1St Grade Teacher

Good for her for NOT giving homework. There is plenty of evidence that homework has ZERO benefit for elementary and middle school kids. Why do you want him to have homework so badly?

You didn't say anything about the quality of her instruction while in school. If she is a good teacher and the kids are learning and enjoying learning while in school, then give her a break... and maybe even a thank you.

Perhaps, instead of wasting a bunch of time preparing homework for the students and notes for the parents, she is using her time to provide great instruction for the students.

why do you think he NEEDS homework.. the teacher says he is ABOVE grade level.. so he is better than he needs to be.. he does not need homework.. he is working all day at school. give the kid a break when he gets home.. there is no proof.. that doing homework helps kids in any way.. I think it is horrible how much homework my kids have to do..

I would say nothing to the teacher.. she sounds fine..

Has it occurred to you that there is no value in homework at this age? Why are you so hung up on the idea of homework? I have four children, the youngest who is in second grade. None was regularly assigned homework in first grade. They were encouraged to read every day and practice math facts via flash cards, and had occasional spelling tests for which they were reminded to study if needed, and a couple of projects over the course of the year (make a diorama, etc.). But daily homework? Not necessary by any standards.

Why don't you just stop harassing the teacher and let her do her job? If your son is doing fine (and it sounds like he is) then put your axe away and save grinding it for something that counts. Your kid is fine. Any idea how rare that is in first grade? Any idea how many kids actually are behind in acquiring academic skills or who are working through behavioral and maturity issues? If your son isn't one of them, consider yourself lucky and move on.

Your kid doesn't need homework. If you think you can do a better job, go become a teacher.

You met with the principal and teacher because of poor communication on the teachers part? Wow, there must have been a long history of her not returning emails and calls to go over here head like that.

You need to do a bit of homework yourself, specifically on the value of homework for little kids. There isn't much. Kids his age should be reading and being read to daily, playing games to teach math facts, exploring their world through visits to museums and libraries and PLAYING.

Keep up the hard homework line and you'll end up with a child who finds learning a chore. Trust me, there's plenty of time for that in the upper grades. Try to relax and enjoy the fact that he is doing well. The teacher will run her class the way she sees fit and can't be expected to make up special assignments for your son.

this right here is why our american education system is failing. here's a 1st grade public school teacher, doing her job, and actually one of the ones who understands that first graders should not be deluged with homework, and has to deal with a complaining, entitled parent. even though the teacher points out that the kid is doing fine, nothing is good enough. this parent wants the teacher's endless individualized attention, constant communication (even though she probably has 30 sets of parents to deal with) and now this parent expects the teacher to micro-manage any ongoing learning in the home.
public school teachers are insane. and heroes. and we can expect an increasing exodus of the good ones from this broken 'system.'
khairete
S.

My daughter is a 1st grader. I am a teacher. Kind of the rule of thumb across the board is 10 minutes of homework per grade level. So, a first grade student should have about 10 minutes a night. Our school district doesn't really give 1st grade students homework. They are expected to read for 30 minutes every night. My daughter brings home math homework maybe a couple of times a month. Research has shown that homework is not necessarily beneficial for students. There are even high school teachers in our area who do flipped classrooms. Homework is watching an online video at home about the topic. What was traditionally homework is done in the classroom where the teacher is available to answer questions and meet individual student needs. If the teacher doesn't typically send home work for students to do, it is putting an added burden on her to do it for your child. I'm sorry, but as a parent and as a teacher, I would side with the teacher on the homework issue.

What kind of communication are you expecting from your son's teacher? My daughter's teacher sends home a newsletter and calendar at the beginning of the month. She will send an email if something comes up like a change to the calendar or if she needs something for a class project or volunteers. We have formal conferences twice a year and can set up additional conferences if there is a problem. Again, speaking as a teacher, most classes have 25-30 students. Unless there is a real problem, teachers just don't have time to contact parents for minor things. And in our building, if it is a behavior issue that is serious enough for parent contact it is the principal who contacts the parent. If a student is on an IEP, behavior plan, or other education plan there is more communication, but probably not every day.

