Monday, August 16, 2010

Kindergarten homework is driving me to.....

I do not believe when I was in school that I "officially" had homework until I was in the third grade...and then it was just one day a week.
Well, these times they are a changing.
Doug & Andy have homework.
I suppose it is fortunate that their teachers are side-by-side and planning to do some co-teaching so that we have some of the same assignments come home. However, not everything coming home is quite the same. So despite trying to put names on practice sheets I had one sheet today that said Doug on it but I was unsure whether I had misplaced Andy's sheet or if there was not a sheet for Andy.

  • We are supposed to be practicing writing our names. Andy is struggling with the fine motor skills (he's moving his whole hand) so this involves dealing with him whining and trying to find excuses.
  • We are supposed to practice writing in a journal so we are still establishing that routine.
  • I thought we were supposed to have a library book to read but apparently not today.
  • I thought we were supposed to have a book for them to read to me that matches their reading program...but apparently not today.
  • We do have a list of sight words to learn by Friday. However, it is not clear whether the teachers went over the words or not in class. It could just be that my boys were not paying attention.
  • We had two pages of adult guided practice (mostly about recognizing initial phonemes) that have to be done and then signed and returned.
  • Andy had a sheet he did not finish in class. Doug had a sheet of sentences to practice (mostly involving one of the sight words).
Tomorrow night there is a parent meeting to meet the teachers and find out expectations. Hopefully then things will be a bit clearer. I don't want to be the overbearing parent (because I have had students with parents who micromanaged their children) but I do want to know what is going on.

I suppose part of my issue is that I have two kindergartners I am trying to train into the school/homework habit.

3 comments:

Ann in NJ said...

There may be more now because the teachers are trying to get everybody at a similar level. As you develop a routine, it will get easier - just be consistent! I found William does better with a snack and a (short)break after school, rather than right into homework, but also we can't leave it too late or he doesn't want to go back to it.

Peter L. said...

I know what you mean. I don't think I really remember kindergarten, but I don't think there was any homework...more along the lines of don't eat the paste and you'll be fine...

Susan Z said...

A break is a good thing. Tomorrow we are trying the afternoon bus for the first time so it will be interesting to see how that changes things.