Customer Reviews

The End of Homework: How Homework Disrupts Families, Overburdens Children, and Limits Learning

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This book might turn out to be the "shot heard round the (educational) world." After all, right up there with Harry Potter's "he-who-must-not-be-named", is that-which-should-not-be-mentioned: HOMEWORK! This is a book for parents, for teachers and for school authorities who think its time we started talking about the darker side of homework.

I write this review as a father of four and as a teacher of, roughly, 125 youngsters each year. Under the former hat I've always found that my kids manage their homework load and doubtless "do better" in school because of the time they put into it. But wearing the latter hat I would have to absolutely agree that the authors, one a teacher of 12 years, have initiated an important and necessary discussion that needs to take place in America's homes, schools and legislatures.

Every teacher I know understands that anywhere from one-fifth to one-third of the students we spend our days with do not have both pieces of the homework compound word. The schools provide the "work", the kids are supposed to provide the "home."

But, at Kralovec and Buell make clear, so often "home" is, a sad and challenging combination of "dad's place Monday, mom's place Tuesday", or "mindin' my niece", or (in my rural district) a corner in a 60-by-12 trailer shared with five others and two televisions, or dodging bottles, or just trying to figure out what to do with so many sad or angry people in your life. We KNOW that if we took some metric like annual family income, or square-footage of home, or some measure of "intact" families and lined them up top-to-bottom next to grades or averages we'd find a pretty close correlation. A large body of research supports this fact.

Would I say to my class, "Tonight I want you all to log on to the Internet on a high-speed cable link (this site has lots of great Java applets) and complete this online project. Email me your results. This assignment will count as 10% of your grade"? Of course not! I know that more than half of them don't have the technology at home. Could I say "tonight's assignment is to interview both parents to get their opinions about Vermeer. Only one interview means half credit"? Of course not! I know that more than half don't have two parents to interview! Should I, on a daily basis, remind those children of what's missing in their lives? Teachers in some schools notice that when they count homework as a substantial part of the children's grade, and some do, their "bell curve" turns into "camels humps" - almost half D's and F's on the "restriction list" and almost half A's and B's as "students of distinction." Should we just develop a list of "home risk" factors and save all the lies, half-truths, recriminations and heartache by giving students with two $6-an-hour working parents C's and those living with alcoholics D's ? That's too often how it works out.

And that's just the rough stuff.

The book does a fine job of extending the argument. After all, the adults in those non-homes are rarely together enough or self-confident enough to stand up to the educational establishment. Something will only change if the functional "homes" are being impacted by homework. They are.

Kralovec and Buell frankly and compellingly point out the more subtle, negative effects of homework on more intact households: the inevitable disruption and lessening of family time, the shouldering-aside of other activities, other "learning" available in churches, clubs, neighborhood, even the elimination of play or simple, "down" time that most quite functional adults need and grab when they "veg out" with television after an exhausting day.

The book is convincing in moving beyond anecdote to highlight the simple, startling duals fact that there is startlingly little educational research on the effects or efficacy of homework and that what research there is provides a very inconclusive base of results. There is no compelling proof that homework increases true student achievement, especially before high school. Imagine that.

Moving from the kitchen table and the research, the third chapter in the book uncovers some surprising history for those of us younger than 70 or so. The history of homework is not at all one of wide acceptance. From the turn of the prior century to about the late 1930's there was a vigorous debate in the parenting press and even medical circles proposing the negatives of homework. It helps to realize that one is not really calling for revolution - only return to an older truth.

It is at this point that the book steps up and shows that it is about more than just dumping some bales of tea in the harbor. This is not just a PTA-chat book. Kralovec and Buell take some time to discuss and analyze the "political economy" of schooling. They describe how so much of the homework "ethic" which, more than fact or history, drives the push for achievement and rigor through homework, derives from broader and deeper cultural and economic themes. The links to these matters and such large issues as global economies and competitiveness is not typical PTA material but, nevertheless, at the core of this discussion.

It is here that some teachers and parents might start to detach from the book - especially if they are looking for simpler truths. I'd hope most would not because these elements truly do underlie any discussion of work or schools or their conjunction.

Stick with it, though, because the book concludes with a nicely practical suite of suggestions for changing things; starting where all big changes start - with conversations between friends and colleagues. I believe they are fundamentally correct in suggesting that those of us who start such discussions will discover many, many folks who also think something needs to be done about homework. We just thought we were alone in that belief. Not so.

As an educator for a decade and a half, I have always believed that assigning homework is an essential aspect of educating my students. It has almost come to a point where not assigning homework on a regular basis is almost unthinkable. Regardless, along comes a book that should make all eductators reexamine how homework fits into the overall education of our young people. The authors not only indicate that homework may not help students, they actually imply that it may in fact do more harm than good! This I find a bit hard to believe, but they do make a very convincing argument. Whatever your surface reaction is to this book, it would behoove all teachers to read this book with an open mind. It could transform you into a better teacher, or at least one with a greater appreciation for what students go through.

