, it seems to me that between the math facts, spelling tests, and regular homework, we'd have to spend at least 7-8 hours per week on schoolwork to get the job done. That seems like an unreasonable amount of time when the kid's already in school for 30+ hours a week. What, has he got a full-time job now? When do kids get to be kids any more? I mentioned the mom of the twins above and she is even MORE concerned than I am. Right now, she's having trouble getting her son (a bud of Julian's) to finish his homework at all. He nearly always breaks down in tears. He's having trouble with the math facts, too, and her daughter is having trouble with both the math facts and counting coins (which, thankfully, Julian aced). They're both also having trouble with the spelling lists. It is to the point for her where both her kids are starting to say they are dumb and her son has even said he wants to die. All I can say is, what the hell are we doing to the kids with this curriculum? Julian seems relatively impervious to feeling bad about himself because he's getting poor marks in school, but it may not always be that way and I CERTAINLY don't want to see him getting that point. Okay, so that's the end of my long and perhaps disjointed rant. Any advice/thoughts for me? -- Be well, Barbara (Julian [6], Aurora [4], and Vernon's [2] mom) All opinions expressed in this post are well-reasoned and insightful. Needless to say, they are not those of my Internet Service Provider, its other subscribers or lackeys. Anyone who says otherwise is itchin' for a fight. -- with apologies to Michael Feldman |
#2
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More School Issues (warning: VERY long!)
Hi - First of all, you need to worry about YOUR son, not the twins. (The twins' mother should definitely make an appt. with the teacher to discuss the depression that the stress of homework is causing. She may also want to consult the school counselor and teacher about ways to make homework less stressful, or even get an IEP with respect to homework. But that's an entirely different story.) Next. Do NOT let your child get stressed about grades in 1st grade! Praise him where praise is due, an a LOT when he improves due to his own work. Quantity of work. Yes, it's a lot, but that seems to be coming from a higher level than the teacher. (We're getting too much as well. I HATE homework!) Be sure your son gets a good, solid hour of playing and exerise after school, along with a healthy, protein-filled snack. More than an hour is good if you can manage it. Then supper. And only then start on homework. My experience is that homework goes more quickly and easily that way. If he doesn't finish it before story time (which is what we have before bed), then get him up early in the morning and let him finish then. It goes even faster in the AM when the kids are fresh. Spelling. Have him write each spelling word down once every day. (Or do 5 a day, since he has so many.) He should copy them the first time, copy them the second time, and quiz him the third time. You can also quiz him in the car when you're going places, etc. Yes, it's too much homework. But parents need to push-back, in writing, and not just to the teacher. Primary grade homework quantity is a trend, and you need to be on record as fighting the trend. Oh, and as for losing homework in the backpack or leaving it at home .... that actually IS your child's responsibility. Get a file folder and put your son's name on it. Have the file folder go to school with his homeowrk in it if he's forgotten his folder. Make HIM responsible for checking that his homeowrk is in his backpack every day. Remind him to check the backpack just as you remind him to brush his teeth. My two cents, --Beth Kevles http://web.mit.edu/kevles/www/nomilk.html -- a page for the milk-allergic Disclaimer: Nothing in this message should be construed as medical advice. Please consult with your own medical practicioner. NOTE: No email is read at my MIT address. Use the AOL one if you would like me to reply. |
#3
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More School Issues (warning: VERY long!)
