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"Homework in primary school has an effect of around zero", says Professor John Hattie. But what does really work in education, schools and classrooms around the world? Every week Sarah Montague interviews the people whose ideas are challenging the future of education, like Sugata Mitra, Sir Ken Robinson and the headmaster of Eton College Tony Little. In August John Hattie, Professor of Education at the University of Melbourne, was her guest at BBC Radio 4. You can listen to the whole interview with John Hattie following this link (28 mins). Here are some quick takeaways. If you want to read further about what works best in education you can order the books Visible Learning and Visible Learning for Teachers.

John Hattie about class size

"Well, the first thing is, reducing class size does enhance achievement. However, the magnitude of that effect is tiny. It's about a hundred and fifth out of a hundred and thirty odd different effects out there and it's just one of those enigmas and the only question to ask is why is that effect so small? Because it is small. And the reason, we've found out, that it's so small is because teachers don't change how they teach when they go from a class of thirty to fifteen and perhaps it's not surprising."

John Hattie about public vs private schools

"Here in England, if you take out the prior differences from going to a private school where they tend to get parents who choose, as oppose to them sent to the local school, they tend to get a brighter student, you take that out, there's not much difference. In many places the government school would be better. So, it's kind of ironic, in the last twenty years where we've pushed this notion that parents have choice, so they can choose the school that may not be in the best interest of their student."

John Hattie about homework

"Homework in primary school has an effect of around zero. In high school it's larger. (...) Which is why we need to get it right. Not why we need to get rid of it. It's one of those lower hanging fruit that we should be looking in our primary schools to say, "Is it really making a difference?" If you try and get rid of homework in primary schools many parents judge the quality of the school by the presence of homework. So, don't get rid of it. Treat the zero as saying, "It's probably not making much of a difference but let's improve it". Certainly I think we get over obsessed with homework. Five to ten minutes has the same effect of one hour to two hours. The worst thing you can do with homework is give kids projects. The best thing you can do is to reinforce something you've already learnt."

John Hattie about streaming

"It doesn't make a difference."
Sarah Montague: "But bright kids aren't held back by less bright and less bright not suffering?"
"No. No difference at all. No. Teachers think it's easier for them and it may be but in terms of the effects of students, no. Now you've got to remember that a lot of students gain a tremendous amount of their learning from their other students in the class and variability is the way that you get more of that kind of learning from other students."

Listen to the whole interview with John Hattie at BBC Radio 4. If you want to read further you can order the books Visible Learning and Visible Learning for Teachers.

BBC Radio 4: The Educators.
Sarah Montague interviews the people
whose ideas are challenging
the future of education.
Episode 2:John Hattie
Duration: 28 minutes
First broadcast: 20 August 2014
Presenter: Sarah Montague
Producer: Joel Moors.

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"Homework in primary school has an effect of zero" (J. Hattie)

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Homework in primary school has an effect of around zero. Which is why we need to get it right. Not why we need to get rid of it. John Hattie BBC interview.

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New Trend: No Homework for Elementary Students 

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New Trend: No Homework for Elementary Students 

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Homework may be the greatest extinguisher of curiosity ever invented
- Alfie Kohen, author of The Homework Myth

Sweeping our country is a new trend, which I love: No homework! Many parents are singing the praises of these policies, which remove the nightly nagging of "Have you done your homework?" Plus it frees up time where parents can genuinely connect with their child whether over dinner, or gardening in the backyard without the stress of impending schoolwork. Of course, the no homework program isn't for every principal although I really think in early elementary school there's no downside and research even reveals that, too!
Studies show
In 2006, Harris Cooper shared his meta-analytic study, which found homework in elementary school (K-5th grade) does not contribute to academic achievement. Said differently: Homework has become just busy work in the United States, and children aren't learning anything additional from it. And let's be honest, at one point a child's homework becomes a parents homework and even I'm regularly guilty of pulling my calculator out to double check my child's work. But Cooper's study isn't black and white: There were modest gains for middle and high school students, so it looks like the developmental window of early childhood is the place where homework isn't necessarily beneficial.