Again, speaking as a teacher, even missing 30 minutes a day can mean missing important instructional time. With everything that teachers are expected to cover there are very few down times in the day. Every minute is sacred.

If he is above average, I don't think you need to worry about him being ready for next year.

Again, speaking as a teacher, I think you need to just let it go. What are you intending to say in your note? Criticism for valuing every minute of instructional time? Demanding a daily report on your son? Demanding homework? At this point, I don't see a note to the teacher doing anything except getting you labeled as "a high maintenance parent." We have parents in our school who our principal has told us to forward all emails to him and not to bother answering them because there are so many emails from those individuals and most of the emails are about petty little things. Or they border on being abusive. Let it go.

Sounds like you are setting your child up for a bad relationship with teachers. Back off.

Surprising. Most American teachers give lots of homework, and in fact are pressured to do so. Of course homework has been shown time and time again not to have any positive impact upon grades or achievement, so there is always the argument that homework is nothing more than "busy" work, something to make parents feel better. In reality the kids who do the best in school (Finland, South Korea, for example) have little to no homework, what they DO get is a quality education.
If you want your child's mind to "keep going" as you say, then encourage him to read, write and illustrate stories, maybe keep a journal. Play math and number games with him. Do puzzles and build things. Take walks and notice changes in the seasons and the weather. Teach him how to recognize constellations. Go to nature and science and art museums.
Education is about discovering the world, and really learning how things work, not sitting at home filling out boring, mindless worksheets.

First grade children do not require homework every day. Most of their academic learning takes place during the six hours or so in which they attend school. Studies show that homework doesn't have a positive effect on achievement until sixth grade. My daughter is in first grade. She has a spelling pretest on Wednesdays and, if she doesn't get all the words correct, a final test on Fridays. So they have to study their words which is considered homework. Once a week she brings home math work that she did not complete during class. That usually ends up being ten to twenty equations total. The kids also do something called accelerated reader wherein they read a book and then take a five question computerized quiz on said book. Some kids read one book a week, some read one a night. The goal is to have them read every day.

It sounds like you just don't like this woman or her teaching style. You can't really expect her to create special homework assignments just for your son. If you want him to have something above and beyond you have to do that yourself. We supplement science around here because that is what my daughter finds interesting. Check into a 'gifted' program at school if you think your son isn't being challenged. My daughter attends a special class with a few other first graders who are above grade level. Maybe your school has a similar program?

As for lack of communication, what is it you want from the teacher? Do you have specific questions or are you looking for a weekly account of everything that your son did during school hours? The former should be answered the latter is not something you should expect from a teacher.

If you have specific questions and this teacher is ignoring you then go to the principal again but if you are expecting this teacher to teach your son just as you would then perhaps you need to home school. Good luck resolving this.

There is NO link between homework and learning.
Maybe try it her way next term?

I would be unhappy, too, if my kids' teachers didn't communicate well. That being said, you stated that she communicated for the "first two weeks" after the meeting. I have to ask, how many times did you require her to be in contact with you within a 2 week time period? Every few days? About what? Are there really that many issues? It seems excessive. I went for weeks, months sometimes without teacher communication. If all is well, there's no need to be breathing down their necks. That way, when I DO get in touch with the teacher, he/she knows it's important and gets back to me right away. What could you possibly have to talk to the teacher about on such a regular basis? Do you really think they have time to deal with EVERY parent as often as they do with you? Or are you so very special that you require extra attention? It's very micromanage-y.

Re: homework. What everyone else has said. Homework for the sake of homework is ridiculous. If your son knows the material, why should he go over it again and again? Your son is working above grade level. Exactly what makes you think he's going to fall behind and not be prepared for next year? The way you push your little guy, he's going to burn out by middle school. Worksheets upon worksheets don't make a kid smarter, it just makes them dread learning.

And if you want your child to do work over and above what's assigned at school, then YES, it IS your responsibility. It is NOT the teacher's responsibility to make up a special homework program for your son alone to accommodate his demanding mother. Again, can you imagine if *every* parent had special requirements for their kid?

