Elementary school homework is useless
Heather Shumaker, writing for Salon:
Homework has benefits, but its benefits are age dependent.
For elementary-aged children, research suggests that studying in class gets superior learning results, while extra schoolwork at home is just . . . extra work. Even in middle school, the relationship between homework and academic success is minimal at best. By the time kids reach high school, homework provides academic benefit, but only in moderation. More than two hours per night is the limit. After that amount, the benefits taper off. ‘The research is very clear,’ agrees Etta Kralovec, education professor at the University of Arizona. ‘There’s no benefit at the elementary school level.’
Let the kids play, be free and break the cycle:
Then there’s the damage to personal relationships. In thousands of homes across the country, families battle over homework nightly. Parents nag and cajole. Overtired children protest and cry. Instead of connecting and supporting each other at the end of the day, too many families find themselves locked in the “did you do your homework?” cycle.
The Lego school
Kirk Kristiansen is the rather wealthy grandson of the founder of Lego. In the Danish town of Billund, Kristiansen has built many Lego-inspired, children-centred, like Legoland or some playground filled with rubberised toys.
But now, he is aiming for something bigger, the Lego school:
The campus will feature bicycle routes, learning labs, music studios, and playgrounds. And also, yes, lots of Legos. As the school explains of its approach to what it calls “Systematic Creativity,”
When the Lego system is used in a learning environment young people become creative, active and collaborative learners. They take ownership and are self-driven. They express their originality. They also learn from the interpreted experiences of other people as they share their ideas. They learn by reflecting on experiences and discussing how things work and they help each other to learn through the shared language of the brick.
Will Nordic countries keep revolutionising how kids should be thought, this time helped by Legos? Or will this turn out much worse than expected?
We’ll know in about 20 years, I guess. See if Warston is still going to be there.