I’ll tell you how fucking long… four fucking hours, that’s how long!
And that’s not just yesterday. That’s half the evenings last week and every evening this week and probably well into next. Why? Because I’ve got to prepare my fourth grader to solve problems like the one above and many like it.
If that were not enough, she must identify the difference between fact and opinion in the following sentences:
[qoute]
“For most people having a cold is the worst part of winter. Everyone wishes they could just turn the clock forward and feel better. The spread of germs though physical contact is what leads the spread of colds from person to person.”
I don’t know about colds but I want to know what leads to the spread of stupidity that requires 9 year olds to be overwhelmed with hours and hours of nightly homework in order to prepare them for high scores on the Virginia SOL test.
What possible benefit does it serve to stress out 8 and 9 year olds to the level where they are exhausted and near tears from the hours they have to spend in preparation for these standardized tests?
Who the fuck benefits from this?
Who is the genius mastermind who dreamed up this SOL nightmare and thought it was a good idea? Cuz if I find out, I’m going to shove the battle of Antietam and facts on share cropping right up their ass.
you’ve got an objection to your child having some clue what the difference between fact and opinion? she shouldn’t be able to use simple fractions or understand how many minutes are in an hour?
I have some compassion wrt the emphasis placed on such standardized tests and so on, but damn.
I don’t think that’s the case wring. The problem is putting any 9 year old in a position where multiple hours of homework are required for school. Not reasonble, IMO.
cut QuickSilver some slack. His daughter is going to the remedial class because someone has the idea that children should have a full grasp of maths and language by the time they are 11.
given what you put in the OP, it was a fair conclusion. especially since (and answsering Greenback’s objection, such tests occur once per year and, as such, would not, most likley, be the ‘average’ homework load.
Pit the standardized testings, I’m with you. but the examples you cite are things that IMHO, IME, a child that age should begin to know how to deal w/.
Here’s my take on it (before you go smartenin’ her up ‘n’ shit):
If it’s taking hours of stress and tears…and I don’t give a good goddamn WHAT the test is, either your child isn’t math-oriented or the teacher/school/district is doing a shitty job. It can’t be any other way.
So… in the first case, if the kid just doesn’t take to it (like me), all the tears in the world aren’t going to change that. Sometimes we don’t do well in some things. Make sure she gives it her best try and if you have to take the lumps…well…then you just have to. You’ve mentioned lots of good stuff about both your kids. A shortcoming in one area isn’t the end of the world or her “career” in school.
But…(and this is one huge “but”) if the school is giving them too much homework, not teaching at the correct level, or simply not good at it, it needs to be addressed. I think they push kids too hard in certain subjects so they “make their numbers” or make a good showing on standardized tests, which I’m against, for the most part, to begin with. Ask some of the other parents how their kids are doing with this particular unit. Maybe drop in on the class and see what the teacher’s technique is. It may not be the kids’ fault.
There’s also tutoring and peer study groups. I hear people have great success with that.
Depends entirely on the period of time in which the 9 year old has available to complete those multiple hours of homework. If it’s over an entire school year, then it is a perfectly reasonable expectation. If it’s just overnight, not so much. It would be my suggestion that it is advisable for a teacher to begin preparing his/her students for the examination at the earliest opportunity - that being the first day of the school year, rather than waiting until Spring.
Please point out the “facts” in that scenario - as opposed to the opinions.
np…I’m skimming through while at work so I miss the subtleties of posts at times. Yeah, that’s it. I’m not dense, just distracted by all the important thinking stuff I’m doing.
don’t know about the SOL specifically, but statewide standardized tests have been “in” for longer than Bush has been around (tho that does sorta feel like ‘forfuckinever’). So, much as I’d like to lay this at Bush’s door step, don’t believe it belongs there. many other things, yea, but standardized tests in schools, no.
I’m sympathetic. I rarely have to help DD with homework, but test days are awful. The pressure starts weeks early. Then, the night before, the kids bring home a page about final preparations for the test the next day. On test day, the whole school goes into lock down mode- no visitors (no lunch visitors, either) or leaving campus and no noise from the grade levels who are not testing.
