Discussion: Age-Appropriate School-Age﻿ Scenario * Module 2 Page 24 (12/13)

Discussion: Age-Appropriate School-Age Scenario * Module 2 Page 24 (12/13)

6/4/2016

39 Comments

Go Back

The Discussion Board is a tool for sharing thoughts and ideas about class materials.

Click here for an alternate option for submitting your answer.

"Agree or Disagree" is not considered an answer.
You are required to type an appropriate response.

Please read the scenario, then discuss the following questions:

Do you think this behavior or expectation is age-appropriate?
If so, how could you explain this to the parents/co-workers?
Is there anything you can do to prevent this situation from happening again?

School-ager Scenario
You just started working in an afterschool program for 5-8 year olds at a local elementary school. The children are expected to do their homework as soon as they come in afterschool since this is what parents want. You notice that this is a constant struggle with children acting up and complaining (and doing very little actual homework.) Your supervisor asks what you think they should do. What do you think should change and how would you explain your reasons?

39 Comments

miah radcliff

10/18/2018 08:38:21 pm

I would change the schedule of when and how the homework was done by rotating from homework to an activity so the kids brains stay stimulated and focused while not getting too overwhelmed. I think both behavior and expectation are age appropriate as this age group is right around the time where attention span is building as well as patience. I would explain to parents and coworkers by informing them of the developmental stages of a childs brain, and because every child is different you could try to prevent this from happening by changing the way or time this is being done but it will never be 100% guaranteed.

Zoe Rogers

11/12/2018 06:23:21 pm

I think at this age the struggle with doing homework comes and goes. It all depends on where that child is deveoplmentaly. I would make home seem fun and inviting. I wouldn't just have them sit at a table and leave them alone. I'd check in on each child frequently, and ask if they need help.

Scott Kerman

10/23/2018 09:44:05 am

Do you think this behavior or expectation is age-appropriate?
Yes and no. For school age children, differentiating may be called for. There could be students who prefer to complete homework first as this calms their anxiety about unfinished assignments. However, my assumption is that for most students, after a busy day at school, they likely could use some physical play time and probably a snack.

If so, how could you explain this to the parents/co-workers?
I'd try to get parents/co-workers to see the issue from their own experience. How many adults enjoy having to launch into chores right when they get home from work? How does that make them feel? Stressed, anxious, unhappy? The answer is probably a resounding yes. Well, children are no different.

Is there anything you can do to prevent this situation from happening again?
Create structure where students can start the program with a snack and opportunity for free play--having options for the students would be important. At the same time, there can be a quiet nook for students who would actually prefer to do their assignment first and then play.

Jeremy

10/27/2018 11:31:06 am

I think this behavior is common among school-agers and is almost to be expected. Homework is something they usually do at home and are doing with parents. I would say to prevent this from happening you can break up the time since they just got out of school and do free time or a fun game activity to break up their day so that they have time to get energy out and then ask that they get any homework out that they may have.

Nicholas South

10/30/2018 01:06:27 pm

I believe that this is age appropriate but is not being implemented appropriately. Seeing as children spend so much time in school already sitting listening and learning often their brains are not ready to focus and have energy they need to get out. Thus the most effective way to resolve the situation is to allow freedom for the kids to choose physical and/or mental activities to get the energy out. Then after this have the children work on their homework for a appropriate set amount of time, so that the children not only can focus but can learn to manage their time. This would also be the way I would communicate this opinion.

Emily Trumbull

11/3/2018 10:50:41 am

Take them outside for about an hour, come back inside for snack and then have homework time for about 30 minutes. If they don't have homework then have them read a book.

Louis Berticevich

11/3/2018 07:03:39 pm

I would make sure that the afterschool program starts with snack and a recess. After 7 hours of school, kids are often tired and exhausted and need a release, especially since they usually would have had lunch a few hours before.

In order to explain to parents, I think going in depth into all the work that the students are expected to do during the day would help get that across. I also think that compromising and making sure that there is a good time for homework to be completed would put their minds at ease.

