Last Thursday night, I found myself burning the midnight oil, crafting colorful pasta and gathering an assortment of bottle caps, yarn, googly eyes, and buttons so my 5-year-old could complete his homework. This homework, designed to foster family involvement in learning, turned into a chaotic endeavor. Over the weekend, I emptied a jar of coins and spent an infuriating hour explaining basic sorting methods. Just last night, I painstakingly cut out a number line and two monster figures to engage in a math game that lasted for hours, primarily because the kids turned it into a game of chase and hit.
While I appreciate my child’s teacher’s intention to include the entire family in the learning process, I believe assigning homework to kindergartners is fundamentally misguided. For starters, my son doesn’t get home until 3:00 PM. Like any normal child, he needs time to unwind from school. He spends time outdoors, has a snack, and releases his pent-up energy. After that, we shift into dinner preparations, bath time, and bedtime routines, with the kids finally asleep by nearly 8 PM. Introducing homework into this bustling mix creates unnecessary stress for our family.
Homework is more suitable for older children who have later bedtimes and can manage a higher level of responsibility than a 5-year-old who still requires help with basic tasks. If schools genuinely want to encourage family involvement in learning, I have several suggestions:
- Stop bombarding us with countless advertisements urging us to purchase items.
- Instead, provide a simple list of engaging activities at the start of the year, allowing families to choose what fits into their schedules and budgets.
- Bring back nap time! Parents will wholeheartedly support this idea.
- Recognize that the chances of these children attending an Ivy League college are slim, so it would be wise to stop treating kindergarten like a rigorous academic setting.
- Make assignments optional.
- Alternatively, assign work on Mondays and allow families the entire week plus the weekend to complete it.
- Did I mention these are 5-year-olds we’re discussing?
- Consider asking parents how they already incorporate learning into their family routines.
- Perhaps include some quick worksheets that take no time at all to finish.
- Or better yet, simply eliminate homework altogether.
A kindergarten school day is already lengthy enough. Can we please leave the academic work at school and allow young children to return home to play? Save concerns about handwriting and number recognition for parent-teacher conferences or send a note home in the backpack to keep parents informed. But seriously, let’s stop assigning homework to 5-year-olds.
I understand that some children may require more guidance or specific accommodations for after-school work to be appropriate. I also recognize that not every child can finish work quickly and may need more time. However, when it comes to actual homework for my kindergartner, I choose to prioritize free play and family activities that are part of our daily lives over assignments that will only frustrate my child and drive me to my limits.
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In summary, kindergarten homework needs to be re-evaluated. It’s crucial to allow children the freedom to play and unwind after a long school day instead of burdening them (and their families) with extra assignments that add stress rather than enhance learning.