In The Homework MythKohn known Homework and parenting expert Alfie Kohn The examines the usual Alfie of homework--that Homework 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 Kohn Kohn points out that there will be a never ending argument when it comes to homework. If teachers do not assign homework, parents will think their children are not getting a good enough education and if they do, that leads to more stress and negative affects on the children The Homework Myth by Alfie Kohn. So, maybe it's like this. You hated homework as a kid. The title of this newsletter article is borrowed from the book by that name written Kohn Alfie Kohn. She told me that he does for eduction what I do for bullying: shows us that everything we thought we click about the subject is wrong. After reading a few of his books, I am Homework Alfie Kohn is a true prophet—a
Rethinking Homework - Alfie Kohn
After spending most of the day in school, children are typically given additional assignments to be completed at home. This is a rather curious fact when you stop to think about it, alfie kohn homework rethinking homework, but not as curious as the fact that few people ever stop to think about it.
It becomes even more curious, for that matter, alfie kohn homework rethinking homework, in light of three other facts:. The negative effects of homework are well known. Many parents lament the impact of homework on their relationship with their children; they may also resent having to play the role of alfie kohn homework rethinking homework and worry that they will be criticized either for not being involved enough with the homework or for becoming too involved.
The positive effects of homework are largely mythical. The results are nothing short of stunning. For starters, there is absolutely no evidence of any academic benefit from assigning homework in elementary or middle school.
At the high school level, the correlation is weak and tends to disappear when more sophisticated statistical measures are applied. Meanwhile, no study has ever substantiated the belief that homework builds character or teaches good study habits. More homework is being piled on children despite the absence of its value, alfie kohn homework rethinking homework. And teachers who have long harbored doubts about the value of homework feel pressured by those parents who mistakenly believe that a lack of afterschool assignments reflects an insufficient commitment to academic achievement.
Such alfie kohn homework rethinking homework seem to reason that as long as their kids have lots of stuff to do every night, never mind what it is, then learning must be taking place. What parents and teachers need is support from administrators who are willing to challenge the conventional wisdom.
Make sure you know what the research really says — that there is no reason to believe that children would be at any disadvantage in terms of their academic learning or life skills if they had much less homework, or even none at all. Whatever decisions are made should be based on fact rather than folk wisdom.
Such policies sacrifice thoughtful instruction in order to achieve predictability, and they manage to do a disservice not only to students but, when imposed from above, to teachers as well. Many parents are understandably upset with how much time their children have to spend on homework.
Quantity, however, is not the only issue that needs to be addressed. Too many first graders are forced to clip words from magazines that begin with a given letter of the alphabet. Too many fifth graders have to color in an endless list of factor pairs on graph paper.
Too many eighth graders spend their evenings inching their way through dull, overstuffed, committee-written textbooks, one chapter at a time. Teachers should be invited to reflect on whether any given example of homework will help students think deeply about questions that matter. What philosophy of teaching, what theory of learning, alfie kohn homework rethinking homework, lies behind each assignment?
Does it seem to assume that children are meaning makers — or empty vessels? Is it about wrestling with ideas or mindlessly following directions? Change the default. Ask the kids. Find out what students think of homework and solicit their suggestions — perhaps by distributing anonymous questionnaires.
Many adults simply assume that homework is useful for promoting learning without even inquiring into the experience of the learners themselves! Do students find that homework really is useful? Why or why not? Are certain kinds better than others? How does homework affect their desire to learn? What are its other effects on their lives, and on their families? Suggest that teachers assign only what they design. In most cases, students should be asked to do only what teachers are willing to create themselves, as opposed to prefabricated alfie kohn homework rethinking homework or generic exercises photocopied from textbooks.
On those days when homework really seems necessary, teachers should create several assignments fitted to different interests and capabilities. Use homework as an opportunity to involve students in decision-making. One way to judge the quality of a classroom is by the extent to which students participate in making choices about their learning. The best teachers know that alfie kohn homework rethinking homework learn how to make good decisions by making decisions, not by following directions.
What is true of education in general is true of homework in particular. A discussion about whether homework might be useful and why can be valuable in its own right, alfie kohn homework rethinking homework. keep talking until we reach consensus? look for a compromise? And that growth occurs precisely because the teacher asked rather than told.
Teachers who consult with their students on a regular basis would shake their heads vigorously were you to suggest alfie kohn homework rethinking homework kids will always say no to homework — or to anything else that requires effort. When students are treated with respect, when the assignments are worth doing, most kids relish a challenge.
Help teachers move away from grading. Ask teachers who are reluctant to rethink their long-standing reliance on traditional homework to see what happens if, during a given week or curriculum unit, they tried assigning none. Surely anyone who believes that homework is beneficial should be willing to test that assumption by investigating the consequences of its absence.
In such a position there is a strong temptation to avoid new initiatives that call the status quo into question. For anyone willing to shake things up in order to do what makes sense, beginning a conversation about homework is a very good place to start. We are awash in articles and books that claim homework is beneficial — or simply take the existence or value of homework for granted and merely offer suggestions for how it ought to be assigned, or what techniques parents should use to make children complete it.
Here are some resources that question the conventional assumptions about the subject in an effort to stimulate meaningful thinking and conversation. Barber, Bill. Bennett, Sara, and Nancy Kalish.
The Case Against Homework: How Homework Is Hurting Our Children and What We Can Do Alfie kohn homework rethinking homework It New York: Crown, Buell, John. Closing the Book on Homework: Enhancing Public Education and Freeing Family Time.
Philadelphia: Temple University Press, Dudley-Marling, Curt. Hinchey, Patricia. Kohn, Alfie. The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, Kralovec, Etta, and John Buell.
The End of Homework: How Homework Disrupts Families, Overburdens Children, and Limits Learning Boston: Beacon Press, Samway, Katharine. Vatterott, Cathy, alfie kohn homework rethinking homework. Waldman, Ayelet. October 22, It becomes even more curious, for that matter, in light of three other facts: 1.
RESOURCES We are awash in articles and books that claim homework is beneficial — or simply take the existence or value of homework for granted and merely offer suggestions for how it ought to be assigned, or what techniques parents should use to make children complete it.
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Rethinking Homework
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The Homework Myth by Alfie Kohn. So, maybe it's like this. You hated homework as a kid. The title of this newsletter article is borrowed from the book by that name written Kohn Alfie Kohn. She told me that he does for eduction what I do for bullying: shows us that everything we thought we click about the subject is wrong. After reading a few of his books, I am Homework Alfie Kohn is a true prophet—a In The Homework MythKohn known Homework and parenting expert Alfie Kohn The examines the usual Alfie of homework--that Homework 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 Kohn Kohn points out that there will be a never ending argument when it comes to homework. If teachers do not assign homework, parents will think their children are not getting a good enough education and if they do, that leads to more stress and negative affects on the children
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