Ebi-kun gets homework everyday, this is quite a shocker for me, when I was his age we had maybe a spelling list to go through once a week and occasionally a project or something to do but I am pretty sure we didn't have daily homework until we got to middle school.
He has a folder, the top picture. On the right is his writing practice, he has to copy whatever is on that sheet and on the left is reading. The sheet has the book and page number then the parent has to fill in the rest of the form.
1. Sitting up straight
2. Loud voice
3. Clear voice
4. Amount of times he read the page
5. Parent hanko or signature
6. Sensei's hanko
Now he has maths cards to read through too so we have to add an extra circle in the margin to say he read those too. *phew*
As soon as he started school I set the rule that he has to do his homework as soon as he gets home and he isn't allowed to go and play until it is done. He is pretty good at getting on and doing it and if he has arranged a playmate he is extra motivated to get it done quickly. If he isn't faffing around he can get it done and his bag packed for the next day in about 15 minutes.
So, I am wondering, do your kids get homework? If so who much do they get a day?
Daughter 1 who is 10 gets about 20 mins a night plus reading
ReplyDeleteDaughter 2 who is 7 gets 15 minutes reading plus spellings (takes about 5 mintues) and then a homework at the weekend.
Times have changed since you were at school. Primary ages children getting homework is common.
tiz true! I am starting to feel like a dinosaur...when I was a kid....!
DeleteMy son, who turned 6 in April, just finished a year of kindergarden-level at a Montessori school.
ReplyDeleteHe had homework each night, Monday to Thursday. Sometimes there was a math sheet to do over the course of the week and sometimes there was a book report that was due over 1-3 weeks.
Primarily the work he had to do Monday thru Wednesday was one page related to their spelling words of the week. On Thursday nights, he had to identify the misspelled spelling words in a paragraph, then re-write the paragraph with the words correctly spelled. Thursday got even busier with the added assignment of authoring an additional paragraph from 6-10 sentences (varied by assignment). Thursday nights occasionally did not go well.
I shall implement the homework first thing policy in the Fall!
I remember my high school days I would have double homework on a Tuesday which was also scout night and I had my horses to deal with so it was always a mad rush to get it all done, I think what made it worse was one of the subjects was maths, which I struggled with so my homework too even longer...
DeleteI am very much a supporter of 'get it out the way' mode of thinking, then the rest of the day/weekend is free.
Dd1 is in second grade now and usually has two pages (math and or kanji) of drills plus reading. Journal on the weekend. We also have a homework first policy, but we live 2.5 km from the school, so she doesn't get home until almost 4:00, 4:45 on Tuesdays. And neighborhood kids can only play until 5:00, so she doesn't have time to play with friends after school, which is kind of sad IMO. We do play outside in the yard or practice unicycle/bicycle/walking with her sisters, but she can only play with friends on early dismissal days :(
ReplyDeleteEbi-kun gets in any time from 3.30 - 4.00pm and is usually the first one in when playing with his friends, the rest play until 6pm but we eat between 5.30pm and 6pm so I usually say he can play until 5.30pm.
ReplyDeleteI haven't decided what to do once the winter gets here, the 'go home' music at the park gets played at 4.30pm. That said, he does have a couple of friends that come in and play so I suppose we will stick to the same rule but they will have to play inside.
Get used to it. DS has had homework EVERY SINGLE DAY since he started first grade. Plus summer/winter/spring homework of course. :-)
ReplyDeleteWe have an ice cream first homework. I do not make him do his homework right away, he rests and starts later. He has had a tiring day at school, gets out around 4:00, walks home and arrives home at 4:30, so I figure a break is acceptable as long as he gets it done (which he faithfully does.)
I agree, Ebi-kun usually has a drink or ice-lolly before he starts but he isn't allowed out to play until he has done it. It is a long day for the kids, I feel sorry for the kids with parents who then push juku and 74 other classes on the on top. i used to teach some kids who were dead on their feet! I suppose it is training for the salaryman lifestyle *cringe*
DeleteMy 7 year old has had Mon-Thurs homework since 1st grade. In 1st and 2nd grade at our school the homework is sent home on Monday and must be completed and turned in on Friday so you can adjust the pace to your schedule/temperament. Starting next year (3rd grade) it becomes daily and is due the following day, which will be much more challenging for us because of our after-school schedules.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea that you can adjust when you do the work, I think that would take the pressure off especially if you have an extra activity on a certain day.
DeleteMy first grader here in the US has homework Monday thru Thursday. Sometimes spelling exercises, sometimes writing a power outline and essay, plus 3 english language arts workbook pages and about 4 workbook pages of Math, and at least 30 minutes reading each day. He takes a rest when he gets home, eats, plays and do homework later. The days we have had to get thru writing essays are very time consuming and we both can get quite cranky. Luckily they are not the majority of days. We only did extracurricular activity class one day a week (rockclimbing class)this year because more than that would be just too much for our little family. His school is demanding and we knew that going in, but he loves it, is thriving academically and is a happy kid, so we keep at it.
ReplyDeleterock climbing class, that sounds much cooler than extra math or writing class!
DeleteJo- I've been so curious how the homework situation was going with you and Ebi-kun. I am already getting nervous about it and we still have 10 more months of youchien. How involved do you have to be with homework? A friend told me that a parent has to read the instructions etc, as many kids (mine included) won't be able to read them yet. I'm really focusing on my Japanese this year to help me do my part.
ReplyDeletewell, if Ebi-kun needed me to read the instructions to him, he'd be buggered!
DeleteCan you child read hiragana? If not I would encourage before they start school. Ebi-kun can read everything he needs to do for his homework. I have to sit and listen to whatever the reading practice is and sign off his sheet.
He does bring back lots of bits of paper everyday and it is a bit of a minefield trying to suss out what is important and what is not. Ebi-kun leaves his renrakucho folder out so my husband will go through it when he comes home. If my husband is away on a business trip we let sensei know and ask him to mark anything really important in red then I go and ask a neighbour if I can't figure it out.
yikes. and I just read your entry about observation day. Now I'm really nervous...
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