My 4th grade twins have a written test in Gym on Football, HUH!!!!

#31
shushopn, I feel your pain!! PE class should be about getting outdoors and running around a bit!! It should be about exercise and not taking tests! I'm really surprised to hear that so many PE classes have written test now. When I was a kid PE was for exercise, fun, and learning teamwork! It's a shame to hear it's become a "test-taking" subject.

As for how much activity can a 4th grader have... my 1st grader has homework four nights a week, plus two books to read every night and be tested on the next day. Then she has soccer on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, ballet on Tuesdays, and Girl scouts on Thursdays. And that's for a 1st grader!! So I can imagine a 4th grader's schedule might be ever more hectic. ;)
 
#32
caannie said:
shushopn, I feel your pain!! PE class should be about getting outdoors and running around a bit!! It should be about exercise and not taking tests! I'm really surprised to hear that so many PE classes have written test now. When I was a kid PE was for exercise, fun, and learning teamwork! It's a shame to hear it's become a "test-taking" subject.

As for how much activity can a 4th grader have... my 1st grader has homework four nights a week, plus two books to read every night and be tested on the next day. Then she has soccer on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, ballet on Tuesdays, and Girl scouts on Thursdays. And that's for a 1st grader!! So I can imagine a 4th grader's schedule might be ever more hectic. ;)
Click to expand...


^^ Good lord...just reading that tired me out!!! :wacko: I can't imagine the pressure of being a kid these days...2 books A NIGHT?? I wouldn't even be able to pass the 1st grade... :rolleyes:
 
#33
love, bags was harsh and I even edited her post.
People w/o school age children have NO idea how busy their lives are.
It's not like it was 20 yrs ago when we didn't really have homework until 6th or 7th grade and we maybe had one lesson a week - piano or soccer or whatever.
My oldest is just in K and has homewrok once/week and has outside lessons as well. . . I'm already slightly overwhelmed and we're just in k!!
 
#34
Andreax716 said:
^^ Good lord...just reading that tired me out!!! :wacko: I can't imagine the pressure of being a kid these days...2 books A NIGHT?? I wouldn't even be able to pass the 1st grade... :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

LOL, they are age-appropriate books... 1st and 2nd grade level. I can read them in about 5 minutes each, but it takes a little longer for a 6-year-old. Still, I feel responsible that she knows the books well enough to test every day, etc...

I totally understand the overwhelmed feeling! I think Kindergarden is worse since you are just getting into the swing of school work. By 1st grade you are a little more used to it. ;) I dread 4th and 5th grade with all the projects, etc... :s
 
#35
My son is also in 1st grade and he too has homework 4 nights per week. Usually homework consists of an entire page out of a math workbook and a handwriting and/or writing work sheet. He also has to read for 10 minutes-he reads his "just right" book that the teacher sends home for him that day and we quickly go through his flash cards of what his teacher calls "trick" words for 1st graders. It, in, an, and, up, go, etc.

Since I work 5 days per week-he goes to an afterschool program 4 of those 5 days, so, he doesn't do homework until we get home at night-usually around 6 or 6:30. This is after he has dinner, and then he takes a shower. he is not done with his routine until about 8 pm-pretty tiring day for a 5 1/2 year old. he has piano lessons once per week and goes to karate on saturdays. Come fall, he will also go to tennis on Saturdays-I know kids with a lot more activities than him!
 
#36
Thanx guys...I really just can't believe how this thread has gone...I am totally shocked. I never expected everyone to agree w/ me but I never thought I would be attacked either. I am still glad I posted b/c I gained a different perspective but I am disgusted w/ some of what I have read.

Jillybean - you don't think kids learn x-ray from their classes other then gym? I know mine have which is one less word they have to memorize...
 
#37
By the way, I'm not "preventing" them from studying. I just don't want it to take away from alll their other work. Also, it is 26 vocabulary words. That isn't so easy for one of my son's who has trouble w/ school. I disagree with you Jillybean...How old are your kids? B/c schools not easy anymore, not even for 4th graders.
I actually wasn't even overly "worked up" about it until I made the mistake of opening myself up to abuse.
 
#39
addictedtopurses said:
I totally agree with you. I think it's important for kids to learn to appropriately question things (and not blindly follow policies/ideas that seem off to them), but they shouldn't undermine authority and just refuse to do something.
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly. We have had a few disagreements at school (mainly over common dress), but I have taught my boys, you don't talk back to the teacher or disobey them, if there is an issue you tell mom and dad about and we will deal it. Do not disrespect the teacher or administration.

On the OP, my boys have written assignments and tests in PE all the time.

School is very different now, from when we went to school. Yes, daily homework plus 20-30 minutes everyday, from Kindergarten on. They also progress a lot faster. My son had algebra last year in sixth grade! Yikes! My kinder reads better than I did by second grade.

