Homework Hassles
Wednesday, November 6th, 2013From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
Jack is half way through the fourteenth week of school this year. It’s hard to believe it’s going so fast. Jack is assigned homework four nights a week. He must complete a math and phonics worksheet, code a small booklet with the days phonics lesson, practice daily spelling activities for the weekly set of words, reading and practicing a set of sight words as well as reading a story/paragraph of the week. Most days he completes his homework in thirty minutes. All of this review is in preparation for testing on Fridays.
Jack started the year on the right foot. When Jack gets home from school, he has a small snack and he gets started with his daily work. I try to push him do his work very shortly after he returns home from school, otherwise the hunger pains, sleepiness or soccer practice may interfere. At the beginning of the year, Jack was excited to sit down and focus on his daily work. His favorite part of homework is phonics. He likes to code words and learn how to manipulate their sounds. He enjoys math and science, too. He asked many questions and showed a lot of interest in what he was learning. I encourage him to review as much as possible to set him up for success.
Well, over the last several weeks Jack’s attitude towards homework has changed. He still completes his work, but it’s a struggle some days to motivate him to get started. I’m not sure if the start of the holidays has put him in a rut, other activities such as sports are taking up his “free time” or the fact that he’s been engaging in homework for weeks now and he’s feeling the monotony.
His first report card was outstanding. My husband and I were very proud of his marks. He isn’t regressing or confused when he is doing his work, but lately, encouraging him to sit down and concentrate has been a challenge. I’m aware not every student likes homework, but it’s frustrating to see your child love something like schoolwork and all of a sudden refuse to look at it. I know I’m not the only parent in this boat. Several of my friends are facing similar issues with their children.
Jack has a long road ahead of him when it comes to homework. I guess this bump in the road is another phase of life that a lot of parents face. I’m hoping our struggles will soon resolve and Jack will realize his extra hard work is paying off with excellent grades.