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Break the task into smaller tasks and take breaks for physical activity between each one. My grandson jumps on the small trampoline. My granddaughter sometimes did yoga for kids between each of her math problems.
Focus on the fact that everyone makes mistakes. You might make some deliberate mistakes of your own and then take a *do over* to fix it. Deliberately mess up writing your name or something and then cross it out and do it over. Anything that shows that it's ok to make mistakes is a good thing at this age.
For fine motor skills practice with legos, playdough, etc. These are fun activities and build strength and dexterity. You can have him cut playdough with scissors - it's easier than cutting paper.
Here are some suggestions for fine motor activities for kids this age:
Break the task into smaller tasks and take breaks for physical activity between each one. My grandson jumps on the small trampoline. My granddaughter sometimes did yoga for kids between each of her math problems.
Focus on the fact that everyone makes mistakes. You might make some deliberate mistakes of your own and then take a *do over* to fix it. Deliberately mess up writing your name or something and then cross it out and do it over. Anything that shows that it's ok to make mistakes is a good thing at this age.
For fine motor skills practice with legos, playdough, etc. These are fun activities and build strength and dexterity. You can have him cut playdough with scissors - it's easier than cutting paper.
Here are some suggestions for fine motor activities for kids this age:
He's 5. Remember, we went to school at 7. When did we start doing a page of writing and math exercises?
My 5yo in Kinder, as well, still going through the staggered schedule (day on - day off), and no homework, yet.
Sometimes, saying "you CAN do it" is not gentle at all, it can be taken by the child as "you are just lazy because I know you can do it, and since you are not doing it, you are not good enough".
I would lay off. He will start cutting when he is ready.
And what do you propose I do, nuala, if that's what he gets from his teacher? Ignore it? Disregard it? Just let him not do it?
I often hear an argument from a Russian parent: "remember, we started school at the age of 7!" Although it's true, I can't disregard the fact that by the time I entered first grade at the age of 7, about 80% of the students already somewhat knew how to read. I even remember my first day of school, the teacher called each of us name by name to her desk and showed us a text, to see if we can read it. Since I knew how to read really well by that age, I immediately got praised, but those 20% that didn't read and barely knew letters felt embarrassed.
All I'm saying is that bringing out our education as an example is not really the best example.
And what do you propose I do, nuala, if that's what he gets from his teacher? Ignore it? Disregard it? Just let him not do it?
I often hear an argument from a Russian parent: "remember, we started school at the age of 7!" Although it's true, I can't disregard the fact that by the time I entered first grade at the age of 7, about 80% of the students already somewhat knew how to read. I even remember my first day of school, the teacher called each of us name by name to her desk and showed us a text, to see if we can read it. Since I knew how to read really well by that age, I immediately got praised, but those 20% that didn't read and barely knew letters felt embarrassed.
All I'm saying is that bringing out our education as an example is not really the best example.
Note that K is not mandatory in most states. You *could* pull him out entirely if you wanted to.
Many parents do talk to the teacher at this grade if the homework is too much. Teachers can often make accommodations even if the child is not in special education. Many children are simply not ready to do this much writing at 5 (and boys are usually later than girls in readiness). I really do not like math worksheets for this age. It often turns kids off to math and then they do not do well in the older grades. Fun activities are better than worksheets.
Actually, the fact is that the countries that do better than we do on the International tests still do NOT push reading and writing at 5. Kids go to school at 4 or 5, but the schools are generally play based. It isn't until the kids are 7 or 8 that academics is begun. (Germany, Switzerland, Sweden and Norway are good examples of this).
Note that K is not mandatory in most states. You *could* pull him out entirely if you wanted to.
Many parents do talk to the teacher at this grade if the homework is too much. Teachers can often make accommodations even if the child is not in special education. Many children are simply not ready to do this much writing at 5 (and boys are usually later than girls in readiness). I really do not like math worksheets for this age. It often turns kids off to math and then they do not do well in the older grades. Fun activities are better than worksheets.