Circe wrote in message news:JAG7c.36877$Bg.32062@fed1read03... I have been posting on and off since Julian (now in first grade) started kindergarten about my concerns regarding what I perceive to be an overly aggressive and academically pressured educational atmosphere at our elementary school. This post would be even longer than it's likely to be as it is if I went into all of the issues that have arisen in the past, but I think I need some advice/assistance/input/insight from others to help me decide what to do about the current problems. Julian's second trimester report card came home a week ago Friday. He is doing fine academically in reading (all marks at or above grade level) and in all areas of math except for the addition and subtraction facts, in which he got a "1" (below basic; last trimester, he got a "4" which is advanced, so he has lost ground here). In addition, he is still getting poor marks in writing (all below grade level although I think I have seen a lot of improvement). Finally, he got a "Needs Improvement" in completing homework on time, making good use of class time, completing work on time, and exercising self-control. So, to address each of the problem areas one by one and why I'm concerned about them or disagree with them: Addition and subtraction facts The California state standard calls for first graders to "know the addition facts (sums) to 20 and the corresponding subtraction facts and commit them to memory". For this trimester, they were tested on the facts up to 12. I don't have a problem with teaching this (although I do think it's a LOT to expect a 6yo to memorize) but I do have a bit of an issue with the standard they're using for testing it. This standard is that the child can write the answers to 20 problems in 90 seconds. I've just tested dh on 20 questions +/- up to #12. He's very, very clever. And very mathematical. He could have got most places with maths-just chose chemistry for some reason! He took 30 seconds on these (+ got them all right). Okay, I didn't tell him he was under time pressure, but I think that says something about the time spent on them. Baring in mind writing, reading etc. is easy for dh, I think 90 seconds for a 6 year old would be very good going. Debbie Now, I can't find anything in the state standard that says this is the only acceptable way to measure proficiency (or even that it's the preferred method), but to me, it seems like setting the kids up for failure. I mean, giving them only 2.2 second per problem doesn't really seem reasonable to me--seems like it would take at least half that time to read each problem and absorb whether it's an addition or subtraction problem, let alone the issue of actually pulling the answer from memory (I know all my addition and subtraction to 20 and have them memorized, but it can take even me a couple of seconds to get the answer sometimes) and write it down. Apparently, a lot of the kids in his class are having problems this trimester in this area (according to the mom of twins in his class--more about her and them later), so it seems to me that it's not just Julian. |
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More School Issues (warning: VERY long!)
Beth Kevles wrote:
First of all, you need to worry about YOUR son, not the twins. (The twins' mother should definitely make an appt. with the teacher to discuss the depression that the stress of homework is causing. She may also want to consult the school counselor and teacher about ways to make homework less stressful, or even get an IEP with respect to homework. But that's an entirely different story.) Well, I provided that information primarily because I wanted to make it clear that we don't seem to be the only family struggling with the curriculum. Next. Do NOT let your child get stressed about grades in 1st grade! He's not. *I'm* concerned, however, particularly about the math, because if he doesn't get the facts down this year, *next* year they start multiplication and division and then he's *really* going to be lost. So if he's getting a "1", that indicates he's *well* below grade level, that concerns me. Quantity of work. Yes, it's a lot, but that seems to be coming from a higher level than the teacher. (We're getting too much as well. I HATE homework!) It's really just getting out of hand. And this is the other reason I brought up the other parent and her kids. I'm just starting to think we have to wage an all-out grassroots campaign against the ridiculous amounts of homework we're seeing for our kids these days. It's absurd! Be sure your son gets a good, solid hour of playing and exerise after school, along with a healthy, protein-filled snack. More than an hour is good if you can manage it. Then supper. And only then start on homework. My experience is that homework goes more quickly and easily that way. Actually, we *never* do homework here until after 5pm because that's when I finish working. My nanny speaks mostly Spanish and can't help him with it. He usually does it in the kitchen while I'm cooking dinner, setting the table, etc. It's nearly impossible, however, for us to do homework after dinner since it is rarely served before 7pm due to my husband's schedule and by the time dinner's over and put away, it's bedtime. If he doesn't finish it before story time (which is what we have before bed), then get him up early in the morning and let him finish then. It goes even faster in the AM when the kids are fresh. You haven't gotten MY son out of bed g. I dread the teen years if it's this hard at 6.5yo! (And we *have* been doing a pretty good job of getting him to bed early enough in the past couple of weeks.) Spelling. Have him write each spelling word down once every day. (Or do 5 a day, since he has so many.) He should copy them the first time, copy them the second time, and quiz him the third time. You can also quiz him in the car when you're going places, etc. We do all of this. It's still too much. Yes, it's too much homework. But parents need to push-back, in writing, and not just to the teacher. Primary grade homework quantity is a trend, and you need to be on record as fighting the trend. I agree. Oh, and as for losing homework in the backpack or leaving it at home ... that actually IS your child's responsibility. He never left it at home when it was completed. And, frankly, this is just something I have always done for him since kindergarten. You're right that he needs to take over the responsibility for it, though. It's just not something we've transferred to him yet, primarily because we're lazy! -- Be well, Barbara (Julian [6], Aurora [4], and Vernon's [2] mom) All opinions expressed in this post are well-reasoned and insightful. Needless to say, they are not those of my Internet Service Provider, its other subscribers or lackeys. Anyone who says otherwise is itchin' for a fight. -- with apologies to Michael Feldman |
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More School Issues (warning: VERY long!)
