Can You Do This Homework?

Yesterday Scott's homework had a series of patterns to be deciphered by the child and continued to the edge of the page.  It looked like this:

There were obvious patterns like |::|::|::   Seeing how this pattern should continue is a piece of cake for Scott.  But being able to make the lines and dots in a way that shows his understanding is a completely different story.  He has learned how to write by feeling the motions he is supposed to make, not by looking at a picture and copying it.  In fact, he often writes more clearly when he isn't referring to a proper letter and just goes slowly.  Whenever he has to look at something and attempt to replicate it, he has trouble.

I didn't try this, but I am quite certain that if I asked Jane, at age 3, to copy the line and dot pattern, she'd be able to do it better than he did.  She can draw people with faces and copy simple pictures already (one of the few ways she takes after me).

I don't think it is necessarily important to be able to do this copying thing well.  But it does illustrate how crucial the OT was for him to be able to write legibly and keep up in school. 

In addition to the abstract patterns, the homework also included several letter sequences.  When Scott hears "pattern" he thinks, "repeating".  So when he saw A, b, C, d, E, f, ....  He started back at A and did the series the same way,  A - f.  I knew the answer was G, h, I, j, K, L, m..... but wasn't sure if I should correct him (I did later).

Then things got a little more complicated.  The next letter question went: a, a, z, z, b, b, y, y,  .... He got that one (after a few minutes). 

Don't skip ahead.  Try this one on your own:  a, b, a, b, c, a,   ,   ,   ,   ,   ,   ,   , e   (fill in the blank spaces).

Did it take you a few minutes?  Do you think that anything a first grader should do, especially homework that is supposed to take ten minutes, tops, should be tricky for a grown-up?  Matt said, "well maybe she was testing them, trying to see who would be able to get it".  OK, but give a heads up, because when I see homework, I expect it to be a reinforcement of what has already been learned and certainly not so difficult that a parent, one who does logic and math problems for fun, finds semi-challenging.

Maybe that was easy for you.  Here's the next one:  a, b, A, c, a, d, A,  ,   ,   ,   ,   ,   , h 
Hmmm, I see an alternating pattern.

Last one:   z, y, y, x, w, w, v,   ,   ,   ,   ,   ,   , q

To his credit, Scott did catch on by that last one, but it still took him a good 40 minutes to do this with my help.  And he didn't have a meltdown about it, hurray!

Oy!  My head hurt.

I did leave his teacher a quick note about how hard this homework was, but it is not a huge deal, just one of those things that I felt didn't seem right.

So I'm curious, how'd you do?

Comments

[Casdok]

Ive got a headache coming on!!

[Tracy]

Hey Lori,

Holy Hannah! While I sometimes worry that A's homework is too easy, I'm grateful that at the end of the day, doing homework is not a stressful event for us. Some of that homework seems insane for 1st grade - I'm sure Scott is at the top of the class intellectually, so just think of the trouble that many others must have had with it. No one in 1st grade should have to deal with that!

[Adwina]

Why am I suddenly craving for candies looking at the pic?

*OOT...isn't it?*

[Laura]

i DiDn'T dO sO wElL. i Am CoFuSeD rIgHt NoW. nEeD mOrE CoWbElL, oOpS, i MeAn CoFfEe.

[Marla]

I posted on Advocating with the schools if you want to check it out! Thanks!
http://marlabaltes.blogspot.com/2007/12/advocating-with-your-school-my-top.html

[Julie Pippert]

That seems a bit beyond most first-graders I know. But I also think that homework from schools and worksheets frustrate me because they are not open ended enough.

Aliki just posted that her son answered, "Someone with a PhD" in reply to the question, "What is a Doctor?" And that was wrong! But, no, no it's not, it's right, just not the answer the teacher sought. That frustrates me.

Julie
Using My Words

[Dee]

I think it is ridiculous for a first grader to have the letter sequencing that you posted. It is far too challenging for a typical first grader(even some adults!), and like you said, tough to handle at the end of the day. I dont see the point. Both of my boys have had sequencing of patterns and ITW had some with numbers in 2nd grade. Of course he then created his own that totally blew me and SW away!

[Lori at Spinning Yellow]

Delilah - yeah, this week should be little to no homework, no one can focus!

Hannah - I am opposed to homework as well, but such is life in the public school. I think it really cuts into family time.

SM - I didn't think of it that way, thanks for your insight as a parent with an older child. Scott liked the idea of doing this work, just not putting it on the paper. Especially late in the day.

Marla - hello! Thanks for reading and commenting. I've toyed with homeschooling and will not totally rule it out, if it makes sense in the future. For now, I complain, but overall, school is a good thing for both Scott and me.

Jen P. - You are not alone! I love this stuff! I even do logic problems for fun. But, yeah, what I was trying to say was that it seemed over-the-top for first grade. Thanks for playing along!! I think your answers are correct.

[kristen]

oh my, you lost me somewhere around the lines and the dots. The alphabet problems? No way. Either too tired to concentrate or seriously in need of repeating first grade!!!

Very glad this was not our homework!!

[Jen P]

Am I the only nerd that got excited about figuring out these patterns???

a, b, a, b, c, a, b , c , d , a , b , c , d , e

a, b, A, c, a, d, A, e , a , f , A , g , a , h

z, y, y, x, w, w, v, u , u , t , s , s , r , q

The nerdy, overachiever that I am, That was fun! But no, wouldn't expect a 1st grader to know how to do that. It is interesting your thoughts on copying versus doing. I think I can see that in The Elder. When he has to copy he will either avoid it or he will attempt it and then scribble all over the page. But if you tell him to write his name, he can do it very legibly.

[Marla]

I hate homework! I actually had it written in my daughter's IEP that no homework would be sent home. It had little value and it caused lots of stress and tears after a long day of trying to make it through school. Now we homeschool.

[slouching mom]

ben gets this kind of homework all the time. he enjoys the challenge -- sometimes -- but you're right, it has nothing to do with what they're learning.

it's teaching to the standardized tests that they'll have to take (ben's already taken them) -- that's what it is.

[Hannah]

There is so much evidence now that homework actually does nothing to enhance the learning process... and seeing this makes me understand why. Yeesh. I don't know how I did... but I suspect not good.

[delilah]

I'm with you on the homework as reinforcement thing. 'Tis the season for busy work, especially this week!