Is homework the “cod-liver oil” of education? Alfie Kohn, author of The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing, seems to think so. What does he mean? Kohn writes that the American public has been conditioned to believe that homework is a good thing. The natural outcome of this belief is that if a little is good, a lot should be very beneficial. Thus, the more homework educators hand out, the more they feel like our kids are learning and the our schools are doing their job.

Not so! Kohn writes that this idea of homework as some sort of panacea, a cure all for poor performance, just doesn't work. Over-burdening young minds with skills and drills makes them little more than cogs in the wheel of education. If we were really concerned about our children “learning”, we'd shift our focus to more creative ways to make that happen.

While I agree that our youth are extremely burdened by the sheer amount of activities in their lives (see my commentary on The Hyperachievement Myth, I don't see homework as just one more burden. I think homework can and does serve a purpose, at least when proper thought is given to the content of the outside assignment and the amount of time allocated for the assignment. For example, students in an English Lit class may be assigned a book to read outside of class so that time in the class may be used for discussion of what they've read. Or American History students may create a collage illustrating a significant moment in time and then give a presentation on that collage in class. Not all homework, as Kohn would have readers believe, is detrimental.

Now Kohn had good intentions, I believe, when he wrote The Homework Myth. He was truly concerned with reports of the sheer volume of homework educators were sending home with our children. I can see his point. Six or more hours of additional studies after six and a half hours of class time (or more) plus untold hours on the weekend is indeed a bit much. But, I disagree that homework has no value. Well though out assignments that add to the classroom experience rather than supplement or supplant that experience are very valuable. Strive for balanced and relevant, rather than voluminous, mechanical assignments and our children will benefit from homework.

Want to read more about homework and the potential impact such assignments may have on our children? Check out Alfie Kohn's book, The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing. The book retails for $24.00 USD and is currently available from major booksellers and online retailers.

Or, if Kohn's not your cup of tea; but, you're interested in a similar perspective, try Etta Kralovec and John Buell's book, The End of Homework: How homework disrupts families, overburdens children, and limits learning from Beacon Press ($14.00 USD from major booksellers and online retailers).


Until next time!

Lynn Byrne

Preparing for college admissions? Trying to find direction? Need a little help with the planning? Check out my college planning series:

• College Planning Made Easy--the planning and preparation workbook for the take charge, college-bound student,
  
• Paying for College Made Easy--a college financing guide designed to assist students and families in preparing and planning for higher education expenses; and
  
• The Great Scholarship Search--my guide for students and parents researching and applying for scholarship funding.