Ideally, the behaviors and outcomes would all start to look better so this kind of issue won't come up too much again. Maybe have the option for parents to contribute healthy snacks (if possible) so they can have some sense of control.

Jana Samuelson

11/4/2018 07:46:51 pm

I would suggest starting of the after school program with some down time, playing outside or a snack to break up the time and give the student a chance to reset in a new environment. This behavior may be expected depending on the student and talking with parents about what our problem is and what they are seeing at home would be helpful in figuring what is happening. Making a change to the after school program schedule might be enough to break up the challenge for this student.

Lisa Boecker

11/5/2018 11:21:33 am

In my personal experience, young school agers perform much better academically if after their long day at school they are allowed outdoor play and a snack before expecting them to sit down and focus on homework or other academic tasks. I would explain this to my supervisor and ask if we could at least give it a try and see how it worked out if the parents were amenable to the idea as well.

M. Lizzette Mattsib

11/5/2018 12:15:03 pm

After a child working on academic classroom structure for 5+ hours, the child will need a good long break in order to operate productively on an academic task. A very good 20-40 minutes of break, games, snacks will help the child to restart and work on homework faster than if we have him/her work straight right after school.

Anita Utheim

11/7/2018 11:11:39 pm

I would suggest to the supervisor that the kids get a break to have a snack and get some gross motor time either playing outside or an active game using their bodies for a set amount of time before going back into structured time.

Sheridan Zimmerer

11/8/2018 10:52:13 am

This is natural behavior for children this age. They have a lot of energy, especially after restraining their energy for much of the day in school. It would help the kids focus more if they had some time to vent their energy and relax. I would let the parents know, and encourage my supervisor to give the students at least 10 or 15 minutes to play or relax after school before starting homework.

Padmaja Kondeti

11/8/2018 03:52:00 pm

It's very common at this age when all kids go home the kids who are in after school program they want break. instead of asking to do their homework immediately we need to give some time kids to play and have some snacks so that they will do their homework with more energy and interest.

Jennifer

11/11/2018 05:12:07 pm

I would tell my supervisor that maybe kids need a break first, with snack and wind down time or play time. Parents should be notified of this schedule. I think it's the parents responsibility to make sure a kids homework is done unless the teachers have arranged an agreement with their students and with daycare director.

Marilyn Kriger

11/14/2018 09:31:15 am

This expectation is expected since the kids have been in classes and doing homework all day. I would explain to parents and co workers that the kids have been in school all day mainly sitting inside and need to release their energy, making it harder for them to focus. I could take the kids outside before they start doing their homework so they can let all their energy out and be more prone to focus.

Brianda Kukulka Heredia

11/14/2018 12:25:32 pm

Working in a school age classroom I know first hand the struggle of getting all children on bored with doing homework. If this was how we did things at our center, I would discuss the way it works for me and how children in our center respond to doing homework. What we do is have children wash their hands first thing, when the get off of the bus. Then they have snack, after snack we have a half hr of free play. After free play we have a half hr of homework time. Whether this is reading quietly or having to help kids with their work. After homework we go outside and have a group game then free play. This works very well with our class that I'd hope my new supervisor would be open to trying this out and seeing if this would help with homework issues.

Rachel Patrzeba

11/14/2018 10:55:39 pm

Yes this it totally age appropriate. The kids have been in school all day and the brains need a rest from all the academic work. I would give them a snack and let me run around a bit, or have some type of physical activity for just a couple of minutes. This will refresh the brain and the body of the kid and then they will be more likely to do their homework and complete more of it because they just needed a little break.

Lucy

11/16/2018 10:48:26 am

This appears to be very appropriate for the age range of 5-8. I would explain this to parents by saying that children at this age need breaks from strict, direct instruction style settings like studious homework time directly after school lets out. Allowing a recess period between school letting out and homework time allows children of this age to release their built up energy, have a break, and play with friends. After an appointed time of recess, the after school program can gather the kids for an organized homework time. This way, the students have expressed their excited energy, and the daycare staff have allowed them "fun time" in exchange now for "work time".

