Monday, June 19, 2006

No More Teachers, Lots of Books

No More Teachers, Lots of Books - New York Times: "Last summer, for example, students at one charter school in the Bronx were assigned 10 book reports, a thick math packet, a report on China including a written essay and a handmade doll in authentic costume and a daily log of their activities and the weather. Their parents say they are hoping this summer will be different, but who knows what drudgery will be assigned now that they've finished second grade?

As adults know, a break from work is a necessary antidote for stress. We need what psychologists call "consolidation," the time away from a problem when newly learned material is absorbed. Often we return from a break to discover that the pieces have fallen into place. Too many of our children today are denied that consolidation time. And when parents are told that their children's skills will slip without summer homework, we have to wonder: if those skills are so fragile, what kind of education are they really getting?

In fact, there's serious doubt about whether homework has any benefit at all. Most studies have found little or no correlation between homework and achievement (meaning grades and test scores) in elementary school or middle school. According to Harris Cooper of Duke University, the nation's leading researcher on the subject, there is a clear correlation among high school students, but he warns that "overloading them with homework is not associated with higher grades.""

Sara Bennett and Nancy Kalish are the authors of the forthcoming book "The Case Against Homework: How Homework Is Hurting Our Children and What We Can Do About It."

2 comments:

Unknown said...

hello Bala, This is just simple. Giving home work to children will keep the children busy while our women (not all) will be engrossed in watching the tele serials. Right!

Boston Bala said...

Thanks Delphine