I write this as a former child and recently retired library worker.

I was 11 years old when Sputnik went up in 1957, and I remember very well it's impact on education. I went through elementary shcool with no homework and plenty of time to walk to the local library and read books of my own choosing on which I did not have to write reports. I developed the lifelong habit of reading for pleasure. As described in this book, Sputnik launched a national panic about education and the homework was piled on. By ninth grade, I was lugging at least four very heavy textbooks home every night, and agonizing over whether I could do my homework and also read the books that interested me. Homework was never about the free exploration of ideas! It was about obedience.

While working in the library, I was dismayed to see how few children read for their own pleasure. They always have to write a report. Many times their assignments don't make sense, and they are always more concerned with figuring out what their teachers want than with discovering their own interests and abilities or, for that matter, finding the truth about the subject at hand.

The authors do a very good job of making the point that homework interferes with the personal development of children and youth. I also agree with their political views, and think that even those who don't will find them thought-provoking.

How nice to find a book that questions the value of homework. As the mother of three children, 12, 9 and 6 I have seen the damage homework can do to children's enthusiasm for learning and to my relationship with them. Children need free time to explore their own interests and to figure out who they are. Homework will not solve the too much TV and Video Game problem, but it will quell children's innate desire to explore their world and find out who they are.

I just finished this book, and I thought I'd come and give an 8th grader's perspective on this. First of all, I agree with the major ideas. I truly believe that kids need much more free time than we get, and I have often found myself wondering, "what's the point of this??" while doing my homework. I complete my homework anyway, yet I hardly ever recieve praise for it. What I do hear is criticism from the teachers to the many kids that don't do their homework. I bet that many of the reasons given in this book are, in fact, the reasons my classmates don't do their homework. The two authors very clearly point out that homework is really not beneficial (and also, as a side issue, that kids' backpacks are too heavy) I am under a lot of homework-induced stress, and teachers don't seem to understand the effects of the piles and hours of work we get each day. Teachers seem to think that, if they don't give us homework, we'll go play video games for three hours. I know many kids that won't. I, for one, would call some friends that I don't see often, and see how they're doing. I'd practice my trumpet for a nice long time. And, maybe, I'd go outside and just stare at the sky. I believe that social relationships are as important, if not more important, than mindless facts about the Revolutionary War (i.e. How long was Paul Revere's ride?). I have no time to focus on these social realtionships, though, as I am yet another overscheduled kid. All in all, I really like this book and its message, and I really hope that some people read this book and make some changes in schoolwork assigned to the home.

An update--This book had such a major effect on my 8th grade language arts teacher, I had to come back here and edit my review. After he read this book, he stopped assigning mindless homework. Instead, he provided more free class time to work on better, more stimulating projects. The difference was incredible. Yes, I still had quite a bit of homework. However, the work was interesting, and I could clearly understand the purpose of it. I would definitely recommend this book as a must-read for all teachers. It's never too late to change unhealthy habits, and assigning excessive, unnecessary homework is no exception. THANK YOU, ETTA AND JOHN!!!!

I am a parent that recently started homeschooling, in part because of homework issues. I've also had a website for several years about children who are labeled with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and have heard from thousands of my readers. In our more competitive and affluent suburbs, 20% of the grade-school boys are taking medications for ADHD. One of the diagnostic criteria for ADHD is a child having trouble completing homework, or losing their assignments. This never used to be a problem with young children because they were never expected to do homework at that age. At our local public school they actually require 8 year old boys to maintain daily planners because so much homework is assigned. This is just absurd, and there is no objective basis for it whatsoever. It's a very touchy-feely issue. Teachers, and some parents, just ASSUME homework is good. There is no real logic involved. It bothers me a great deal when parents write to me and say "I think my child must be ADHD because I can't get him to do his homework - he won't sit still and then he loses it." Well, what do you expect from a 7 year old boy! Thousands, even millions, of children are being medicated partly because of this issue.

The authors make a good start at arguing against homework, although there were several points I thought they missed. In any case, it is a good book for anyone interested in whether or not all that homework is actually good for the family.

To illustrate how nonsensical the homework issue is, consider that my son's daily homework while he was at the public school was far below his abilities. When I asked the school to accelerate him because he was bored, I was actually told that children do not go to school to learn. And I was told that homework wasn't about children learning subject matter, rather, it was supposed to teach them how to be responsible. Just how responsible does a six year old boy need to be?

I am an experienced elementary school principal whose children attend the school where I work. Being both a parent and a principal can make for some intrigueing situations working with teachers. I think these authors are very perceptive, write intelligently, and make numerous good points. While I may not line up with their arguments 100%, I believe they have the larger picture in good focus. I have assigned my staff this book as their "homework" from me. We will use it as a basis for a round table discussion on one of our inservice days this year. Just the title has everyone talking! I agree, by the way, with Joe Kowalski's review that the final chapter was a bit disappointing. That, unfortunately, will take some of the power and the edge off translating the authors' philosophies into concrete change within the schools.

