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.

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

Everyone needs a homework book or study planner to help them get their tasks done. Excellent for planning and dividing up subjects into bite-sized chunks to study or revise a bit at a time.

This book reveals the types of homework activity that are most beneficial to pupils’ attainment and makes sense of the research on homework and how it can be used most effectively. Suggesting ways in which the impact of homework can be improved, this book offers practical ideas, strategies and activities that teachers can implement, trial and adopt in their own classrooms. The guidance in this book is based on over 5 years research and links current evidence from cognitive psychology on retrieval practice, spacing and interleaving to the setting of homework. The book includes the following: suggestions for effective preparation tasks a discussion on metacognition and how this can help pupils revise and complete schoolwork independently an overview of how we can effectively check homework the importance of feedback how schools can support pupils and parents with homework as well as the importance of having a crystal-clear homework policy. This is essential reading for for school leaders and teachers of all subjects, across all phases wanting to ensure that their homework activities have a real impact on pupil’s learning.

"Introduces the reader on how to work together in certain situations"--

From the bestselling author of Loving a Younger Man comes a breakthrough work for the woman "blessed" with career, husband, and children. Making It Work introduces the reader to negotiating skills and hands-on methods of turning theory into practice. Balancing the needs and demands of work, love, and family requires flexibility, an open mind, and the courage to take a chance. An inspiring and provocative book.