The issue of homework has been a hot topic, with many educators professing strong views about the practices that should be adopted. Alfie Kohn claims that the practice of assigning homework has negligible effects on student achievement and, because students dread it, homework can actually lead to a lack of interest in learning. Yet, the research…

Rethinking homework is a necessary step in improving teaching. Effective homework benefits students by taking into account their individual differences, while offering teachers greater control in their planning. In essence, rethinking homework takes teachers back to teaching, and to the question of what educators want students to come away from…

Overburdened with athletics, play rehearsals, band practice, volunteer work, after-school jobs, friendships, and--if their parents are lucky--quality time with their families, it is hardly surprising that even the most dedicated students resent homework as an incursion on their time. Meanwhile, their teachers watch the growing stacks of unread…

Describes how to formulate writing assignments that are purposeful, audience-aware, and cumulatively structured. (DD)