Generally speaking, teachers work hard. They care about our kids. They spend A LOT of time outside of the classroom planning and preparing for OUR kids. They do it for little pay. And now, within the last couple of generations, they have to deal with demanding helicopter parents as well. I'm sorry to go off on you (and really, I rarely do, I'm usually pretty calm and rational), but parents like you suck too much of the attention away and the kids who REALLY need the help take a back seat to you and your needs. Ugh.

Perhaps you should homeschool. Sounds like you feel you'd do a better job than his teacher anyway…and you could assign homework and communicate with yourself to your heart's content.

This answer was unusually harsh for me…I usually don't react like this. Guess this pushed a button for me...

I think if you did *your* homework you would learn that kids at that age shouldn't really have much in the way of homework. Look at the research. Instead they should be reading and/or be read to, playing number/math games, drawing and coloring (strengthens their fine motor/writing skills) stuff like that.
And yes, this is the parents' job, though you don't need to actually DO anything you just provide the materials.
The teacher giving him "busy" work might make you feel better but that's not what he needs.
The teacher provides the formal education and you supplement it with outside opportunities and experiences. We all do it, it's part of being a responsible parent.

Sorry you are having these frustrations.
What does your school and district say about homework for the primary grades? How does your son's first grade class compare to the others at his school?
Many school systems are reducing or eliminating homework before 3rd grade, partly in response to research showing it is not terribly effective and partly in response to parent concerns that homework interferes with family time and extracurriculars.
My older daughter had homework once a week in first grade. It arrived on Monday and was due on Friday so we could complete it whatever night Monday through Thursday that we liked. There was usually a math task and a reading or writing assignment. I thought it was a good workload. That was maybe 15 years ago. Today, my friends who have children in public primary schools say their children have are assigned less and what there is tends to be test practice.
If your son needs help mastering first grade skills, you are correct that computer time alone won't close the gap. However, if he is above grade level, it sounds like he doesn't need remediation at home but after school enrichment. If so, you probably WILL have to undertake that on your own. Some families like worksheets or workbooks; others take a more interactive approach by giving real-life tasks such as counting money at a store or reading a recipe. Of course, there are always companies like Sylvan and Huntington.

From a teacher's prospective, 30 minutes before dismissal is a good size chunk of instruction missed. Lessons for young children are short so your son may have missed two entire lessons when he left early twice. This can have an impact even on a child who is above grade level. Sometimes I focus on content that can be easily gained and sometimes I focus on skills that are harder for an absent kid to catch up on.

L., Your child is in first grade. Let this child be a child.There will be plenty of homework forever.

I teach in 1st grade a lot and we typically do not give out a lot of homework. The usual HW is a math sheet with 8 problems on Wednesday, On Monday a book which is geared toward that child's reading level is given out with a signature sheet and they are asked to read it nightly and have a parent sign the sheet. On Monday's we also go over the weekly spelling pattern, they children write words on the sheet along with star words and practice for the Friday spelling test.

Now for extra, not required work.... we have 5 new vocabulary words a week. Children are encouraged to spot the words and write about where they saw the words used and how many times did they see the word.

I'm not quite sure what you are looking for? We also have a weekly communication sheet which is stapled in the take home folder for parents to initial and they can see exactly what will be going on that week.

I understand keeping the children's mind engaged but it is not necessary to have HW daily. We basically want to set a pattern where they learn to use time management and get better with reading and comprehension skills. The education does not stop at the school... it is our responsibility as parents to engage our children so they broaden their minds... play some organized sport on a team and learn all about teamwork, etc... take martial arts, get involved in dance, theatre, etc. There is much more to the bigger picture and we as parents are responsible for as well. Education does not rely 100% on teachers at school.

I don't think that you have a "bad" teacher..... Many teachers have their own way of teaching and every one of them is not going to be the way you want them to be. This teacher just doesn't fit into your perceived mold for what you want. Try not to let your child pick up on your feelings about it.... he may love his teacher. Oh, and we hear plenty of things repeated which were overheard at home...

Homework? Are you serious? He's in school for the first time in his life for probably 6-7 hours a day and you don't think that's enough?