Welches wrote:
I've just tested dh on 20 questions +/- up to #12. He's very, very clever. And very mathematical. He could have got most places with maths-just chose chemistry for some reason! He took 30 seconds on these (+ got them all right). Okay, I didn't tell him he was under time pressure, but I think that says something about the time spent on them. Baring in mind writing, reading etc. is easy for dh, I think 90 seconds for a 6 year old would be very good going. Hmmm, well, I wouldn't go by what an adult could do. These kids are just learning these facts; adults have been using them/acquainted with them for many years. Also, adults read and write much more quickly than children. I'm sure *I* could do it within 30-60 seconds, but there are a *lot* of things that I could do in 30-60 seconds that my son knows *how* to do (like write 2-3 simple sentences) that he couldn't do in twice the time in takes me. I've had lots of practice; he hasn't. As I mentioned, my son isn't the only one who has had trouble with these timed tests. So it's clearly not *necessarily* "easy going" for a 6yo. It may be for some. I'm just not sure it's reasonable as the *only* test for this particular skill. Maybe as *one* test, but I think there ought to be other ways for the kids to prove competence. -- Be well, Barbara (Julian [6], Aurora [4], and Vernon's [2] mom) All opinions expressed in this post are well-reasoned and insightful. Needless to say, they are not those of my Internet Service Provider, its other subscribers or lackeys. Anyone who says otherwise is itchin' for a fight. -- with apologies to Michael Feldman |
#6
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More School Issues (warning: VERY long!)
Circe wrote in message news:EyH7c.36883$Bg.7846@fed1read03... Welches wrote: I've just tested dh on 20 questions +/- up to #12. He's very, very clever. And very mathematical. He could have got most places with maths-just chose chemistry for some reason! He took 30 seconds on these (+ got them all right). Okay, I didn't tell him he was under time pressure, but I think that says something about the time spent on them. Baring in mind writing, reading etc. is easy for dh, I think 90 seconds for a 6 year old would be very good going. Hmmm, well, I wouldn't go by what an adult could do. These kids are just learning these facts; adults have been using them/acquainted with them for many years. Also, adults read and write much more quickly than children. I'm sure *I* could do it within 30-60 seconds, but there are a *lot* of things that I could do in 30-60 seconds that my son knows *how* to do (like write 2-3 simple sentences) that he couldn't do in twice the time in takes me. I've had lots of practice; he hasn't. Sorry, that came across totally opposite to what I meant: I meant if dh took 30 seconds, I would expect it to be a very quick (and very able too) 6 year old to manage to do it in 90 seconds. Dh also wasn't under test conditions which makes it easier for him. I'll bet the teacher makes a fuss about their handwriting in the test too (knowing infant teachers) which dh would be peanalised on!! :-) As I mentioned, my son isn't the only one who has had trouble with these timed tests. So it's clearly not *necessarily* "easy going" for a 6yo. It may be for some. I'm just not sure it's reasonable as the *only* test for this particular skill. Maybe as *one* test, but I think there ought to be other ways for the kids to prove competence. -- I wouldn't think speed at this age for maths was any good as a test. A good mathematician may not have the verbal/writing ability to get it across quickly anyway. Obviously not giving unlimited time, but I wouldn't time pressure at age 6 to find out how good they are at maths. Debbie |
#7
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More School Issues (warning: VERY long!)
Welches wrote:
Circe wrote in message news:EyH7c.36883$Bg.7846@fed1read03... Welches wrote: I've just tested dh on 20 questions +/- up to #12. He's very, very clever. And very mathematical. He could have got most places with maths-just chose chemistry for some reason! He took 30 seconds on these (+ got them all right). Okay, I didn't tell him he was under time pressure, but I think that says something about the time spent on them. Baring in mind writing, reading etc. is easy for dh, I think 90 seconds for a 6 year old would be very good going. Hmmm, well, I wouldn't go by what an adult could do. These kids are just learning these facts; adults have been using them/acquainted with them for many years. Also, adults read and write much more quickly than children. I'm sure *I* could do it within 30-60 seconds, but there are a *lot* of things that I could do in 30-60 seconds that my son knows *how* to do (like write 2-3 simple sentences) that he couldn't do in twice the time in takes me. I've had lots of practice; he hasn't. Sorry, that came across totally opposite to what I meant: I meant if dh took 30 seconds, I would expect it to be a very quick (and very able too) 6 year old to manage to do it in 90 seconds. Ah, I'm sorry. I see now. This is a case where I didn't read you "British" enough--very "good" going has a different sense in British English than American English! As I mentioned, my son isn't the only one who has had trouble with these timed tests. So it's clearly not *necessarily* "easy going" for a 6yo. It may be for some. I'm just not sure it's reasonable as the *only* test for this particular skill. Maybe as *one* test, but I think there ought to be other ways for the kids to prove competence. -- I wouldn't think speed at this age for maths was any good as a test. A good mathematician may not have the verbal/writing ability to get it across quickly anyway. Obviously not giving unlimited time, but I wouldn't time pressure at age 6 to find out how good they are at maths. I agree. It seems very over the top. To add to the over-the-topness, they practice these timed tests several times each day. Ugh! -- Be well, Barbara (Julian [6], Aurora [4], and Vernon's [2] mom) All opinions expressed in this post are well-reasoned and insightful. Needless to say, they are not those of my Internet Service Provider, its other subscribers or lackeys. Anyone who says otherwise is itchin' for a fight. -- with apologies to Michael Feldman |
#8
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More School Issues (warning: VERY long!)
