So frustrated with this school....

Tammy - posted on 09/07/2010 ( 7 moms have responded )

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My daughter is 7 years old and in 3rd grade. It's the 3rd day of school and already she's spending hours at the kitchen table doing homework. This is elementary school, not high school for goodness sake! Anyway, because she is a gifted student with a GIEP, the teacher assigns her EXTRA homework, not just alternative, more difficult assignments. So she gets the same stuff everyone else does, plus extra assignments that are more difficult.
She also gets more spelling words to study than everyone else. All this translates into her spending hours at the kitchen table.
I always insist homework gets done before anything else, but at the rate she's doing this, she comes home, does her homework, eats dinner and goes to bed. There's no down time for her and she is only 7! I know she's more than capable of doing those difficult assignments, so it's not the difficulty I'm frustrated with, it's the shear volume of work she's doing. It's got me so frustrated I almost want to take her off the gifted program and just let her be bored in class, the way it used to be. Today she broke down in tears just because of all the work, she's overwhelmed.
Has anyone else had this problem, if so how did you handle it?

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7 Comments

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Laura - posted on 09/08/2010

781

26

Definitely have a conversation with the teacher! Overwhelming a child with homework will not teach them more--it just burns them out on school faster! The teachers for the gifted program in our school system had a "rule of thumb": Take-home work should average 10 minutes per grade level. For example, 3rd grade homework should average 30 minutes IF the student didn't get the work finished in the classroom. I would tell the teacher that the work load is simply unacceptable (for any child!) and that corrections need to be made. Make it clear that you aren't against homework, just the volume, and that you want to work out something that is more managable for your daughter. You also might want to consider talking to someone in your school system's administration or even the school Board about your concerns with how they handle gifted kids in the classroom; the teacher may simply be following protocol for your school system's gifted students. Extra work won't neccessarily teach your daughter anything new or more challenging, it will simply keep her busy (and frustrated). Good luck and hugs to both of you!

Stephanie - posted on 09/07/2010

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Have you had a conference with the teacher yet? It sounds like maybe she does not understand what your daughter's GIEP actually details. Is she a new teacher?

Stephanie - posted on 09/07/2010

30

19

Have you had a conference with the teacher yet? It sounds like maybe she does not understand what your daughter's GIEP actually details. Is she a new teacher?

Stephanie - posted on 09/07/2010

30

19

Have you had a conference with the teacher yet? It sounds like maybe she does not understand what your daughter's GIEP actually details. Is she a new teacher?

Stephanie - posted on 09/07/2010

30

19

Have you had a conference with the teacher yet? It sounds like maybe she does not understand what your daughter's GIEP actually details. Is she a new teacher?

Stephanie - posted on 09/07/2010

30

19

Have you had a conference with the teacher yet? It sounds like maybe she does not understand what your daughter's GIEP actually details. Is she a new teacher?

Stephanie - posted on 09/07/2010

30

19

Have you had a conference with the teacher yet? It sounds like maybe she does not understand what your daughter's GIEP actually details. Is she a new teacher?