The Homework Myth
The Homework Myth

Author: Alfie Kohn

Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books

Published: 2007-04-03

Total Pages: 268

ISBN-13: 0738211346

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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.

The Case Against Homework
The Case Against Homework

Author: Sara Bennett

Publisher: Harmony

Published: 2007-08-28

Total Pages: 306

ISBN-13: 030734018X

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Does assigning fifty math problems accomplish any more than assigning five? Is memorizing word lists the best way to increase vocabulary—especially when it takes away from reading time? And what is the real purpose behind those devilish dioramas? The time our children spend doing homework has skyrocketed in recent years. Parents spend countless hours cajoling their kids to complete such assignments—often without considering whether or not they serve any worthwhile purpose. Even many teachers are in the dark: Only one of the hundreds the authors interviewed and surveyed had ever taken a course specifically on homework during training. The truth, according to Sara Bennett and Nancy Kalish, is that there is almost no evidence that homework helps elementary school students achieve academic success and little evidence that it helps older students. Yet the nightly burden is taking a serious toll on America’s families. It robs children of the sleep, play, and exercise time they need for proper physical, emotional, and neurological development. And it is a hidden cause of the childhood obesity epidemic, creating a nation of “homework potatoes.” In The Case Against Homework, Bennett and Kalish draw on academic research, interviews with educators, parents, and kids, and their own experience as parents and successful homework reformers to offer detailed advice to frustrated parents. You’ll find out which assignments advance learning and which are time-wasters, how to set priorities when your child comes home with an overstuffed backpack, how to talk and write to teachers and school administrators in persuasive, nonconfrontational ways, and how to rally other parents to help restore balance in your children’s lives. Empowering, practical, and rigorously researched, The Case Against Homework shows how too much work is having a negative effect on our children’s achievement and development and gives us the tools and tactics we need to advocate for change. Also available as an eBook

Rethinking Homework
Rethinking Homework

Author: Cathy Vatterott

Publisher: ASCD

Published: 2018-09-25

Total Pages: 198

ISBN-13: 141662659X

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In this updated edition, Cathy Vatterott examines the role homework has played in the culture of schooling over the years; how such factors as family life, the media, and "homework gap" issues based on shifting demographics have affected the homework controversy; and what recent research as well as common sense tell us about the effects of homework on student learning. She also explores how the current homework debate has been reshaped by forces including the Common Core, a pervasive media and technology presence, the mass hysteria of "achievement culture," and the increasing shift to standards-based and formative assessment. The best way to address the homework controversy is not to eliminate homework. Instead, the author urges educators to replace the old paradigm (characterized by long-standing cultural beliefs, moralistic views, and behaviorist philosophy) with a new paradigm based on the following elements: Designing high-quality homework tasks; Differentiating homework tasks; Deemphasizing grading of homework; Improving homework completion; and Implementing homework support programs. Numerous examples from teachers and schools illustrate the new paradigm in action, and readers will find useful new tools to start them on their own journey. The end product is homework that works—for all students, at all levels.

The Myth of the Spoiled Child
The Myth of the Spoiled Child

Author: Alfie Kohn

Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books

Published: 2014-03-25

Total Pages: 282

ISBN-13: 0738217247

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Parenting and education expert Alfie Kohn tackles the misconception that overparenting and overindulgence has produced a modern generation of entitled children incapable of making their way in the world.

Feel-Bad Education
Feel-Bad Education

Author: Alfie Kohn

Publisher: Beacon Press

Published: 2011-04-05

Total Pages: 225

ISBN-13: 0807001414

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Mind-opening writing on what kids need from school, from one of education’s most outspoken voices Almost no writer on schools asks us to question our fundamental assumptions about education and motivation as boldly as Alfie Kohn. The Washington Post says that “teachers and parents who encounter Kohn and his thoughts come away transfixed, ready to change their schools.” And Time magazine has called him “perhaps the country’s most outspoken critic of education’s fixation on grades [and] test scores.” Here is challenging and entertaining writing on where we should go in American education, in Alfie Kohn’s unmistakable voice. He argues in the title essay with those who think that high standards mean joylessness in the classroom. He reflects thoughtfully on the question “Why Self-Discipline Is Overrated.” And in an essay for the New York Times, which generated enormous response, he warns against the dangers of both punishing and praising children for what they do instead of parenting “unconditionally.” Whether he’s talking about school policy or the psychology of motivation, Kohn gives us wonderfully provocative—and utterly serious—food for thought. This new book will be greeted with enthusiasm by his many readers, and by teachers and parents seeking a refreshing perspective on today’s debates about kids and schools.