Part of me thinks its great, part of me worries we are pushing kids too hard. With all the school work and structured activities, is there enough time to just play and be kids?
 
#40
shushopn said:
Thanx guys...I really just can't believe how this thread has gone...I am totally shocked. I never expected everyone to agree w/ me but I never thought I would be attacked either. I am still glad I posted b/c I gained a different perspective but I am disgusted w/ some of what I have read.

Jillybean - you don't think kids learn x-ray from their classes other then gym? I know mine have which is one less word they have to memorize...
Click to expand...


Well, if they already know about x-rays, that's one less thing to study then. If anything it's helping to enforce things they already learned in other classes, which if your son is having problems with school might be an unexpected bonus for you. Think of what a test in gym will re-enforce: spelling, study technique, writing and perhaps some math. Isn't that a good thing?

I don't have children (I'd probably blow my own brains out if I did to be perfectly honest, I don't like kids), but I'm young enough to remember school was never easy. I've been in gifted programs since I was in kindergarten when I got tested with a very high IQ. I've had hours of homework in every class I've ever had from kindergarten on-including art! We had to memorize color theory and painting techniques in 3rd grade.

I don't think anyone here is trying to abuse you (that certainly is not my intention), I was just trying to put a positive spin that tests in gym can be beneficial.
 
#41
I don't have children (I'd probably blow my own brains out if I did to be perfectly honest, I don't like kids), but I'm young enough to remember school was never easy. I've been in gifted programs since I was in kindergarten when I got tested with a very high IQ. I've had hours of homework in every class I've ever had from kindergarten on-including art! We had to memorize color theory and painting techniques in 3rd grade.

I don't think anyone here is trying to abuse you (that certainly is not my intention), I was just trying to put a positive spin that tests in gym can be beneficial.[/quote]


JillyBean - I guess you didn't read Baglove's post. If you had you would have noticed as, Nishi had and Swanky had, that I was indeed being attacked. When you have kids and they have all the responsibilities that kids have nowadays, it will be your decision whether they should focus on a gym test or work to get all their other obligations completed before they worry about that. I guess I tried to see the other side of this and appreciate the way some have put it...Have you even attempted to see my side of it? Your earlier post didn't seem that way at all.

Sorry if I'm defensive. But now I have people thinking that I am telling them to talk back to teachers and banning them from studying for this gym test and telling them not to take it. I have never said or done any of that. I just don't want them to worry about it when they have so much else on their plate.

.
 
#42
shushopn said:
Everyone has told their kids not to bother with it b/c they have so much other work and outside activities as well.
Click to expand...

This quote is why people think you are not making your children do the work. You didn't say "don't worry about it" you're saying parent's are telling their children "not to bother with it" - 2 VERY different things.

Aside from bag, love's post, I don't think anyone attacked you, so I don't see why you're so surprised w/ this thread. She was rude and out of line, no one else has been like that IMO.
I think I disprespectfully disagreed w/ you and I think others have as well.

Tests usually make up a large portion of a student's grade, I just hate to see parent's teaching their children that if the parent doesn't like it, then they don't have to do it.
The bottom line is it will affect the STUDENT's final grade, not the parent's and in the meantime will send the wrong message to the student IMO.

It's close to impossible our children w/o getting emotional, at least it is for me.
We all just want to be the very best parent and if anyone even remotely thinks otherwise it's upsetting.
 
#43
twinkle.tink said:
My thoughts exactly. We have had a few disagreements at school (mainly over common dress), but I have taught my boys, you don't talk back to the teacher or disobey them, if there is an issue you tell mom and dad about and we will deal it. Do not disrespect the teacher or administration.
Click to expand...

This does bother me swanky b/c I am not nor have I ever taught my kids to talk back to teachers or any adults or disobey them. My kids are extremely hardworking and conscientious about their grades b/c I have taught them to be. I'm sorry if you think differently from my posts.
 
#44
If it was a district wide policy, I might feel differently. I have friends in many different areas of Long Island and none of them have this, so I do question it.
 
#45
Maybe schools just differe everywhere... I had tests in my PE class starting young too. We had to learn the sports, play them, then get tested on them. But I know none of my friends were doing that in their other schools. I guess I just took it as what it was. While I do think PE should be the one class kids can just be kids in, it seems so many school systems are trying to teach teach teach because by standards the US standardize testing scores are behind a bit- so maybe we are trying to over-sompensate?

I don't have kids, but my mom had 4 of us, and we had the most ridiculous schedules- at times we were in 4 different schools that she drove us to everday!! So I know that life at this age is not easy and really ahrd on the parents!

I would just ask the teacher if it were me. The kids are given the work, so unless you want them in a diff school it makes most sense that they do the work- but maybe talk with the teacher/principal or whomever just to see what their stance is on it...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top
Back