Anyone's kids do any work this vacation

DS is in kindergarten, and he just had his regular reading log to do....hes supposed to read two books a day. so it wasn't TOO bad bc we read every night before bed anyway. His teacher did give him an extra sheet as a "reading challenge" so if they fill up that whole second sheet, they get to play a game and have lunch with her one day... not sure if he'll get that, but whatever! LOL

Re: Anyone's kids do any work this vacation

My boys are in 2nd grade and Kindergarten. They weren't sent home with any work or reading to do, but my 2nd grader likes to read anyway. We were away in Boston so they got a history lesson... oh, and learned about breweries while there.
For Hanukkah they did get some books and my kindergarten got workbooks he wanted bc he was tired of his older brother's books. We are doing some work in them just to keep them fresh so he doesn't forget too much. I have been bad with reading to them at night bc we've been up late and then just crashing.

It all depends on the kids. I like to make the work fun and they are still so young where they love to learn.

Anyone's kids do any work this vacation

I teach 10th and never assign work over extended breaks. Also this is probably the first break in 11 years that I did no work and it was awesome. Kids need a break too!

Anyone's kids do any work this vacation

My first grader had a reading challenge to do - he had to read for 15 minutes at least 10 times over break doing different things to make it fun. He did it without a fight because there is a prize if you complete it.

He has a reading log as well and I've lied about it occasionally. Usually I write what we intend to do but... the best laid plans... I'm out of the house 12 hrs a day 4x a week (and the day I am home he gets no homework)...

Re: Anyone's kids do any work this vacation

my son is in the 3rd grade and had a reading log to fill in.

He read every day. He loves to read.

Anyone's kids do any work this vacation

We had a HW packet, we went away the day after Christmas but just did a couple pages a day, he also has educational apps he uses, I didn't bring any books (forgot them at home) but I had planned on him reading..oh well lol

Re: Anyone's kids do any work this vacation

Message edited 1/3/2017 3:40:09 PM.

Re: Anyone's kids do any work this vacation

No -
and thankfully we got a break from the insanity of hockey too (although we didn't completely escape the rink b/c GOD FORBID we go a week without skating .........)

Vacation is vacation. I can only speak for my kids and my family - but they NEED a break. They need that down time to 'do nothing' to 'go nowhere' to be off schedule. The need the freedom of not HAVING to be somewhere at 'x' time, and no 'hurry up' or 'get out of bed' or 'do this homework' or rush here/there and everywhere. .........

And I hate those damn reading logs - don't give ME homework! I went to school. and now I go to work .......
My son reads .......but I most definitely 'lie' on that stupid damn log b/c I'm writing every book on his freaking shelf down at the end of the month and putting my initials next to it ........

Re: Anyone's kids do any work this vacation

My 2 girls both got homework over the break. I was so upset about it. It's vacation, why do they need to do homework. They both did it but I didn't submit any reading log. I didn't feel the need to lie about it, I just didn't submit any log.

Anyone's kids do any work this vacation

Yes she had 'Optional' work on her times tables.
They've already worked up to 12 but this is reinforcement work. So even though it's not necessary it's good review work. It's a workbook type assignment. Given who I am, yes I made it mandatory.

But not until the very end. So it's fresh and so she's back in the groove. They get two weeks off here but it's an odd split. They had their last day on a Wednesday in December and then they go back to school tomorrow - Thursday. So only two days this week.

In my mind that means nothing got done that week before they left and nothing will be done this week either. So that's really 4 useless weeks. So yep. I am making that work mandatory. One workbook, 12 times tables? Come on. That's not asking a lot. It's review work. She got through half of it in a single afternoon. Plus she's already read one book for her 10 book reading assignments.

Anyone's kids do any work this vacation

We don't have reading log assignments any more. We have a 40 book reading assignment requirement for the year.

Of which 10 are due every 9 week period with a written report for each. Of each set of 10, 3 books or at least 300 pages must be of a certain state awarded author type (bluebonnet award). Then two more of those books have to be of a type of book the teacher requires (this set one has to be poetry and the other historical non fiction). Then the other 5 are free choice. We only have to sign off after she reads and writes her reports. I usually point her to a free choice over 200 pages. That counts for more than once (anything in 100X counts as 1X or 2X based on number of pages) so she can cut down on work. She picks space on everything she can.

She loves to read and these are graded assignments. 10 of 10 gives her a 100. 9 of 10 gets a 90 and so forth.

She's very motivated with the grading system and the fact she gets to choose her topics. It gets harder for me to find the state award books but I've found a cheat for that by hitting up different parts of the city. 450 square miles of city means I'm a very motivated mom. I can order and have a book delivered to my local library within a week's time all very the internet.

She's only in 3rd. But I don't have her in any other sports or things. I can't afford that stuff. But we do Girl Scouts. :) She wants to do some of that other stuff but I just can't justify the time. I mean school work to me seems more important. But she's not lucky like some others who just 'get it' she's like me. We need to 'do it'. Study it and do it again and again. She and I are the types that have to actually read, work and study to actually understand it. I used to get teased I was a bookworm or smart, etc. But I always wanted to say, no, I'm not. I worked hard to be smart and learn. It was never easy for me. But once I got it.. I GOT IT. She's like that too. Once we get a concept we retain it. Not just for a test or something. It sticks with us. I always say my brain is full of useless facts.

So for me. Early education. The basics was always going to be the MOST important part for her. I knew that. I am willing to sacrifice all the so called 'fun' stuff so she and I can concentrate on this stuff. We do homework together, study together, work together, every day is learning. Sounds stupid as hell. But I can only hope it pays off in the future.

*hope*