Homework Myth

Death and taxes come later; what seems inevitable for children is the idea that, after spending the day at school, they must then complete more academic assignments at home. The predictable results: stress and conflict, frustration and exhaustion. Parents respond by reassuring themselves that at least the benefits outweigh the costs. But what if they don't? In The Homework Myth, nationally known educator and parenting expert Alfie Kohn systematically examines the usual defenses of homework--that it promotes higher achievement, "reinforces" learning, and teaches study skills and responsibility. None of these assumptions, he shows, actually passes the test of research, logic, or experience. So why do we continue to administer this modern cod liver oil--or even demand a larger dose? Kohn's incisive analysis reveals how a mistrust of children, a set of misconceptions about learning, and a misguided focus on competitiveness have all left our kids with less free time and our families with more conflict. Pointing to parents who have fought back--and schools that have proved educational excellence is possible without homework--Kohn shows how we can rethink what happens during and after school in order to rescue our families and our children's love of learning.

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Argues that homework does not provide academic benefits for younger students and that the notion of homework is the result of a set of misconceptions about learning, a mistrust of children, and a misguided focus on competitiveness.

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A compelling expose of homework--its negative effects, why it's so widely accepted, and what we can do about it

Alfie Kohn is the author of ten previous books, including Punished by Rewards, The Schools Our Children Deserve, and Unconditional Parenting. He lives with his family in the Boston area.

Some of the most fundamental expectations of children, parents, and educators are that children need homework, that they should get homework, and that the more they get, the better. According to Kohn (Punished by Rewards: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A's, Praise, and Other Bribes ), we assume that the benefits of homework outweigh its costs in time, family conflict, frustration, and loss of interest in learning. But, he argues, research doesn't support the value of homework in teaching children either academic subjects or habits like self-discipline. Kohn explores society's assumptions about homework, notes that none of them are supported empirically, and provides guidelines for alternatives to traditional homework assignments. The book is a little dense at times but is well argued and will stimulate lots of discussion. Recommended for academic libraries supporting programs in education as well as for public libraries serving patrons interested in educational policy. Mark Bay, Univ. of the Cumberlands Lib., Williamsburg, KY

[Page 159]. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

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Education watchdog and author Kohn (No Contest: The Case Against Competition ) questions why teachers and parents continue to insist on overloading kids with homework when there are no definitive studies proving its overall learning benefits. Indeed, argues Kohn persuasively, homework can be detrimental to children 's development by robbing families of quality evening time together and not allowing a kid time simply to be a kid. Americans in general advocate a tough-going approach to education and push teachers to give more drudgery nightly as a way of "building character." Yet Kohn shows that doing forced busywork only turns kids off to school and kills intellectual and creative curiosity. The American insistence on producing good worker bees "by sheer force or cleverness," notes Kohn, "reflects a stunning ignorance about how human beings function in the real world." Kohn pursues six reasons why homework is still so widely accepted despite the evidence against it, including the emphasis on competitiveness and "tougher standards" and a basic distrust of children and how they would fill their time otherwise if not doing busywork. There aren't enough case studies in Kohn's work, but Kohn sounds an important note: parents need to ask more challenging questions of teachers and institutions. (Sept.)

[Page 73]. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.