There are so many ways to enrich his life without more boring paperwork from school. And yes, that is your job as mom. Take him to museums, teach him about art, enroll him in park district classes where he can learn about music/painting/cooking/animals, take him shopping and have him help you plan a menu, take him to gymnastics or a trampoline place, go to an arboretum and show him all the cool trees, go on a nature hike, buy some workbooks for him to do if he's bored (they sell them at any bookstore). Help him learn about life while having fun.

In my opinion, it's ridiculous to sit him down at the kitchen table after a long day of school and have him do more school. Find other ways to educate him. And stop being one of those parents already. It's first grade for goodness sake.

Hi L.,

There has been a lot of research as to the real effectiveness of homework; you might want to look into it. For many parents, a teacher who *isn't* assigning homework in first grade is a dream. By the way, I am not 'anti' homework, (my first grade son has a little bit most afternoons, very age appropriate) but I would use that opportunity to let my child work on things he enjoyed learning from. During the summertime, we did extensions on things he was interested which kept him occupied and engaged. It's no harder than looking up a website for a project or saying "so, why don't you draw a picture and then write a story about it" (one of our homework options, BTW) or let him work on Legos, making a comic book, or get outside for some exercise. Kids spend so much of their day in instruction, I cherish the afternoons we can just hang out and play a game together. (And there's learning to be had in that as well.)

Regarding the communication piece-- be specific on what you are wanting communication about. Does he have any issues which require a daily check-in? You don't mention *what* exactly you want her feedback or insight on. I would be very clear as to what you want her to be getting back to you on. Does she have a preferred method of communication? I know my son's teacher does not look at her work email on weekends; that is her time off and I have the expectation she'll see it Monday morning. We usually get a class letter on Friday and unless there's an issue, I get a 'hi' and a 'bye' from her.

It sounds like you and the teacher have gotten off to a rough start this year. It seems like you have a need for some sort of communication and she's missing it? I don't know. What is the school's policy on homework? As long as she's in accordance with that, extra supplementing may fall on you.

If she does feel that your son is working above grade level, she may feel that he'll be prepared for the next year. I'm just wondering why you think he'll be behind. I feel like I'm missing an important piece of the picture.

I think a better question for you to ask is why you feel it's necessary to micro manage your son's teacher? Your comments seem to indicate that you have a better understanding of what it means to teach first graders than she does. Why not just sit back and trust the teacher? The fact that she's not assigning daily homework has nothing to do with the quality of her teaching.

If your child is "above grade average" on his report card, and he is not missing instructional time for early checkouts that would be problematic or set him up to fall behind, then what is the problem with the lack of homework? I just don't get it. I never had homework in elementary school. Ever.

My kids, however, did. And it was awful. I would have LOVED to have had a teacher that didn't believe that more "study" time was what a 6 year old needed after having spent 8-3 sitting in a desk in a classroom already.

If you want your kid to do extra work (and it IS extra), then find what you want them to do, and have them do it. I have no idea why you seem to think that is the teacher's job.

As for communication issues, follow up on that. But if all of your communications are regarding the lack of homework, just stop already.

It sounds like homework is your main issue. Homework for kids under grade 6 or so has simply never been shown to improve academic outcomes, though it's always a good idea to enrich our kids' education at any opportunity (have them practice reading recipes and measuring ingredients, for example). In fact, many of the best schools in the country give no homework in elementary years. (Google "Rethinking Homework" by noted educator Alfie Kohn, for starters.)

So, your son's teacher might be doing something right, and if she is fitting all instruction and student work into the school day, missing a half-hour here and there could conceivably affect teaching/learning, though her concern may be simply an automatic reaction since your son is doing well. I'd be much more worried if he was reacting negatively to his school experience.

My husband and I have been producing educational materials for over 30 years, and have been closely observing both public schools and home schoolers. We've noticed the gradual increase of homework in grade school, and even kinder, with alarm. This simply overwhelms way too many kids, and and turns them off to active learning.

