Anyone out there fact-checking this? Maybe I missed the comment. Quoting Harris Cooper[1] (from the 2006 paper cited in the Salon article): > "With only rare e

Anyone out there fact-checking this? Maybe I missed the comment. Quoting Harris Cooper[1] (from the 2006 paper cited in the Salon article): > "With only rare exception, the relationship between the amount of homework students do and their achievement outcomes was found to be positive and statistically significant." Yeah so let's ban elementary homework, amirite?? > "Kids burn out," Cooper said. "The bottom line really is all kids should be doing homework, but the amount and type should vary according to their developmental level and home circumstances. Homework for young students should be short, lead to success without much struggle, occasionally involve parents and, when possible, use out-of-school activities that kids enjoy, such as their sports teams or high-interest reading." I'd need to track down the whole paper to know for sure, but his attitude here seems to advocate 10 minutes of homework (varied topic, positive, etc.) for elementary school kids, in addition to the 20 minutes or so of reading time they should have. This is what I see at the elementary school (public) where I teach. And I think it works well. Are we really railing against 10 minutes of homework for an elementary school kid? I need this time - to check in with my kids when they finish and talk about the answers together. [1] http://today.duke.edu/2006/03/homework.html http://today.duke.edu/2006/03/homework.html EDIT: Here's another synopsis of the same group of studies, but backed with some actual data, along with recommendations for how homework could be more effective. http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar07/vol64/num06/The-Case-For-and-Against-Homework.aspx http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar0...