Homework is killing me...in 1st grade. Really?

The first day of first grade my son came bounding off the bus very excited about his new school and said that his teacher was "great." My heart was warmed to know that he had made an easy transition to his new school (he's a pretty laid back kid) and that he had such a good day. When I pulled out the contents of his backpack I found his homework. Yes, homework, the first day of school. The assignment was to write his eight spelling words three times each AND write five sentences using his words. I also found directions that his next night's assignment would be to five sentences using his vocabulary words. On the next night he would have some math assignment and on Thursday he would be responsible for studying for his spelling test. My son is a bright child and I am not a parent who believes in forcing learning onto your children. That being said, the first night's homework took over an hour. I am personally opposed to this kind of homework, but felt it important not to undermine his teacher. So I complicity waited and waited and waited for the session to end. I should say that the words were all three-letter words, some less, like mat, at, a. My son reads between a second and third grade level and knows how perfectly well to spell his list, but there was no modification for words that the child already knew.

This week's homework was more of the same and after way too long, he took a nap, ate dinner and completed his work. Why is it that I feel like a child abuser? I went to read to his class Friday and took the opportunity to speak to his teacher about the fact his homework was taking a very long time and she said I was free to modify his assignment as necessary. I told her that I appreciated that, but that I didn't want to send the message that he didn't have to do his assigned work. I agreed to give it a couple of weeks to see if it wasn't less of a chore. Here I wait.

I have a friend whose son was so anxious about school that he was unable to ride the school bus. While my son is very easy-going and transitions well, I couldn't help but think of my friend and her son trying to complete all of this homework after such an emotionally exhausting day. I cannot imagine he is the only one. This sparked a discussion and we have, since, talked to other parents who are flabbergasted at the amount of work being assigned to first graders and the emptiness of them.
So, I pulled out my book by Alfie Kohn called The Homework Myth. I had read this book almost in its entirety a couple of years ago, but thought I should revisit/finish it. So I read it again today. I should say that, as a teacher, I have never been a proponent of homework but assigned similar activities for my third and second grade classes because, well, it was expected. After reading the book again today, I am thinking of a diplomatic way to bring this to the attention of my school system, whose website states the following,

"The Lynchburg City School System believes that homework plays a vital role in the
educational process of all students. The positive effects of homework are numerous,
including increasing retention and understanding; developing effective study and time
management skills, along with a sense of independence and responsibility; and
fostering the concept that learning can occur anywhere, not just in school. Homework
also provides an avenue for parental involvement by affording parents an opportunity to
see what their children are learning and to encourage their children in their studies."

It goes on to state the time constraints that should be in play with K-2 being no more than 30 minutes a night. Now, I ask you, how many 6 year-olds do think can write 24 words and create five sentences in 30 minutes? Aside from the homework being excessive, it provides no learning value for my son and certainly isn't helping our family time.
What should be noted on the website entry is that Lynchburg City Schools "believes" homework is important for all of these reasons, however, there is not research to support any of these claims. Additionally, homework assigned to elementary school students has repeated shown a negative affect on attitudes. If you do not have the book, I encourage you to purchase it, read it, and take a stand on homework in your school division, where ever that may be. Here are a few highlights but I assure you the book is rich with citations and research that go much deeper than these.

1. There is no evidence of an academic benefit from homework in elementary school.
2. There is no consistent linear or curvilinear relationship between the amount of time spent on a child's homework and academic achievement.
3. There is no evidence that homework teaches children to budget their time or makes them more responsible.
4. Homework negatively affects students' attitudes toward learning.
5. Research shows that homework does not improve self-discipline (largely because it is not self-regulated or voluntary).
6. Homework is detrimental to the psychological well-being of children.
7. In order for parents to see what their child is learning in school, couldn't they just bring home their classwork and explain it to their parents. Do we need to compel homework to get parental involvement? Wouldn't a phone call or email work better?
8. Preparing first graders for fifth grade homework because they need to get used to it, shows complete disregard for developmental growth and learning.
9. Homework keeps children from learning in their time at home in a natural and exploratory way.

Did I mention that there is no research to support the statement that homework aids in, "retention and understanding; developing effective study and time management skills, along with a sense of independence and responsibility...?" I will keep you posted on the steps I take next. As a former teacher, I certainly don't want to be one of "those" parents. However, I do believe that the homework being assigned is excessive and ultimately not enhancing my son's learning or his after-school experience. Further across the school division I think parents and teachers would benefit from having this conversation. My son is curious and wants to know about everything. I would hate for homework to kill that.