Homework for a 5 year old - how much involvement needed.

polzovatel wrote:
Hi,
I've got a question about homework for a 5 year old.

My opinion is that you should encourage his independence even at this
early age ,explain to the child what's needed to be done and how to
do it , let him do it by himself as much as possible, leave it as it is
if even it's not perfect and help him if he asks for assistance .

My husband seems to think that he's got to stand behind his back all
the time, point out every time when he does not form a perfect letter,
rub it out and ask him to do it again and again...
I think from such an experience the child might just hate the whole
process in the future or alternatively expect detailed instructions and
approvals from us when he's much older.

Any views?

Ask the teacher what he or she expects. It's
a very tough line to walk. On the one hand, you don't
want to get suckered into doing every bit of homework
with him every time forever and ever. You want to
foster some independence, and you also want the teacher
to see a reasonably accurate reflection of his abilities
and understanding. You also have to have a limit on
how much you nag them to correct something. If they've
made a reasonable effort, then back off and let it
stand, even if it's not perfect.
On the other hand, there is often an expectation
that parents will be heavily involved in homework. My
experience is that they don't really do much in the
classroom ensuring that they learn to form their letters
properly, and if you don't step in to some degree,
they're *royally* screwed in third grade when they
try to move to cursive because they're forming all
their letters improperly. You do need to be aware
of what's going on with the homework and make sure
that there aren't areas where he's not developing
the skills he'll need.

Best wishes,
Ericka