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Home work is good process but dont stress the children s much more it mentally affect the students,to introduce partical learning..

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Ramya

regarding the idea that homework is good at instilling good work habits... From the full article:
"Finally, there isn’t a shred of evidence to support the widely accepted assumption that homework yields nonacademic benefits for students of any age. The idea that homework teaches good work habits or develops positive character traits (such as self-discipline and independence) could be described as an urban myth except for the fact that it’s taken seriously in suburban and rural areas, too."

http://www.alfiekohn.org/teaching/edweek/homework.htm

Given the increased incidence of overweight children in America, one can only hope that Alfie's very poignant message will help to free up children's time so they can be outside playing! Balance includes the mind, body, and spirit and homework does little to facilitate that critical balance. Adults who 'bring their work home' are often stressed. Can we expect anything less when we impose 'work days' on children that exceed seven or eight hours?!

I agree with what the writer has said. However it should be noted that Alfie Kohn is not a "she" but a "he". Also the word"disparity" was mispelled. I think we damage ourselves in Early Childhood by not paying attention to details.

I don't advocate a lot of homework for early grades, but, as a parent, I see homework as a good habit to help develop the time management skills that will be necessary when students go to college. This of, course, is more critical when students are in high school. I am frankly appalled at the lack of homework given in most high schools. This is a huge disservice to our college-bound students. I advocate a small amount of homework in the elementary/middle school years to build the idea of time management, with an increase in high school so our students aren't stunned when they're asked to read, research and study on their own time in college.

I totally agree!!

I completely agree with the documented research studies indicating that additional homework creates negative results for achievement outcomes in younger children. More classroom time should be dedicated to becoming better learning environments by reducing non-educational requirements placed on teachers.

alfie is a "he" not a "her"

I would like to say that I too feel that the amount of homework being assigned in early grades is ridiculous. There is a rise on obesity in young children in this country. Part of that is due to the fact that children can no longer go outside to play afterschool because they are required to do more homework now then when I was in elementary school. Recent studies show that the brain needs movement to learn how can children move if they are stuck doing ditto sheets not only in school but now at home too.

I would have loved to have read this entire article. I went to School-Age notes to find that you need to buy a subscription to get the newsletter. Why is this obviously valuable article not offered in it's entirety? I am disappointed that Exchange Every Day would do this...

I agree with this article to some extend. Yes some schools go overboard with homework and children don't have the time to have a calm dinner because they have so much to do. Yes I believe homework helps in various ways, but not so much homework. Not when schools go overboard. I don't think homework is needed everyday. In my children's case they go to school from 8am to 4:30 is an extended day school plus on top of that they get homework everyday. I don't think is necessary. By the time we get home and I cook dinner and we eat is already time to go to bed.
So there is hardly no break for them.
Homework is ok but not everyday. maybe twice a week is ok. I can check what my children are learning and it will be more enjoyable for them not stressful. Plus reading is one of the keys for their learning. I strongly believe that if a child takes up to 30 minutes to read on a daily basis it will help a lot with every class.

Alfie Kohn is a male! :)

He wrote many great books, one is -
Rewards as Punishments.

Um. . .not that gender is a critical issue here, but just for the sake of accuracy, Alfie Kohn is a him, not a her. :-)

As a Lead Teacher in an afterschool program I see the stacks of homework assigned to my first grade students. I truly do not think this is necessary for their learning. Having an educator like Alfie support what I feel truly validates what I have known all along. I think encouraging reading on a nightly basis would be more beneficial to a childs learning that doing stacks a ditto sheets!

As a parent of a child who struggled with homework assignments nightly and soured on school, I can whole heartedly agree with this article. The work he learned the most from was the give and take of the classroom, experiments, projects, and class discussions that engaged his wit and intellect. As a college student, he still yearns for that kind of dialogue!

I firmly believe that some schools go overboard with homework. However as a parent I find the nightly homework a good way to see what my kids are doing at school and what they aren't getting. My daughter had substitutes for about half of fifth grade while her teacher had a series of medical problems. We didn't realize it at the time but she wasn't being taught fractions when she was supposed to. A couple of years later in middle school as she started to take pre algebra this hole in her knowledge became obvious as asked for help with her homework. The problems she was having with her homework were the way we realized she needed help. So as much as my son makes doing his homework a battle each night, I wouldn't want homework to disappear altogether.

Alfie is a BOY!!!!!!!!

And I am so thankful he sparks our thinking on this issue! I have shared my concerns on this issue with many teachers and have passed along his literature. I just recently heard him speak and so much of what he says just "clicks" with the natural progression of discovery and learning. You can really see the honoring of the competency of children! Go Alfie!

Did you know ... Alfie is really a male? Check out his home page .....

Being a huge fan of Alfie and having the great fortune to hear HIM speak several times, I feel it necessary to point our your typo in the opening introduction. You identified Alfie as a "her."