Book Look: The Homework Myth by Alfie Kohn

The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing by Alfie Kohn
Review by: Rosshalde Pak
Visit Rosshalde's Store on Teachers Pay Teachers
Visit Rosshalde's Blog, Education Shortlist

Recommended for: Teachers at all levels

Every student, teacher, and parent, and family knows the inevitability of homework at school.  Which is why I recommend that educators (new and veteran), as well as students who wants to become educators – and heck, even their professors, should all invest the time to read Alfie Kohn’s book, The Homework Myth. I was lucky enough to read this book whilst still in graduate school.  I say lucky because it changed my views on homework before I started teaching professionally.

Kohn goes into a detailed analysis and explanation of why our students are overloaded with too much homework, why homework is actually stopping them from learning, and why homework should be done away with altogether. (See, this is why it might not be the best book to hand over to your disgruntled middle school and high school children.  Can you say revolt?)

I agreed with nearly every point in The Homework Myth.  I do believe that our students get too much homework; and that much of that work could easily be considered ‘busy work’.  I do feel that homework can be a good learning tool though.  When we, as educators, realize that homework is a tool that is work to be done at home, and is a way for students to see how much of that they did that day, then they truly understand that there is a place for homework.

The Homework Myth is a very useful tool for educators, especially during the summer.  Then they have the chance to really think about effective learning strategies that they can implement properly into the upcoming school year.