Your expectations are ridiculous!!!! I think the issue with homework has already been stated several times. If you want your child to have additional work, yes, it is YOUR responsibility. The teacher is way too busy to give individualized instruction to every single child in the class. You are the worst kind of parent, the kind who feels it is okay to monopolize the teachers time for your child at the expense of everyone else's children. Grrrrr.

As far as communication goes, what are you expecting? I love my son's first grade teacher and there really isn't much communication. I have sent may be two or three emails this year and they are usually about how I can help out in the room. Every now and then we get a letter sent home if there is a special event like a field trip. We get work sent home and I can see how he is from that. Your expectations are way too high if you are expecting a weekly progress report sent to you. The report card is the only information I have received that is specific to my child's progress.

I may be missing background from previous questions, but my first grader never has homework. My fourth grader rarely has homework. They get their work done at school. Sounds like lack of homework should be a non-issue compared to the rest.

If your son is above grade level, why do think he is not being prepared for 2nd grade?

Since your son is above grade level, more homework would just be busy work. Be glad his teacher isn't giving more of it.:) Personally, I really dislike most HW. Studying for a test or practicing a couple of math problems at home is okay but given how long kids are in school, I think they should be able to get the majority of work done at school. I understand keeping their skills up during the summer but really....you make him do work on the weekend. Why?

Also, as a parent, I think it is my job to challenge my kids and develop their skills and interest. My girls are involved in theatre (drama lessons), singing and piano. They have also taken ice skating, various art classes and swimming. I suggest you take it upon yourself to challenge your child and don't rely so heavily on your son's teachers. Also, keep in mind there are other ways to develop your son's abilities besides school work.

Have you forgotten he is a child? Let him Be a child, I implore you. You should be glad there isn't homework. You're way to stressed out about this and ill informed. All this academic work so young makes for a dull person in the long run/bigger picture. You do your homework and educate yourself on the child development and education. If you fully search you'll see that early learning in this particular fashion makes a child burnt out by 12. This is all I'll say, but so much could be said.

Simply love your child, he needs warmth and play, lots of play, lots of stories, poetry, games, cooking, handwork, work, etc. etc. This will bring balance and intelligence. Are you interested in producing love and light or a robot.

I fully agree with Happy Mama. And I hope you will reconsider your values and approach to life.

When your child is in high school, you will probably be complaining of too much homework. Chill out, and let your kids be kids. It won't last long.

I would not be upset about no homework. My grandchildren who are now 10 and 13 didn't have regular homework in the first grade. Their teachers asked that someone read to them for 30 minutes when the didn't have homework.

They're only 6. I suggest that it helps students to increase homework gradually. We want them to succeed first. We want them to still have time as a child. Also, I suggest that not all parents are as focused as you are on homework. I suggest that since you want your son to work at home telling you to use the Internet is reasonable.

Why haven't you talked personally with the teacher about the ckmmunication? What do you want her to tell you? Do you want phone calls or email? Actually the only time my grandcildren's teachers talk with their parents is when the child needs extra help or chronically misbehaves. I'd take the lack of communication as a good thing. It means he's doing OK.

If you want more communication you need to initiate that with the teacher. Your post sounds like you expect the teacher to know what you want and want her reprimanded whe she doesn't meet your expectations. Try talking directly with her telling her in a nonaccusatory way what sort of informationyou want and be open to hearing what she's able to do.

I am definitely NOT anti-homework. My middle schooler has tons and I see the value of it for her.

But I do think that you might want to do some research on how much homework is typical and desirable for first grade. Believe me, the amounts will ramp up pretty quickly in coming years and in just a few grades you might find yourself in the opposite position: "He's got so much homework....".

The quality of the homework, and the quality of the instruction during the school day, trump the mere amount; once a week could be adequate depending on what the assignment is. You seem to have a very strong and inflexible expectation that he must have homework every single day at this point, which may not be what ANY first grade teacher in your school system does. They may actually be advised against it, or the school system may have guidelines of X hours a week of homework is usual in first grade, Y hours a week in second, etc. Was this not discussed at the very start of the school year? I've always had teachers give general statements like, "I give about an hour a night" or (in younger grades) "I give homework once a week but your child should spread it out and spend no more than 15 minutes a night on it--if it takes more that that please talk to me." And so on. Nothing like that at the start?