As a parent, teacher and Elementary Guidance Counselor all roles agree that homework is not a neccessity! As a parent, I see the stress and strain that homework places on my 13 and 15 year olds. I remember one instance where my son (maybe 8 at the time) came home with a ton of homework. I asked him what he did in school today and his reply was "nothing"... later at the kitchen table I discovered that this was true, cause his teacher had sent home a full days lesson plan for him to do at home. It has become ridiculous!!Between chores, homework and various sports activities, the children are downright wore out at the end of the day. As a teacher I believed it was equally important that a child PLAY and in my capacity as a teacher it as very seldom that I gave homework. As a counselor I see the stress it adds to others' families as well. Some parents have limited abilities themselves and are unable to assist with homework, and the ones that require extra assistance are often unable to get it due to lack of funds. With recent standards getting more stringent and restrictive I believe my office with see a rise in the influx of stressed children coming in. This is becoming a frightening trend. Homework is to be used as a reinforcement tool-not as a lesson plan in itself and certainly not to be used as a punishment tool. (Yes some teachers do this as well.) Until homework is once again used as a reinforcement we will continue to have a rise in stressed children.

How refreshing to come across a book that questions the value of homework. As the parent of three children, 16, 13 and 10 I have seen the damage homework can do to children's enthusiasm for learning and to my relationship with them. Children need free time to explore their own interests and to figure out who they are. Homework will not solve the too much TV and Video Game problem, but it will quell children's innate desire to explore their world and find out who they are.

"The End of Homework" takes a much needed critical look at the real effects of homework on learning and development and shows just how empty and unsubstantiated many of the claims from the "more homework" camp really are. Anyone with a stake in the current debate about how children use their time, the changes in the way they grow up, the shift in the balance of power away from families towards corporate institutions, and above all the role of homework in these trends should read this book.

In doing a study for the state of Maine on dropout prevention programs, the authors of this books were stunned to learn that ALL of the students they interviewed listed homework or their inability to complete homework assignments as a factor in their decision to drop out.

Homework, the authors find, has long had its critics. In 1901, the California Civil Code banned homework for children under fifteen in grammar or primary school. Critics of homwork surfaced in significant numbers in the rebellious decades of the 1930s and 1960s.

Homework that is dull and boring, the authors write, is meaningless. And homework that is intellectually challenging requires significant help from attentive and well-educated parents, who are often unavailable or non-existent in many households. The research on the educational value of homework, they say, is inconclusive, while the negative effects of homework on the lives of many children and families is undeniable.

Homework, the authors allege, is undemocratic because more affluent children have more home resources--space, research materials, educated family members, the relative lack of demands for services to other family members--than do low income children. It would be much more democratic they say to have the work now assigned to the home to be done in school, where all children would have equal access to the teacher, any teacher's aides or parent volunteers, and other children.

Homework, they charge, impinges on the lives of the children and the lives of the family. It both limits unstructured family time and forces the family to be focused on the school work. Combined with the lengthening work day faced by many adults and the decline of the stay at home mother due to economic reasons, homework undermines family life and leads to the much warned against disintegration of families.

Time poverty, they find, is a major national concern that homework contributes to. Overstressed parents worn out from work and household chores often simply don't have the time to study the children's course material to help the child overcome difficulties. Hiring tutors is obviously more an economically available option in some families than in others.

The authors see corporate influence as a menacing influence here. They believe businesses are trying to get young people used to extremely long work days. They believe businesses know that large numbers of children will fail to meet the demands for excessive homework, and are seeking to pay low salaries to these people and blame their own inadequacies for those low salaries.

The authors give an unequivocal endorsement to efforts to raise the minimum wage. "An adequate minimum wage," the authors find, "is the single most important and most immediately achievable step that can be taken at state and national levels to address the poverty of families and thus ensure conditions in which young people are likely to thrive."

This book does not give directions as to how courses can be reconstructed to reduce or eliminate homework. It's advice on the construction of studies on the effects of of homework asks some good questions but does not include recommendations for measuring the prevalence of children who do much better in classwork than in homework, or kids who do much better in homework than in classwork. The idea that homework is an independent variable in predicting and causing student decline and droppping out could be better documented than was done in the research that the authors compiled. The authors' call for further research implicitly acknowledges this.

Despite this book's limitations--and its intriguing but questionable eagerness to integrate the abolition of homework into national liberal agendas for for reform--this is a book to read and ponder for anyone interested in dealing with what educational reform means and should mean, and anyone interested in families spending more time together and doing a better job of helping students navigate the transition to adulthood.

The teenage years, the authors believe, should be years in which students learn to socialize with their peers and with adult society as a whole. Homework retards this process, they allege.

This a book that challenges existing assumptions long hours of school work being a path to educational excellence and international workforce competitiveness. It is a book that desrves a wide national audience of parents, educators, educational reform experts, and corporate and media opinion makers. By raising fundamental questions, the authors are providing a signal national and international service.