The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing

The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing

by Alfie Kohn
The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing

The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing

by Alfie Kohn

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Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780738211343
Publisher: Hachette Books
Publication date: 04/03/2007
Sold by: Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format: eBook
Pages: 256
File size: 518 KB

About the Author

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

Table of Contents


The Truth About Homework
"Missing Out on Their Childhoods"     3
Does Homework Improve Learning? A Fresh Look at the Evidence     25
Does Homework Provide Nonacademic Benefits?     49
Six Reasons Homework Persists (Despite What the Data Say)
"Studies Show ..."-Or Do They?     71
The Questions Left Unasked     87
What We Haven't Learned About Learning     101
The "Tougher Standards" Fad Hits Home     119
Better Get Used to It     141
Idle Hands...     151
Restoring Sanity
Rethinking Homework     163
Making Change     183
Notes     199
References     229
Acknowledgments     243
Index     245
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