Rather than focusing on how bad you feel this teacher is, consider instead finding out how typical this homework is for first grade in your school and in your school system overall. Have you tried simply asking the teacher: "What's your philosophy about homework for this grade level and for a child like my son who is working ahead of grade level?" Have you asked that and really listened to the answer she gives? I would ask it with sincerity and clear message to her that you really want to know and are not attacking her, but truly trying to understand. If you can listen objectively and not from a perspective of "Daily homework is a must," she might have some arguments that convince you.

Realize, too, that in many classes kids do their "homework" at school. My child would come home some days from fifth or sixth grade having done some of her homework in class time. Is that going to bother you or will you see it as a good use of any extra time that was freed up in the school day?

One last thing. I too come up with some academic things for my child to do and always have, especially in summer. But take care that you don't overdo "found" homework especially if it's worksheets and workbooks.

I just really would suggest you ask yourself why your homework expectations are what they are. If they're high because your son seems bored at home, that is another issue and the focus might need to be on activities rather than homework.

ADD: For what it's worth, my son is on the autism spectrum, integrated in class, and I email the teacher on Fridays to see if there are any issues. She emails me if he's having challenges, or if he's doing especially well. Otherwise, I assume it's status-quo and no worries. Unless you have a specific reason for wanting communication (a problem, a challenge, etc.), expecting regular communication is over the top.

Unless you can clarify the actual issues, it seems you're looking for an unrealistic level of contact. If he is at or above grade level, then the fear of him not being ready is YOURS and doesn't fit the evidence.

ORIGINAL: I don't know what to say about the communication, but my first grader gets two-2 sided worksheets a week for homework. 1 side is spelling words, one might be some English, and the other 2 are basic math. What are you expecting? He's in FIRST GRADE. Give the kid a break. Why are you making him work on the weekend? YOU take weekends off and relax. He should have the same break.

L. -

Just brace yourself because many on this site are anti-homework, at least for the lower grades.

It seems to me that if you want age/ grade appropriate homework, and the teacher won't provide any, you can buy a home school curriculum, and add it to your evening routine, if you are so keen on it.

As for the report cards & her non responsiveness, a meeting with the administration might be in order.

Best to you and yours,
F. B.

It wasn't so long ago that we just sent our kids to school and assumed that the teachers knew what they were doing. It worked out pretty well for my kids - they are all college graduates with good jobs. We didn't have email, etc. and the only communication we had with the teacher was quarterly conferences at report card time or, when they were young, maybe a sheet on Friday saying what they did or needed to do differently. You can't seriously expect this teacher to keep you informed constantly. Look at the papers they bring home, read the newsletters they send, etc. and let the teacher teach. Believe me, the homework will be coming soon enough. I see you are in Nevada and I know that state has one of the worst educational systems so maybe you need to go the private school route as I'm sure you are not going to be happy in the upcoming years either.

I would give anything if my kids didn't have homework!! I have a 1st and 3rd graders...oh my goodness!! The amount of homework we have is horrible...every night is a math assignment, a spelling assignment, a random worksheet on whatever they are doing in class, and a reading assignment where you answer questions about the reading...every freaking night!!

Do you have any idea how hard it is to get two children who have been cooped up all day doing this work to come home and spend another one to two hours doing MORE work??

I have dome reading and until middle school homework shows no significant impact on student performance.

So enjoy his childhood and enjoy first grade...because the homework around here is driving us all insane!!

To me it seems like you are being really hard on this teacher. Is there another issue other than homework and a comment that she might have put on every single report card because a lot of kids are getting out of school early?

I am thrilled when I don't hear from my kids teachers it means there are no issues we need to address. My advice is take a deep breath and chill...maybe not what you want to hear, but you have eleven plus more years of school...

There is much research that shows kids who do homework have lower test scores and they don't do as well when they're older.

School and learning should be fun, kids learn like sponges when they are enjoying it. Standing in front of them and lecturing them isn't the way to teach them. They need hands on, working with items to see what happens...cause and effect, they need to play when learning. Games online that the kids use are really good at that.