Neha Bhatia

11/17/2018 09:30:56 pm

The kids Re probably saturated and its time to give them a break and allow some me time.

Veronica Herrera

11/19/2018 01:38:40 pm

I do believe that this behavior is a common problem amongst school-aged children. I would explain this to a parent or coworker by mentioning that they spend many hours a day in school and by the end of the school day, many of the children just want to play or do a fun activity and do not want to work on homework. To help with this situation and prevent this from happening again I would start the afterschool program with outside time or gym time to allow the children to run around and play because they tend to be restless by the end of the school day. We then transition to snack time and then we do homework time so that they are no longer as restless or hungry and can better concentrate on their homework.

Kellan Walls

11/19/2018 07:22:42 pm

I do believe this is an age-appropriate behavior, therefore not exactly an age appropriate expectation. In my own experiences, when my school agers have to do quiet time as soon as they get to daycare (while toddlers are napping), it is also a constant struggle keeping them from talking. However, in that scenario they still get to color, write, and watch movies . If we had them do homework, I can assure you many of them would be far too distracted to actually get anything done. Some of my older students do homework when they get back on their own will, but that is not the rule. Children simply have too much energy that they need to expel, and lets be honest getting out of school for the day is exciting. I would explain the need for activity, even if it is brief, to the parents and supervisors while assuring that homework time is equally important. With approval, I would advise some outside activity or play time for the first 30 minutes after arriving, and then have them do their homework. I believe this would allow the kids to focus a lot more and make that time a productive one.

Abbey

11/21/2018 03:59:17 pm

The behavior / reaction is age-appropriate but the expectation is not. I would explain that children need time to break up the academically straining day by going outside, having a snack, or being given free-choice time to color, build, play games, socialize, etc. before being asked to jump back into academics. The after-school schedule should be adapted to respond to the needs of the students by providing at least one of the aforementioned activities before homework time.

Emma Hodgson

11/22/2018 02:09:29 pm

I would change the schedule. If the children are being dismissed from class and then going straight into homework, it is not surprising there is some resistance. Take the children outside for 30 minutes for free or instructed play. Give them a snack and some water afterwards. Move into a special 'Homework' space that is quiet and intended for study, away from other children who are playing.

Hannah Tucker

11/23/2018 02:10:28 pm

I agree with the majority of the previous responses. Having worked for an after-school center, homework was the last thing the kids wanted to do following a 7 hour day of learning. Instead we started with outside play, followed by a snack and then homework. For those without homework we provided coloring pages and activity sheets. This break provided a sort of "recharge" that allowed them to address their homework with more focus.

However, if any parent was insistent that their child complete their homework immediately following school I would have no problem implementing that. Rather than exclude the child, I would allow them to complete homework wherever we were having outside play/snack. I would stay with the student to further prevent exclusion and encourage any other students to complete their homework with said child as well.

Annie Li

11/23/2018 04:24:23 pm

Take kids outside and allow them to get fresh air and release energy, after a long day in school. Use opportunity to each kids about gratification, and remind the kids after they finish how good it will feel to have completed there work and that they will have more time to play.

Tyler E Monica

11/24/2018 10:02:31 pm

They just got done being in school all day. Have them engage in anything else, but homework for one hour and then have them eat snack, and then we can do some homework I have kids that have to do that to we don't have them start until at least hour and half after.

Jiso Chong

12/3/2018 10:30:56 pm

I completely agree with you. Forcing children at that age to start their homework immediately following school is too much.

Sateva Henderson

11/26/2018 10:36:54 pm

I would recommend the kids doing a fun activity to give them a break from school work and to take a little stress off them, then a snack to get them thru till dinner, and then going back to doing their homework. I would explain this is how I've seen in done in a few successful programs and the kids get their homework done at those programs.