Circe wrote in message news2I7c.36885$Bg.6147@fed1read03... Welches wrote: Circe wrote in message news:EyH7c.36883$Bg.7846@fed1read03... Welches wrote: I've just tested dh on 20 questions +/- up to #12. He's very, very clever. And very mathematical. He could have got most places with maths-just chose chemistry for some reason! He took 30 seconds on these (+ got them all right). Okay, I didn't tell him he was under time pressure, but I think that says something about the time spent on them. Baring in mind writing, reading etc. is easy for dh, I think 90 seconds for a 6 year old would be very good going. Hmmm, well, I wouldn't go by what an adult could do. These kids are just learning these facts; adults have been using them/acquainted with them for many years. Also, adults read and write much more quickly than children. I'm sure *I* could do it within 30-60 seconds, but there are a *lot* of things that I could do in 30-60 seconds that my son knows *how* to do (like write 2-3 simple sentences) that he couldn't do in twice the time in takes me. I've had lots of practice; he hasn't. Sorry, that came across totally opposite to what I meant: I meant if dh took 30 seconds, I would expect it to be a very quick (and very able too) 6 year old to manage to do it in 90 seconds. Ah, I'm sorry. I see now. This is a case where I didn't read you "British" enough--very "good" going has a different sense in British English than American English! LOL It's when you Americans talk about pants I get confused... As I mentioned, my son isn't the only one who has had trouble with these timed tests. So it's clearly not *necessarily* "easy going" for a 6yo. It may be for some. I'm just not sure it's reasonable as the *only* test for this particular skill. Maybe as *one* test, but I think there ought to be other ways for the kids to prove competence. -- I wouldn't think speed at this age for maths was any good as a test. A good mathematician may not have the verbal/writing ability to get it across quickly anyway. Obviously not giving unlimited time, but I wouldn't time pressure at age 6 to find out how good they are at maths. I agree. It seems very over the top. To add to the over-the-topness, they practice these timed tests several times each day. Ugh! And I thought the literacy and numeracy hour (current fad for UK schools) were OTT. Debbie |
#9
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More School Issues (warning: VERY long!)
"Circe" wrote in message news:JAG7c.36877$Bg.32062@fed1read03... I have been posting on and off since Julian (now in first grade) started kindergarten about my concerns regarding what I perceive to be an overly aggressive and academically pressured educational atmosphere at our elementary school. This post would be even longer than it's likely to be as it is if I went into all of the issues that have arisen in the past, but I think I need some advice/assistance/input/insight from others to help me decide what to do about the current problems. Julian's second trimester report card came home a week ago Friday. He is doing fine academically in reading (all marks at or above grade level) and in all areas of math except for the addition and subtraction facts, in which he got a "1" (below basic; last trimester, he got a "4" which is advanced, so he has lost ground here). In addition, he is still getting poor marks in writing (all below grade level although I think I have seen a lot of improvement). Finally, he got a "Needs Improvement" in completing homework on time, making good use of class time, completing work on time, and exercising self-control. So, to address each of the problem areas one by one and why I'm concerned about them or disagree with them: Addition and subtraction facts The California state standard calls for first graders to "know the addition facts (sums) to 20 and the corresponding subtraction facts and commit them to memory". For this trimester, they were tested on the facts up to 12. I don't have a problem with teaching this (although I do think it's a LOT to expect a 6yo to memorize) but I do have a bit of an issue with the standard they're using for testing it. This standard is that the child can write the answers to 20 problems in 90 seconds. Now, I can't find anything in the state standard that says this is the only acceptable way to measure proficiency (or even that it's the preferred method), but to me, it seems like setting the kids up for failure. I mean, giving them only 2.2 second per problem doesn't really seem reasonable to me--seems like it would take at least half that time to read each problem and absorb whether it's an addition or subtraction problem, let alone the issue of actually pulling the answer from memory (I know all my addition and subtraction to 20 and have them memorized, but it can take even me a couple of seconds to get the answer sometimes) and write it down. Apparently, a lot of the kids in his class are having problems this trimester in this area (according to the mom of twins in his class--more about her and them later), so