“The Homework Myth” by Alfie Kohn

A Review that summarizes and offers commentary

Context and Context and BackgroundBackground

Author is Alfie Kohn

Popular Author and Lecturer

Post on my website last May

Highly Recommended

Chapter 1: Missing out Chapter 1: Missing out on their Childhoodson their Childhoods

Points out the relative newness of homework

Now commonly accepted

Creates problems in the home

Lack of time for children to be children.

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Missing ChildhoodMissing Childhood

 burden on parents 

 stress for children  

family conflict  

less time for other activities  

 less interest in learning 

Chapter 2: Does Chapter 2: Does homework improve homework improve

learning?learning?  1.  At best only an association not a causal relationship 

 2.  Do we really know how much homework kids do?  -  depends who you ask and on the individual student    

3.  Homework Studies confuse grades and test scores with learning    

4.  homework matters less the longer you look

Improving learning?Improving learning?  5.  positive effects are quite small

 6.  In elementary school no benefit 

 7.  national and international exams cast further doubt 

 8.  incidental research raises further doubts

Chp 3: Other benefits of Chp 3: Other benefits of homeworkhomework

Does it teach work ethic and build character?

Responsibility?

Do we want what it could teach?

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Chapter 4: Studies Chapter 4: Studies show…or do they?show…or do they?

Studies that show support are often misquoted.

Don’t always take their word for it.

Sloppy writing perpetuates the myth of homework.

An example pg. 77 – re: Marzano

Chapter 5: The Chapter 5: The Questions left Questions left

unasked.unasked. We are stuck more on the how to do the homework

question than to the question of why.

Due to focus on competition and grades etc.

Chapter 6:What We Chapter 6:What We Haven’t Learned about Haven’t Learned about

learning.learning. Fascination with time on task or ToT

Idea that more homework = more time.

Interesting debate here with the work of Malcolm Galdwell in “Outliers”

Push for Quality of Instruction

An example from my experience

Chapter 7: The Chapter 7: The Tougher Standards Tougher Standards

Crowd hits HomeCrowd hits Home 1983 Nation at Risk

Presumption that Rigor = Excellence

Achievement Gap can be caused by homework perhaps. Class and homework strategies

Economy and WorkEconomy and Work Concern from employers

Why do we then send jobs over seas?

Do Foreign companies in America look for the highest quality of work.

Business and education in general – What is the point of an education.

Chapter 8: Better Get Chapter 8: Better Get Used to ItUsed to It

Better get used to it = BGUTI

As an excuse doesn’t really hold up but we allow it to.

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Chapter 9: Idle HandsChapter 9: Idle Hands Idle Hands the Devil’s playground

Great quote from Hesiod pg 152

Ageism continues

Generation We?

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Chapter 10: Chapter 10: Rethinking HomeworkRethinking Homework

Changing the Default

Quantity

Quality

Choice

Chapter 11: Make the Chapter 11: Make the ChangeChange

Have courage and give it a try

Or just try for a unit and see if homework makes any difference.

If in high school how about do one section without homework?