There's something perversely fascinating about educational policies that are clearly at odds with the available data. Homework continues to be assigned - in ever greater quantities - despite the absence of evidence that it's necessary or even helpful in most cases.Decades of investigation have failed to turn up any evidence that homework is beneficial for students in elementary school. Even if you regard standardized test results as a useful measure (*and in public schools, it certainly isn't; anybody can memorize) homework isn't even correlated with higher scores at these ages.
The only effect that does show up is more negative attitudes on the part of the students. . .
Teach your children to love learning! It's so unfair that out-schooled kids are away from their parents all day and then spending the little bit of time they have with their parents (assuming they don't do any after-school sports or activities) slaving over homework. Schools are so terribly unproductive.
*All italicized words are my own. This quote taken from Alfie Kohn's article, "The Truth About Homework", Education Week, Sept. 6, 2006
1 comment:
I so agree about homework. My boys are in public school :-( (I want to home school, but husband opposes it). Homework for them, is enrichment work because they are both above grade level!
Mrs. Hardway
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