About spending so much time doing homework, if she is 'getting it' with regards to math, but the time it takes to complete it is frustrating her, maybe she would benefit from LESS homework. Just a thought.

I remember a thread on the board MONTHS ago about the amount of homework kids were coming home with and the question of whether or not it is actually helping kids learn or if it is just busy work given out by homework happy teachers. Some school districts will not allow more than 15 minutes of homework from any one class and I think that is GREAT. I happen to think that in math class, in particular, a lot of times it is just busy work. I remember being given 50-100 math problems to do at night. And now I wonder why? Either a child 'gets it' or they don't. If they do, then 100 problems is just busy work. If they don't, then doing 100 problems wrong isn't helping. KWIM?

But is Phoebe is spending a lot of time on doing busy work and it is taking even longer because of her eyes, it could be frustrating her and dulling her love of learning. Spending hours and hours each night on homework will make a kid HATE school and learning.

Jessica,
I don't disagree with you at all. The school district, however, has a homework policy. I'm not sure how to battle that one. The packets aren't that much, to be honest. Some of the sheets are longer than others. It's almost those that change activities MORE often that are harder for her, because it's MORE directions to figure out and follow. When she's focused and comfortable with the content, and the directions are straightforward, then she can bang it out pretty quickly. However, within one math packet, she can have four pages, three with as many as six or so word-problems, or puzzles etc etc. usually with a starting page of about a dozen straightforward math equations. I actually think she DOES need the practice. She gets the concepts, but she needs to apply them. It's a tough balance to strike.

Add to that two younger sisters bopping around... who i try to keep out of her hair, but we don't have a lot of space, who get louder the longer she takes, and she takes longer the louder they get, and I think you can get the idea here. :-)

Keep suggesting, though! I'm up for it... and will talk to her teachers about the quantity if it continues like this!

Okay - so here is a suggestion on the direction following/understanding. This is actually one that is a suggested game in my 3yo's 'school work' to help them learn to understand and follow multi step directions. Treasure hunts! With Evan, we use a checker board with chekers covering every square and a star hidden under one checker somewhere. He puts his finger on one checker in the corner and I verbally give him "Right 2 spots...Left...Forward 3...Backward..." directions that I have already written down as the map. If he follows them correctly, he finds the star at the end and gets a piece of candy. If not, we start over.

For Phoebe, you could do written directions that she has to follow from place to place. Maybe have to solve some sort of puzzle to figure out what the next step is. Just an idea...