The Math Myth
The Math Myth

Author: Andrew Hacker

Publisher: New Press, The

Published: 2010-05-25

Total Pages: 257

ISBN-13: 1620970694

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A New York Times–bestselling author looks at mathematics education in America—when it’s worthwhile, and when it’s not. Why do we inflict a full menu of mathematics—algebra, geometry, trigonometry, even calculus—on all young Americans, regardless of their interests or aptitudes? While Andrew Hacker has been a professor of mathematics himself, and extols the glories of the subject, he also questions some widely held assumptions in this thought-provoking and practical-minded book. Does advanced math really broaden our minds? Is mastery of azimuths and asymptotes needed for success in most jobs? Should the entire Common Core syllabus be required of every student? Hacker worries that our nation’s current frenzied emphasis on STEM is diverting attention from other pursuits and even subverting the spirit of the country. Here, he shows how mandating math for everyone prevents other talents from being developed and acts as an irrational barrier to graduation and careers. He proposes alternatives, including teaching facility with figures, quantitative reasoning, and understanding statistics. Expanding upon the author’s viral New York Times op-ed, The Math Myth is sure to spark a heated and needed national conversation—not just about mathematics but about the kind of people and society we want to be. “Hacker’s accessible arguments offer plenty to think about and should serve as a clarion call to students, parents, and educators who decry the one-size-fits-all approach to schooling.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

The Battle Over Homework
The Battle Over Homework

Author: Harris M. Cooper

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2015-02-03

Total Pages: 142

ISBN-13: 1631440128

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Homework is the cause of more friction between schools and home than any other aspect of education and becomes the prime battlefield when schools, families, and communities view one another as adversaries. This comprehensive fourth edition tackles all the tough questions: What’s the right amount of homework? What role should parents play in the homework process? What is the connection between homework and achievement? This essential reference offers all stakeholders—administrators, teachers, and parents—the opportunity to end the battle and turn homework into a cooperative endeavor to promote student learning.

What Does It Mean to Be Well Educated?
What Does It Mean to Be Well Educated?

Author: Alfie Kohn

Publisher: Beacon Press

Published: 2004-05-15

Total Pages: 216

ISBN-13: 9780807032671

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Few writers ask us to question our fundamental assumptions about education as provocatively as Alfie Kohn. Time magazine has called him'perhaps the country's most outspoken critic of education's fixation on grades [and] test scores.' And the Washington Post says he is 'the most energetic and charismatic figure standing in the way of a major federal effort to make standardized curriculums and tests a fact of life in every U.S. school.' In this new collection of essays, Kohn takes on some of the most important and controversial topics in education of the last few years. His central focus is on the real goals of education-a topic, he argues, that we systematically ignore while lavishing attention on misguided models of learning and counterproductive techniques of motivation. The shift to talking about goals yields radical conclusions and wonderfully pungent essays that only Alfie Kohn could have written. From the title essay's challenge to conventional, conservative definitions of a good education to essays on standards and testing and grades that tally the severe educational costs of overemphasizing a narrow conception of achievement, Kohn boldly builds on his earlier work and writes for a wide audience. Kohn's new book will be greeted with enthusiasm by his many readers and by any teacher or parent looking for a refreshing perspective on today's debates about schools.

Schooling Beyond Measure and Other Unorthodox Essays about Education
Schooling Beyond Measure and Other Unorthodox Essays about Education

Author: Alfie Kohn

Publisher: Heinemann Educational Books

Published: 2015

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780325074405

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"Kohn's analytical style ... is brought to bear on big-picture policy issues as well as small-scale classroom interactions. He looks carefully at research about homework, play, the supposed benefits of practice, parent involvement in education, and summer learning loss - discovering in each case what we've been led to believe doesn't always match what the studies actually say. Kohn actually challenges us to reconsider the goals that underlie our methods, to explore the often troubling values that inform talk about everything from the disproportionate enthusiasm for STEM subjects to claims made for "effective" teaching strategies."--Back cover.

Taking the Stress Out of Homework
Taking the Stress Out of Homework

Author: Abby Freireich

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2021-03-02

Total Pages: 304

ISBN-13: 0593084551

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"As a mother of three, this book's practical road map for helping our kids learn independently is invaluable. This should be a must-read for all parents." --Jenna Bush Hager Drawing on extensive experience as classroom teachers and the directors of their highly regarded tutoring business, Abby and Brian address a range of common frustrations caused by homework. They answer the most pressing questions on every parent's mind: How much should I get involved, what does constructive help look like, and how can I help my child work independently? Taking the Stress out of Homework breaks down for parents exactly when and how to offer homework support. Whether your child's stress point is executive functioning--the ability to plan or organize--or a subject-specific struggle in math, reading, writing, or standardized test-preparation, Abby and Brian use real-life stories to provide individualized, actionable advice. At the center of Abby and Brian's philosophy is encouraging students to break free of the "let's get to the answer already so that we can be done with the assignment" mindset; they focus instead on a process-oriented approach that fosters engagement and self-sufficiency both in and out of school. Filled with expert tips about how to build executive functioning and content skills, Abby and Brian share stress-reducing best practices so homework not only supports what kids are learning, but also helps build confidence and skills that last a lifetime.