How much is TOO much?

[Clarinda]

My 1st grade daughter usually has from 15 to 28 pages of homework EVERY night.  We used to spend hours working on her homework but I got so tired of it that I started sending the unfinished pages back to school with a note to the teacher saying we didn't have time to complete it all.

I'm seriously considering taking her out of public school and start homeschooling to avoid the problem.  

How much homework should a 7 year old be expected to do?  

I don't want to be a thorn in the side of the school, but they have become a painful thorn in my side.  I've tried talking with the teacher, principal, and supertendant of schools.  The problem does not improve.  What other options do I have?

This child sets down to do homework when she gets off the bus, and works until bedtime.  We usually don't get it all finished and we have no family time, fun time, or time to do anything except school work.

She is ADD so it's very hard to keep her attention focused on school work.  I've tried to get the school to test her and put her in special classes.  The school has been dragging their feet for 3 years.  I took her for private testing and the test results recommended more tests.  They also stated that the child feels like she's unloved.  (I can see that!)  That's why I've stopped forcing the homework and started having more play time.

Any advice?

[Staci110]

I am a homeschooling mother in IA and I became a homeschooler because of public schools.  I love being a mother who homeschools.  I would say that any child in first grade should do no more than half of an hour of homework per day 5 not 7 days a week.  Try to remember your days at that age.  Kids at that age should have plenty of time to play and enjoy life.  Any adult let alone child would become so burnt out and then start showing signs of hating school and considering the amount of time she will be in school now is not the time to start hating school.  Good luck  And if you look around you will find plenty of homeschoolers in your area.  Staci

[nurse12hr]

By law, every child diagnosed with a learning disorder must have an individual educational plan developed in conjunction with the parents, teachers, and/or therapists if indicated.  

My son was in the same boat as yours many years ago.  He is ADHD and the same thing, hours upon hours of schoolwork/fighting about schoolwork/crying and utter exhaustion for us both.   Until his therapist informed me about this requirement for the IEP.  The therapist and I met and discussed how we felt about strategies for making life and school bearable (and fun) again, and I took his written suggestions to the school for the IEP meeting.  The teachers and I worked together to find a way to incorporate these ideas into the educational program.

We were able to get reduced assignments for him (for example, if the class had 20 long division problems for homework, he would have 3 or 4 done with me, and as long as I felt he had a good grasp of it, we would mark it complete and move on).  You get the idea.  Tailor your child's assignments to fit within his/her abilities.  

You have to push and push and advocate for your child, however.  It was not easy for our family, those school years.  Homeschooling may be a good option.  With public school, you have to constantly be there, very involved and vocal.  You must watch what is going on all the time and be ready to step in.  I felt like my full time job was getting my son thru school, on top of my other full time job as a nurse.  

good luck!

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

It sure sounds like an excessive amount of work for a first grader. What are other parents saying about it? Relative to an evaluation, check with your state education department about the rules governing the implementation of Chapter 766 in your district. Generally, if parents request an evaluation under the provisions of Chapter 766, the school district must conduct the evaluation even when they do not think it is necessary. However, states and districts have some options about how they implement the provisions of Chapter 766, so you have to inquire about the procedures in your particular jurisdiction.