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| The Entertainment Review |
| By: Alfie Kohn Publisher: Da Capo |
Every child that has ever gone to school as at some point questioned the reasoning behind the homework that they
are given in their classes. There are also some parents that may not have seen the connection between the
homework that their child is working on and the significance that it has to the school work that is being covered in
class. “The Homework Myth” is a book that points out the downfalls of homework and standardized testing in today’s
schools. It asks the question, “Do today’s children really learn from the homework that they are assigned and does it
take away from the one on one learning that children tend to lack in today’s school system? There are just a few of
the questions that the book takes a look at, along with the ways that the joy of learning can be brought back to
children again.
It is a proven fact that most American students spend more time working on their homework than children of any of
nation in the world. Most people will remember their time as a child in the public school system, facing anywhere
between two and three hours of homework each and every day during the school year. This was the source of a lot
of irritation on the part of no ton ly the student working on the homework, but also to the parents who couldn’t see the
point of the homework. Many of the parents may have felt that their children should have been spending more of
their time on other activities that had more importance. They believed that if their students couldn’t get an education
during the normal school hours, there was something wrong.
“The Homework Myth” author Alfie Kohn, also the author of the book, “Punished by Rewards” and other books on
parenting discusses the issues that many parents had to deal with as their child came home from school every day
bringing home more and more homework that seemed to have no connection to the real world. Kohn also discusses
the idea of the standardized tests that students at a young age learn to become so concerned about, though it is
something that students should not have to worry about and haven’t had to worry about until the past ten to fifteen
years.
Many parents believe that their students aren’t learning the things that they need to be learning and all of their free
time is taken up by studying in order to pass on to the next grade. Teachers are no longer teaching in order to help
students know more about the world around them and how to succeed as they grow up and move into a more and
more demanding world. Instead teachers are teaching students how to pass a single test that simply places them
against other students in the country. It has become more of a competition than a source of learning.
Many parents, concerned parents, may want to know what other people have thought about this subject and the
more that they may research and talk to other parents, they may realize that more people feel the exact same way
about the topic as many others do. For those that happen to be this type of a parent, this is the book to pick up.
When the book is picked, it will be hard to put it down. This book will help parents to understand why their children
are coming home every night with more and more homework every day of the school year.
The world today has come to the conclusion that in order for children to learn, they need to have their school work in
front of them at all times. After reading this book readers will begin to see why people felt that way, but it still may be
difficult to understand that particular way of thinking. For many, children learn better by discussing the subject they
are studying and by working hands on, this gives them the chance to work out the things they don’t understand in the
classroom, instead of struggling with this at home.
As for studying for the standardized testing, what is the point of it and what good does it do? For many children, it
doesn’t do very much. For many students, they will never know how well they did, nor will they get any help with the
areas that they have problems with. This test only helps the school and their overall standing in the educational
world, including the money they receive in the form of grants from the government each year. The testing really
doesn’t have anything to do with how the child learns best, but instead finds out how many children can actually take
a test well.
Nearly every parent, teacher and school administrator needs to take the time and read this book, along with the
political people who don’t get the education system and think that some test will make their child smarter and a better
human being. For those parents who are concerned about their child’s education, it is worth the time to grab a copy
of this book. They will get a better insight that will make them stop and think about education and the learning
processes that many have adapted for children. After reading the book, many will be able to better understand why
homeschooling is growing more and more popular each year. A must read for anyone associated with the education
field.
are given in their classes. There are also some parents that may not have seen the connection between the
homework that their child is working on and the significance that it has to the school work that is being covered in
class. “The Homework Myth” is a book that points out the downfalls of homework and standardized testing in today’s
schools. It asks the question, “Do today’s children really learn from the homework that they are assigned and does it
take away from the one on one learning that children tend to lack in today’s school system? There are just a few of
the questions that the book takes a look at, along with the ways that the joy of learning can be brought back to
children again.
It is a proven fact that most American students spend more time working on their homework than children of any of
nation in the world. Most people will remember their time as a child in the public school system, facing anywhere
between two and three hours of homework each and every day during the school year. This was the source of a lot
of irritation on the part of no ton ly the student working on the homework, but also to the parents who couldn’t see the
point of the homework. Many of the parents may have felt that their children should have been spending more of
their time on other activities that had more importance. They believed that if their students couldn’t get an education
during the normal school hours, there was something wrong.
“The Homework Myth” author Alfie Kohn, also the author of the book, “Punished by Rewards” and other books on
parenting discusses the issues that many parents had to deal with as their child came home from school every day
bringing home more and more homework that seemed to have no connection to the real world. Kohn also discusses
the idea of the standardized tests that students at a young age learn to become so concerned about, though it is
something that students should not have to worry about and haven’t had to worry about until the past ten to fifteen
years.
Many parents believe that their students aren’t learning the things that they need to be learning and all of their free
time is taken up by studying in order to pass on to the next grade. Teachers are no longer teaching in order to help
students know more about the world around them and how to succeed as they grow up and move into a more and
more demanding world. Instead teachers are teaching students how to pass a single test that simply places them
against other students in the country. It has become more of a competition than a source of learning.
Many parents, concerned parents, may want to know what other people have thought about this subject and the
more that they may research and talk to other parents, they may realize that more people feel the exact same way
about the topic as many others do. For those that happen to be this type of a parent, this is the book to pick up.
When the book is picked, it will be hard to put it down. This book will help parents to understand why their children
are coming home every night with more and more homework every day of the school year.
The world today has come to the conclusion that in order for children to learn, they need to have their school work in
front of them at all times. After reading this book readers will begin to see why people felt that way, but it still may be
difficult to understand that particular way of thinking. For many, children learn better by discussing the subject they
are studying and by working hands on, this gives them the chance to work out the things they don’t understand in the
classroom, instead of struggling with this at home.
As for studying for the standardized testing, what is the point of it and what good does it do? For many children, it
doesn’t do very much. For many students, they will never know how well they did, nor will they get any help with the
areas that they have problems with. This test only helps the school and their overall standing in the educational
world, including the money they receive in the form of grants from the government each year. The testing really
doesn’t have anything to do with how the child learns best, but instead finds out how many children can actually take
a test well.
Nearly every parent, teacher and school administrator needs to take the time and read this book, along with the
political people who don’t get the education system and think that some test will make their child smarter and a better
human being. For those parents who are concerned about their child’s education, it is worth the time to grab a copy
of this book. They will get a better insight that will make them stop and think about education and the learning
processes that many have adapted for children. After reading the book, many will be able to better understand why
homeschooling is growing more and more popular each year. A must read for anyone associated with the education
field.