Recently, Heidi Maier, the new superintendent of Marion County in FL, which has 42,000 students made national news because she not only is banning homework, but is replacing it with 20 minutes of reading per night. Studies clearly show that young students gain from reading nightly, being read to and picking books of interest to them. Mark Trifilio, principal of the Orchard School in VT, eliminated HW last year and suggested replacing it with nightly reading, playing outdoors or even eating with your family. He reports students haven't fallen behind, but now they have "time to be creative thinkers at home and follow their passions" ( The Washington Post, Feb 26, 2017).

The subtext of a "no homework" policy in elementary schools is saying: We trust our teachers, we trust the curriculum, and we trust our students to pay attention as well as learn during the day. No homework for kindergarten through fifth grade doesn't erase learning, but helps students tolerate an often long day better and encourages them to pursue their unique interests after-school from reading and writing to taking photographs. Abbey, age nine, is one of my child client's without homework and she's created a website to share her " nature photos through her eyes."
Counterintuitive classrooms
Western societies often think "more is better" but when it comes to homework the exact opposite may be true for young and perhaps even older children. A study conducted at Stanford University in 2013 showed the amped up stress and physical ailments high school students face especially when spending too much time on their homework. So perhaps a "no homework" policy early-on can position students to find balance in their lives, which can serve them later on. I especially love replacing homework with reading because I've seen firsthand the benefits of reading with a child, and how books open a child's mind to new worlds whether it's Hogwarts or the Ice Age. And after all isn't the point of childhood to have fun and learn in a multitude of ways?

By Maureen Healy

Maureen Healy writes and speaks widely on the subjects of children's emotional health, education and parenting. She also continues to work directly with children and their parents globally. To learn more about her books, sessions or programs: www.growinghappykids.com or @mdhealy

Resources

The Washington Post - July 17, 2017
Why this superintendent is banning homework - and asking kids to read

The Washington Post - February 26, 2017
What happened when one school banned homework - and asked kids to read and play instead

Healthline - April 11, 2017
Is too much homework bad for kids' health?

CBS News - Sept 26, 2016
Growing number of elementary schools now homework free

The Battle Over Homework by Harris Cooper (2007)

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New Trend: No Homework for Elementary Students

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Homework may be the greatest extinguisher of curiosity ever invented - Alfie Kohen, author of The Homework Myth Sweeping our country is a new trend, which I love: No homework! Many parents are singing the praises of these policies, which remove the nightly nagging of "Have you done your homework?"

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"They found that the amount of time students spent in independent reading outside of school was the best predictor of reading achievement."

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I’ve Got Research. Yes, I Do. I’ve Got Research. How About You?

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In 1847, Hungarian doctor, Ignaz Semmelweis made a remarkable discovery. When doctors washed their hands in a solution of chlorine and water, childbirth fever rates at Vienna General Hospital dropp…

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Why this Superintendent is Banning Homework...

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Why this Superintendent is Banning Homework...

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Elementary school students in one Florida school district are going to find a welcome new - but controversial - policy when they return to school for the 2017-2018 school year next month: no traditional homework.

They are being asked to do one thing to help them academically: Read for 20 minutes a night.

Heidi Maier, the new superintendent of the 42,000-student Marion County public school district in Florida, said in an interview that she made the decision based on solid research about what works best in improving academic achievement in students.

(That may seem like something of a no-brainer, but in the world of education, policymakers are notorious for making a great deal of policy without knowing and/or caring about what the best research shows.)

The policy will apply to all elementary school students in the district - about 20,000 - but not to middle or high school students. Maier, an expert on reading acquisition who started running Marion schools in November after serving as lead professor of teacher education at the College of Central Florida, said she is basing her decision on research showing that traditional homework in the early years does not boost academic performance but reading - and reading aloud - does.