it seems to me that it's not just Julian. Meanwhile, I'm trying to come up with some games (both of my own invention and online games) to help get him up to speed, but in the final analysis, I'm just not very happy with the way the standard is being applied. This seems like a VERY bad way to assess knowledge of the facts, simply because of fine motor skills requirements. I know I would have had real trouble with this at this age, because my motor skills were several years behind the curve all the way through school. I would find out if any other forms of assessment are used, or if they could be used. Writing I'm not as worried about the writing as I am about the math facts because I think that writing naturally comes with reading, provided the fine motor skills are there. Julian's fine motor skills have always been behind the curve, and he is on the younger end of the scale for first-graders anyway. I truly believe that most of the issues (legibility, etc.) will come up to speed in second grade as his fine motor skills improve. Still, I've seen remarkable improvement in his writing (both speed and legibility) since the first trimester, so I'm somewhat surprised that his marks didn't improve. The one area in which I have an argument is in the "use of standard spelling on tests" mark. Now, it's true, we weren't doing a very good job of reviewing the spelling test words and I suppose he didn't do as well as he could have on tests as a result, but really, some of the word lists she's giving just seem very advanced for first graders. Last week, for example, it was a list of animals. The only things they had in common were that they were plural and they were animals. The ten words we cats, kittens, turtles, toads, zebras, horses, owls, ants, snakes, and one other that escapes me. Now, Julian apparently got 100% on the test, but we had to spend well over 2 hours during the week (and a full 45 minutes the night before) drilling the words to achieve that. This is in addition to the standard homework that takes 10-20 minutes to complete (though, thankfully, he has gotten much better at buckling down and doing it). I just think this is way too much for first grade. Am I crazy? Our grade 1's do spelling words from phonetic lists and sight word lists-so you might have all words which have the same spelling pattern. This seems very advanced to me for 1st grade. Completing homework on time Okay, what gives? Maybe some of you remember, but a while back, I mentioned that the teacher said she considered homework "optional". In addition, I have been told on at least one occasion that "late homework is never a problem." So, um, if it's optional and late homework isn't a problem, how can he "need improvement" in completing it on time On top of that, at least three times this trimester, his homework went to school with him on time on Friday but was not placed in his folder where it belonged and the teacher apparently didn't bother to look any further in the backpack. Twice, this was because his folder had been left at school (which his teacher must have known, since she put it back in the backpack that afternoon) and once because his dad put it in his backpack without knowing it had to be in his folder for the teacher to find it. None of these occasions were his fault and on two other occasions when it was late, it was due to familial obligations (deaths in the family, etc.) and I noted that when the homework was returned late. So, I'm pretty annoyed about this one. I don't necessarily want her to change it, but I want her to admit that it isn't optional because it obviously isn't, and also to take a few extra seconds to look in his backpack for his homework if it's a Friday and his folder isn't in the backpack. I tend to feel that homework, except for reading at home, is totally unnecessary at 1st grade anyway, so I have real problems with there being a place on the report card for it at all!! In general (including the stuff I snipped), I think meeting with the teacher is in order, especially to find out what this all means-if it is FYI, that's fine-if it will affect which grade or class he is in next year, that's another thing entirely. |
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More School Issues (warning: VERY long!)
Donna ) wrote:
In general (including the stuff I snipped), I think meeting with the teacher is in order, especially to find out what this all means-if it is FYI, that's fine-if it will affect which grade or class he is in next year, that's another thing entirely. I agree entirely. If they're teaching spelling with tests *at all* in first grade (which I don't even believe in, I don't think they do a lick of good), they ought to be doing it with words that reinforce their knowledge of phonetic rules. A random list of animals is no use at all. Incidentally, the California first-grade standard regarding spelling is "Spell three- and four-letter short-vowel words and grade-level-appropriate sight words correctly." --Helen |
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