Kids in 1st grade have already been "at school" nearly 8 hours when they get home. They should have a snack then go outside and play like crazy. They don't need homework. IF they didn't get it in the 7-8 hours of school that day they may not get it for weeks. But they need the mental break and to play.

So please stop worrying about no homework. Many many schools are starting to realize that kids are doing so much better without doing homework.

I'd be more concerned that the teacher isn't communicating and isn't interested in telling you that she, the professional, doesn't want him to work more. She should be able to stand up for herself but she seems not able to tell you her methods of teaching and how that's benefiting your child.

A lot of teachers do not give homework in first grade. If you want him to do something, you provide it. As far as the report card, she just made a comment. Don't take it so personally. She was making a statement. I would not send a note to her about homework. She does not give it. Accept it. So give him workbooks etc. don't make a big deal,out of this. You have many years to go in the school,system. Choose your battles.

Homeworks is debatable in 1st grade but can you clarify what you needed communication about? I only expect to hear from teachers if there is a problem and then at parent teacher conference, report cards etc. We do get a behaviour chart in the lower grades that I initial weekly. Otherwise no news should be good news. Kids with issues will hear from the teacher... If you just expect a lot of "news" from her on your son, she may have put in the comments about missing the end of school just to kind of irk you as she may be annoyed at the meeting you called.

For what it's worth on the homework front, since there are disagreeing views on homework in 1st grade so both sides are valid, I think you need to accept she is of the view that it is not necessary. She does have a leg to stand on. Then since you find it necessary, it's your responsibility... Shouldn't be a big deal to find workbooks. Then perhaps investigate how things progress as the grades progress and if ther'es not going to be a heavy homework load at this school and you think there should be, you should probably look at other schools. Or I know many people who put their young kids in private tutoring to give them more work. Perhaps send him to Kumon or one of those centers.

I absolutely agree that if she is not responding to your emails this is something that needs to be addressed.

I would consider the possibility that, while it is the teacher's job to prepare your son for 2nd grade, this does not necessarily mean there needs to be more homework.

My 1st grader is supposed to read to us for 15 minutes each night. It doesn't matter what he reads. He also is to review his math flash cards. Occasionally there is a project to work on, but that's about it.

I think I would address the communication issues and ask her to clarify what her goals are in preparing them for 2nd grade.

I didn't have ANY specifically assigned homework until high school, and I have 3 degrees including a doctorate :)
I would be frustrated at the lack of communication as well, and the two days with early dismissal comment. At this point, you are almost on to the next teacher. I would focus on doing fun learning activities with your son at home and looking forward to a new teacher next year. Maybe sit down with the second grade teacher a few weeks into the year and clarify your expectations on communication, homework, etc, to see if your expectations are in line with hers. Maybe even go to the second grade teacher and ask for some suggestions for the summer. Sounds like you are a lot like me...an overachiever, right? Your son is probably way far ahead of the game :)

I read a couple of responses.

I feel like you are upset that the teacher blamed you for removing your son early and said he is missing important instructional time. They way I read it, it sounds like she is documenting you in the report card for causing him to miss school. If this is why you are upset I do not blame you. Part of me thinks you should let it go, or else she will flag you to other teachers as a 'crazy' mom.

Have you considered catching more flies with honey?

Since he is above grade level he will most likely be ready for next year. Can you go to the second grade website to see what is expected next year?

If she is as bad as you think, could you ask other teachers or parents to show you the homework they give for first grade? here are some just like my son gets in his first grade homework:
1. http://www.k5learning.com/sites/all/files/mixed-practice-...

2. Have him tell time on a real clock to the quarter hour.
3. Measure Data (estimate how many paper clips are equal to a pencil)
4. Partition shapes into equal parts e.g.: If you have a pizza can he decide how to divid it fairly for 4 people. Then give him less manipulatives and have him figure it out on paper.
5. Play store and have him give you correct change. You have a dollar and buy something for 75 cents then 70 cents.

