The End Of Homework
How Homework Disrupts Families, Overburdens Children, and Limits Learning
by Etta Kralovec and John BuellThat title has to draw you in. Who ever thinks of homework as "disrupting families, overburdening children, and limiting learning"? Well, ok, probably the majority of kids could tell you that. But who knew that there were studies to back that up? And that there are adults supporting less homework?
Apparently, there have been adults opposed to homework for over a hundred years, and a 1901 California statute even banned homework for people under 15. This book also examines homework from an economic perspective: it's harder for kids with two working parents or parents with poor educational backgrounds to do their homework. I think that the book looks at economic issues a little too much, and that it doesn't address some issues related to this topic that interest me. I emailed the authors and said as much. Mr. Buell tells me that his book,
Closing the Book on Homework, addresses these issues more thouroughly.
Thoughtful reading.
