Should our kids have homework?

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Registered: 02-24-2004
Should our kids have homework?
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Sat, 01-07-2006 - 4:59pm

I was reading another board that brought up a question. Someone stated that it wasn't a good idea to give our children homework due to all the stresses that they have to endure at school. And that home is a place to unwind and relax. It was stated that Tony Attwood had also suggested this (not sure if this was stated in one of his books).

What do you all think? I guess I hadn't thought about Nathan NOT doing homework. And after reading this, I really didn't think that this would be a good idea....at least not for him. It was also stated that this could be something that can be added to your IEP.

michelle

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Registered: 03-25-2003
Sat, 01-07-2006 - 5:37pm

Homework isn't too bad as long as it isn't a lot. Dakota once and a great while will bring homework home but that it is usually left over work that was to be done in class but due to his behavior interfered. So the teacher will send it home for him to finish and bring back the next day. The only homework usually is just studying his spelling words. That's about it. When he does bring the homework home he does a pretty good job on getting it done as soon as he gets home.

Michelle

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Registered: 03-26-2003
Sat, 01-07-2006 - 11:12pm

AYE! Wouldn't it be nice. However, it aint gonna happen.

First, the vast majority of mainstream teachers aren't going to go for it. It can be hard enough to get modified homework and have teachers actually stick to that without a constant fight. No homework. I don't see that happening consistently unless the child is in a day class and you work it out with the day class teacher.

Second, I understand Tony's point on this however, he does fail to bring up another point. Not so much that our kids need the practice on their academic skills, but they need the practice on actually having the routine of homework. As they get older and hopefully are able to attend college, homework won't be about practice anymore. It will be about self learning and doing reports, projects, etc. Therefore doing homework just for the sake of busywork I am not big on, but doing homework to learn how to do it independently I think is good.

Also, there should be more of an emphasis on teaching children how to work independently than doing monster amounts of rote work. We had one teacher early on that was good at that but unfortunately not enough that Cait knows how to do projects and now it is a huge issue in 6th grade.

I am A HUGE proponent for modified homework though. My kids are stressed enough and homework is a MAJOR bugaboo. Mike's homework is very independent and easy for him. Last year it was spelling homework usually writing words a few times each, etc. Just to keep him in the habit of doing homework but nothing stressful. Not near regular 3rd grade work. This year it is specifically designed to work on his IEP objectives but it is still really easy for him. 1/2 page of math the teacher writes for him and a few pages of reading comprehension at about a 2nd grade level (he is 4th) for the week. So he has about 1-2 pages of homework a night that take him less than 20 minutes. Just enough to keep him in the routine and work on what he needs to work on. Soon he is going to be working on "book reports" broken down to learn how to do them.

In elementary school our kids typically don't learn anything from homework. Once they master a skill it is mastered. And trying to learn new skills after school is nearly impossible for them. So extra practice at home isn't that big of a help. However, the whole homework world changes in middle school and if they have been excempt for all of elementary it is going to be a huge transition to teach them to do it in middle school. And how do you make research projects and book reports not mandatory?

Renee

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Registered: 10-03-2004
Sun, 01-08-2006 - 10:16am

I agree with Renee that the doing of some homework is more important for building up the skills of independent working and towards future academic career. We don't actually have any problems with Malcolm doing homework, and his current ASD school gives the easiest and funnest homework assigments, which he can whip out pretty easily. His new school (hopefully end of January, BOE dragging paperwork...) will have more challenging homework, but he has kept his homework groove on, so should be OK.

Keeping to a schedule is also good in getting the homework done. We are not rigid with our schedule, but finishing homework is his responsibility and more frivolous activities must wait til after it is done. By remaining consistent about this, he has become quite good at getting it done right away after snack and a little unwind time with a book or toys, etc.

Home is also a place to learn, in my opinion, and one of the things we are working on is Malcolm's ability to plan his time out and make healthy choices, including in how he will get his school work done. In fact, right this minute he needs to get going on some weekend homework, so we can then plan the rest of his days activities!

