Alfie Kohn: The Homework Myth

Alfie Kohn, nationally known educational speaker and writer, will be in the Chicago area on Monday morning to give a speech on The Homework Myth. Please contact us ASAP if you are interested in attending!

 Per his website: THE HOMEWORK MYTH

After spending most of the day in school, children are typically given additional assignments to be completed at home - a remarkable fact, when you stop to think about it. What's more, homework in most schools isn't limited to those times when it seems appropriate and important. Rather than saying, "Doing this particular project at home may be useful," our message seems to be, "We've decided ahead of time that students will have to do something every night. Later on we'll figure out what to make them do." We know it causes stress and conflict, frustration and exhaustion. But at least, we tell ourselves, it teaches them independence and good work habits, "reinforces" what they've been taught, and helps them to become more successful learners. Or does it? In this presentation, Alfie Kohn carefully reviews the usual defenses of homework and finds that none is actually supported by research, logic, or experience. He then offers half a dozen reasons to explain why we feel obligated to administer this modern cod liver oil even though there is no evidence that it's necessary - and considerable evidence that it undermines children's interest in learning. This, in turn, leads to a closer look at our assumptions about teaching in general, and practical suggestions for rethinking what students are asked to do both during and after school.


(For more details about this talk, please see the book of the same name.)

From the Book Flap:

A compelling exposé of homework – how it fails our children, why it’s so widely accepted, and what we can do about it. 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, Alfie Kohn systematically examines the usual defenses of homework – that it promotes higher achievement, “reinforces” learning, 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.