Language Arts:
Do you have Sitton's top spelling words for first grade (they are pretty standard across most schools)? You can have him practice the next grade level

Ask you son open ended questions after reading books. Why do you think the owl in the story acted that way?

Prompt him to write 3 sentences. Check to make sure his punctation is correct and he capitalizes when needed.

I'm with you! I was raised by a tiger mom and dad, who pushed academics, and I've had nothing but awesome opportunities in life, not to mention great jobs and a great career, because of the great good school work ethics my parents instilled in me and my siblings. I'm hoping to pass it along to my son.

I see, read and hear how most American students can hardly compare academically to international students, and knowing the future will rely heavily on international business and affairs, we want our son to be ahead of the game when it comes to his American peers. Which is why we are pushing academics with him now, so it wont be so difficult for him in the future. We want our son to have as many advantages as he can. Who wouldn't?

Before you jump ahead though, and convince yourself he'll fall behind, find some 2nd grade curriculum, either from a 2nd grade teacher at the school, or a website or a workbook, and see how your son compares. Make sure you're separating your need for him to be doing work vs him developing learning skills.

Each grade gets harder and harder, so you want your son to know how to comprehend them, figure them out, and remember them, aka learning skills. Every student develops these skills in a different way and has strengths in different areas, so be on the watch as to where he is and learn how you can help him develop the areas he's lacking.

Even though we can afford private school and our son is accelerated, we decided to keep him in public school for the sole purpose of the fact that he's with his friends, whom a lot of them are neighbors, and he's happy there - loves the teachers, love the principal and even loves the food. However, we recognize that his need to be challenged won't ever be met at his public school, so we do supplement at home with workbooks, computer work and field trips on the weekends, holidays if we can, and summer break. I know we'll have to do so probably through jr high, until he can get into the AP classes if he chooses.

Good luck and remember, its more important to develop his learning skills than push him to remember a lot of numbers, words and concepts, or else he WILL burn out.

my daughter who is in first grade gets a packet sent home on friday that she is to return completed the following friday. she usually does it all the day she gets it then all we have is her reading to do. they are only required to read 10 mins but we usually do double that.

how big is the class size? teachers get overwhelmed if they have large classes. my daughters class is a combo class k/1 and counting her theres 18 kids. we also live in a small town. maybe talk to other moms/dads to see if they have issues with this as well. some teachers dont feel it needed to send homework home every night. i think sitting down with the principal and the teacher is a great way to find a common ground. even ask if you can sit in a couple times to see what her teaching style is like.

You can get bridge workbooks and do them with him at home now and during the summer.

Just be glad the year is almost over, and hopefully you'll get a better teacher next year!

I agree with a lot of the previous answers. Don't worry about no homework in 1st grade. I would love for no homework. I have a 1st grader and a 3rd grader and I'm already stressed about tonight. We have a 2 hour lacrosse practice, dinner and it would be so much better if there was NO homework to worry about because it is just rush rush rush, homework, bed. The way I see it is the kids are in school all day, they don't need to come home to more of it. Let them be able to enjoy their outside activities. It isn't your responsibility to find homework so don't. If he isn't in a sport of any kind maybe you should look into that to help with some after school time. I think sports or some kind of group activity is really important to kids, moreso than homework.

As far as communication I just had parent teacher conferences last night and I dont think I talked to my daughters 1st grade teacher for at least a month until last night. If you are constantly emailing her complaining about lack of homework or all these other "issues" I would probably tend to blow you off as well. She has other students (and if its anything like my school district a ton of students) that she needs to deal with, not all their parents too. So unless there are real issues at hand (not just homework or the lack thereof) let her do her job and don't drag her into the office because she didn't answer your questions.

Homework? You want him to have more? Ummm, no!! I'd love if my kids had less homework. And studies show that homework doesn't really benefit kids either. All of my kids are pretty lucky and don't have much, but we'll see if that changes in middle school next year.

The communication is where I would have issues. I wouldn't have let it get half way through the year before noting the problem though. I would have nipped it early on. And if she doesn't want to communicate and you aren't happy with her overall, I would have had my child switch classes.