Sara
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Registered: 03-26-2003
Sun, 01-08-2006 - 11:28am

I should clarify though that home needs to be a safe haven too.

HOmework has been a major issue here, and is a big problem with mainstreamed kids with AS. I really feel there should be provisions in place for modified homework if a kid needs it.

THere were times when my kids will come home and it will take over 2 hours and loads of tantrums to complete homework. That isn't ok either. And then if it isn't done they lose recess at school. It sets up a huge cycle of problems.

My routine that I have worked with the school has always been to find out what the reasonable amount of homework time for their grade is as determined by the district. Our district has a philosophy. I beleive most do, if not most teachers do. For instance 15 min in kindie, 30 in first and second grade, etc. Then that is the amount of time they work on homework. Anything that isn't done in that period of time I sign off and write a note to the teacher.

Also, homework should be independent work. It shouldn't be that they have to learn new skills at home. Typically if the child doesn't understand the homework then they didn't learn it in class. Something needs to be done about how they are learning in class and make the teachers responsible to teach. I don't mind supporting the school. I am a big school supporter. But after my child has spent 6 hours of his day stressed out there is no way he is going to learn how to do multiplication from me at home in 30 minutes. KWIM? If they aren't learning it in school as presented then changes need to be made perhaps including using the resource room.

That doesn't mean we can't explain directions or help like typical parents, but we shouldn't be sitting with them the whole time and doing it with them or for them, KWIM? For istance, I will help Cait organize and set up the computer to type her work, learn how to find resources, etc. If they can't do it independently then it needs to be changed to something easier that they can so they learn the routine of homework and to work independently.

Last, let them do it independently and only for that time. Sign it off if it isn't done. Keep copies for yourself or notes if it is a consistent problem. This may be the only proof you have that the child is not learning the skills correctly and cannot work independently. I learned this the hard way in 6th grade. Cait was melting down. I was sitting doing her homework with her so it would get done, and most of the school work has been done together or in groups. So they had no clue she was having a problem until they started taking tests and then it was she musn't be focussing because she can do the work. She does the homework.

It is a complex matter isn't it. Yes homework, but not the other kids homework so they can complete it like typical kids.

Oh, I think Sir Tony was likely talking about his stereotypical Aspie's. Those that are really smart but socially inept and typically have few academic difficulties. That hasn't been the case with most Aspies I know, but it tends to be the stereotype for some reason.

Renee

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Registered: 02-24-2005
Sun, 01-08-2006 - 11:44am

Renee,

I just wanted to say(and you probably already know this) that you're absolutely brilliant. You have given me so many insights into AS and I am truly thankful to you. God Bless!!! Vicky

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Registered: 02-24-2004
Sun, 01-08-2006 - 4:06pm

I don't have real issues with Nathan doing his homework. Sometimes it can be challenging, but so can getting Tyler to do his homework!! lol

I believe Nathan does need the practice and the routine of homework. Right now, his teacher doesn't send home alot, as Michelle stated about Dakota's homework. I'm sure that in the future as he gets older, I might have to look into modifiying his work. But I don't think that I would want to stop it all together. Currenty, I do more work with Nathan other than just the assigned homework. He's doesn't mind it, mostly because it's routine for him. But I never push him. Somedays we get more done than others. But I do have to go by how his day went. And I only work on areas where he needs the help.

I agree with what Sara said..."home is a place to learn". I feel as though I can teach Nathan things that they are unable to teach him at school. And what they do teach him....I can go over in detail, so he's able to understand it better. Sometimes, I don't feel like they're getting what he knows and what he has problems with. At least the finer, detailed things.

Renee....I hadn't thought of the "no homework" issue applying to stereotypical aspies, but that does make more sense. There are areas (academically) that Nathan just doesn't seem to catch on too as quickly as other areas. So extra homework at home, I think really helps him.

michelle

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Registered: 03-26-2003
Sun, 01-08-2006 - 5:12pm

OH LORDIE - Not brilliant, just old. Feeling very very very old today and hopefully some wisdom comes from experience. But actually, gotta say, lately there doesn't seem to be much wisdom here either. ROFL. (As I listen to darling son yell "SHUT UP" and growl again for the 1 millionth time today)

However, thank you, thank you, thank you for the complement.