Actually, the fact is that the countries that do better than we do on the International tests still do NOT push reading and writing at 5. Kids go to school at 4 or 5, but the schools are generally play based. It isn't until the kids are 7 or 8 that academics is begun. (Germany, Switzerland, Sweden and Norway are good examples of this).
Well, I understand what you are saying, however, the amount of homework is not the problem with my son. He does math exercises easily, they are pretty playful, moving objects around etc...all the stuff that he has done before, his issue is more with the fine motor skills and of course I will bring it up with the teacher and see what happens.
Pulling him out is out of the question, he loves it too much and looks forward to it and would be really upset if I took that away from him.
nana - Beginning Math worksheets in Kindergarten usually are a combination of pictures and numbers that require no writing. For instance the paper will have a picture of one dinosaur, two houses, three kites, four flowers and five baseballs each with a square outline below. The squares for cutting are along the bottom of the sheet and will have the numerals 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. The child is supposed to cut them out and glue them beneath the correlating picture.
For a child who can cut easily and knows the answer it should take no more than 5 minutes to complete. However, for a child who has trouble cutting it will often take closer to 15 minutes, and even longer for those who are unsure of the correct answers.
Writing sheets are usually nothing more than practicing a particular letter in Capital and Lower Case form, with a word that uses the letter. So perhaps writing the Capital C 10 times, Lower Case C 10 times and the word Cat twice. This should take the average child about 5 minutes, however the child with small motor skill issues it could easily take 30 minutes.
We're not talking about math worksheets with 20 math problems or writing homework of composing a three paragraph paper. It's basic short work intended to reinforce and help them practice those skills they are focusing on in class.
If it's much more than that in this case, I'd be surprised.
When children are young I think its more important that they enjoy school. He's 5 - if he doesnt do a lick of homework all year it will not make a difference in the long run - so let his teacher know that you will work with him, but you will not make the process unpleasant. Take it little by little and start negotiating. Good luck !
nana - Beginning Math worksheets in Kindergarten usually are a combination of pictures and numbers that require no writing. For instance the paper will have a picture of one dinosaur, two houses, three kites, four flowers and five baseballs each with a square outline below. The squares for cutting are along the bottom of the sheet and will have the numerals 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. The child is supposed to cut them out and glue them beneath the correlating picture.
For a child who can cut easily and knows the answer it should take no more than 5 minutes to complete. However, for a child who has trouble cutting it will often take closer to 15 minutes, and even longer for those who are unsure of the correct answers.
Writing sheets are usually nothing more than practicing a particular letter in Capital and Lower Case form, with a word that uses the letter. So perhaps writing the Capital C 10 times, Lower Case C 10 times and the word Cat twice. This should take the average child about 5 minutes, however the child with small motor skill issues it could easily take 30 minutes.
We're not talking about math worksheets with 20 math problems or writing homework of composing a three paragraph paper. It's basic short work intended to reinforce and help them practice those skills they are focusing on in class.
If it's much more than that in this case, I'd be surprised.
I understand that the worksheets are not tremendously problematic, but what you are describing is the PreK curriculum my granddaughter had not her K curriculum. Since I have the stuff saved in folders (grandma is a hoarder of the kid's work), I went back and looked.
In Kindergarten, they were already doing *writer's workshop* (I don't know if any of that was homework, though). At the beginning of the year, it was drawing a picture, but by about the second 6 weeks, they wrote a short paragraph (using creative spelling - they sounded out the words, so she would print *I saw Sach (Zach - her best friend). I saw him runie (running) to me. He hugd me.* The Sach was actually with a backward Z but I can't type that in. She learned to write in cursive at the beginning of 2nd grade. I do know that they did have some tracing letters and words at the very beginning of the year, but they were writing without tracing very quickly.
Her math work consisted of a problems and drawing the problem out with some kind of picture of a manipulative like rectangles or squares or circles rather than cutting out the pictures and pasting them.
This is what I mean when I say the curriculum has been pushed down into lower grades.
I love her 3rd grade work, but it is definitely more challenging than 3rd grade was when I was in school.
Children develop at different rates. I think children are so pressured now that it is tragic. Let their imaginations and natural gifts guide them while it still can.
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