Amia Stephens

11/27/2018 12:17:14 am

This behavior is normal for this age. thinking that they just got done with a 6 hour school day learning and dong paperwork and then they come to daycare and find out that they need to do homework or read, that is not a fun thing for the children. I would explain to the coworkers that they are tired from a long school day and need a small break before beginning to work on their school work and so I would suggest a smaller recess after coming back from school but before they are able to play with any toys so that they have time to get out energy and then they know that right after play time is homework time and it will start that schedule for the children.

Tiffany

11/30/2018 11:52:49 am

Amia,
I agree, I think that having a break inbetween school and after school would make a huge difference.

Tiffany

11/30/2018 11:51:30 am

Do you think this behavior or expectation is age-appropriate?
I think they are both age appropriate but I think that it could be scheduled differently.
If so, how could you explain this to the parents/co-workers?
I would explain that at this age it is normal after a long day of sitting in class to be discouraged that they are expected to sit longer.
Is there anything you can do to prevent this situation from happening again?
I would suggest a schedule change. Offer outside time before the children are expected to homework

wendy

12/3/2018 01:13:30 pm

yes this behavior is predictable, after being at school for 8 hours the last thing a kid wants to do is sit and do more of the same that they just did. i would create a routine and explain to my supervisor that when the kids get there we will go outside or create a physical game where the kids can get there wiggles out and regroup. so that they would b e able to focus better on the task of homework.

Jiso Chong

12/3/2018 10:28:36 pm

I would start off with a short group game or activity because they have been in school all day. Giving them a little time to unwind before starting their homework could be effective.

Camille Le Men

12/8/2018 11:04:27 pm

The kids have had a long day and need to rest. Studies actually show that their attention drops around 3 and rises again around 5-6. I would take them out to recess and possibly give them a snack before asking them to do their homework in order to be allowed to take a playing activity.

Lorissa

12/11/2018 02:24:20 pm

I believe changing the schedule would benefit. The children need a variety of activities to keep their interest not just homework right away

Inez Labrier

12/22/2018 01:21:17 pm

Do you think this behavior or expectation is age-appropriate?
No and yes. Learning the temperments of children can only help to get the assignments done. Some children come from school starving and a snack would help them focus on the task. Others' may need to burn off some steam and invigorate the body to get a task done, yet, some other kids may prefer to get it done immediately to satisfy their needs. I don't think every child can be expected to do the same think and perform to their best ability.

If so, how could you explain this to the parents/co-workers?
I'd try to get parents/co-workers to see the issue from their own experience. Ask them what they do to complete their tasks. Are they a get the laundry done on Fri so I am ready for Monday. Or if they relax with the drive home and ease into dinner tasks. Ask them what they have noticed in their child to get a task done.

Is there anything you can do to prevent this situation from happening again?
Build a good relationship with the parents and let them trust I am making the best choices for their children..

Curtis King

12/28/2018 01:54:18 pm

I believe that this is age appropriate behavior, what I would recommend that since it is an after school program giving them some time to do a reses activity, they were just at school all day, some time for reses is probably needed they can contiue with school work after that.

Cindee

12/30/2018 07:37:28 am

I do think this behavior is age-appropriate.
I would explain what is going on with the children to the parents/co-workers and why I believe it needs to be changed up a bit and discuss trying to do things a little differently to get a better result that would be beneficial for all, and I would reassure them that we will still do homework.
We would go outside or to the gym to give the kids some free time to run and play and just decompress from school. After about 30 to 40 minutes we would go back in, head to the restrooms to wash up for snack. Finish up with snack, then begin our homework.

Shannon Menjivar-Bates

12/30/2018 08:01:28 pm

No , because when children transition from a place like school to an afterschool program they need time to process school and relax but still be stimulated. Id have to explain to the parents that yes they will get their homework done but in a different schedule where they will most likely be willing to do it.

Required Assignment