Now I better go take care of "shut up" boy before this escalates, again.

Renee

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Registered: 10-03-2004
Mon, 01-09-2006 - 8:17am

Renee,

Yes, I completely agree with you about how the homework should be done. We are in the catseat, I know, as both Malcolm's elementary schools have given him homework that is designed specifically for him and his strengths and weaknesses ... and they do this for all their students! We have no opportunity to compare his homework to mainstream 3rd grade work, of course, so it is probably considered modified by mainstream standards. And, as I have said, the ASD school has actually made it really super easy for him compared to the first (and about to be third) special ed private school, so Malcolm is indeed very good at doing it and completely independently. I am hoping when the homework is again more challenging at new school, that Malcolm will be ready to show off and shine, he has been bored academically this year. But the constant doing of homework for 3 years since he began elementary school has definitely been good for his work habits. And truthfully, even when a little challenging, Malcolm has never yet gotten homework he couldn't do in under a half an hour. Sometimes it takes a little longer because he's just not in the mood ..but then that's normal.

Last night he had 2 pages of math problems, which he whipped through. He was tired after long day of 2 playdates and horse riding, and having trouble creating a story outline for story he needs to write for creative writing, so he negotiated to finish it while eating breakfast... which he did this morning, finished breakfast and got himself dressed abd made the bus on time.

Malcolm is not always HAPPY about doing homework, but he sure has learned how to do it!

Sara
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Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 01-09-2006 - 10:10am

I agree w/ Renee in that once the child gets to middle school and beyond that they will need to have the habit in place to do homework. Weston is much more typical of the "stereotypical Aspie", he is brilliant (but has no social skills, SID and has speech problems hence the HFA Dx), once he has learned something at school it's learned forever. We fight over homework to him, it is a torturous part of his day. His grades have never been anything but A's and school and learning have never been difficult at all for him. However, getting him to do a project or something that is not part of the normal routine is a nightmare. We have just had one of these episodes. They had a weather paper/project due right before Christmas. Weston threw together a paper that made absolutely no sense at all. He insisted it was fine, exactly what he was supposed to do-- I let him turn it in. His teacher sent it back w/ a note, "please help Weston redo his report". No instructions, no outline for what was needed or expected. For this, he needs homework-- and he also needs modifications. I need to call and ask for him to have concrete written instructions for each and every project, and we also need to add it to his IEP.

I have lots of struggles w/ my NT kids and my son w/ ADD as well. Homework is just a pain, but a necessary part of school life.

Betsy

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Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 01-09-2006 - 10:42am

ACK! He whipped out 2 pages of math and a story outline!

Ohhhh, my boy has so much work to do. I am lucky if he can finish 1/2 a math page for one nights homework. (about 12 or so problems) in a half hour. And story outline, HA!They are working on getting him to write more than a para and in more than one form (narative) He has to write either a 3 or 5 para (I forget) essay and know 4-5 different forms of writing by the end of the school year for 4th grade state testing. But this is way better than he was doing in mainstream. Though he has a high IQ and could fake it along in the concrete stuff, things more abstract like writing a story caused monster problems. Now he will actually write. Though 1st and 2nd grade he would have at least one part of the homework packet per week was some sort of writing. He always put it off to the very end and then it would be a big meltdown and wouldn't get done unless I did it. This includes writing spelling sentences. Now he will write but he is still behind where I think he should be by a long shot.

Cait still has trouble with creative and essay writing. She will do it without a problem usually but it is incoherent and jumps all over the place. She can't do a 5 para yet. She can write short things. In the last magazine I had her review a kids book. I did it interview style and had to change some of it so it made sense but tried not to change to much. It was really telling doing that with her. Sometimes I definitely think education in a special ed placement is better.

Renee

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