[Odds stacked against reading for pleasure]

An often-cited meta-analysis of research on the subject, published in 2006, found that homework in elementary school does not contribute to academic achievement and has only a modest effect on older students in terms of improving academic performance. While homework has long been one of the most contentious issues in K-12 education, there does not exist any experimental study of the possible effects of assigning homework.

But experts say research is clear on the benefits of daily reading, with students picking their own books, reading aloud and listening to a fluent adult reader.

Maier cited the work of Richard Allington, an expert on reading acquisition, who has researched and written extensively on how to teach students to read.

"The quality of homework assigned is so poor that simply getting kids to read replacing homework with self-selected reading was a more powerful alternative," Allington said in an email. "Maybe some kinds of homework might raise achievement but if so that type of homework is uncommon in U.S. schools."

Maier said that students would be allowed to select their own reading material and would get help from teachers and school libraries. For those children who have no adult at home to help them read - the same students who had no adult at home to help them with their traditional homework - volunteers, audiobooks and other resources will be made available.

Maier said that she has received feedback from parents and teachers, most of whom applaud the decision but some who are skeptical. "We need to make our message clear and explain why this is beneficial," she said, adding that town halls for parents and others will be held soon.

Homework has been a hot-button issue for educators and families for more than a century. In the late 1800s, a Civil War hero turned Boston school board member, Francis Walker, thought math homework harmed children's health and pushed the panel to ban it as part of a nationwide anti-homework fever. The Ladies' Home Journal called homework "barbarous," and many educators said it caused nervous conditions and heart disease in children who would benefit from playing outside instead.

Homework, of course, came to have importance in education - with kids as young as 3 and 4 now getting some - and proponents now say it helps cement information into kids' memories and teach them to establish routines.

Marion County will be joining a small group of schools and districts whose leaders have decided to trade traditional homework for daily reading in the elementary school grades. While there are no definitive results, educators report that test scores and other learning has not suffered.
Read more: What happened when one school banned homework - and asked kids to read and play instead A new wrinkle in the research about the real value of homework

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Analysis | Why this superintendent is banning homework - and asking kids to read instead

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Elementary school students in one Florida school district are going to find a welcome new - but controversial - policy when they return to school for the 2017-2018 school year next month: no traditional homework. They are being asked to do one thing to help them academically: Read for 20 minutes a night.

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My kids' public school released kids from homework a few years ago - a move met with some pushback. As the NY Daily News put it: Parents Outraged After Principal Dumps Homework for more Playtime.

Learning, according to that almost automatic view, is what children do in school and, maybe, in other adult-directed activities. Playing is, at best, a refreshing break from learning. From that view, summer vacation is just a long recess, perhaps longer than necessary. But here's an alternative view, which should be obvious but apparently is not: playing is learning. At play, children learn the most important of life's lessons, the ones that cannot be taught in school. To learn these lessons well, children need lots of play - lots and lots of it, without interference from adults.

So I thank Lynn Collins, M.Ed., ET/P, for sending us the essay below. Lynn has spent the past 20 years in education, as a teacher, an educational therapist, and a home school mom. She currently works as an education consultant.

Why Homework I s Not the Answer, and What Is

by Lynn Collins

Over the course of my 20 years as a teacher and parent of two, I have come to see things very differently.

Homework does not lead to greater achievement , in school or in life.

Why Homework i s Not the Answer

Alfie Kohn, a widely popular writer and lecturer on education, summed it up by saying , "Homework may be the greatest extinguisher of curiosity ever invented."

Second , hundreds of research studies, hundreds, do not support homework. According to Denise Pope , senior lecturer at the Stanford University Graduate School of Education and author of , "The research clearly shows [at the elementary level] that there is no correlation between academic achievement and homework , especially in the lower grades." Overloaded and Underprepared: Strategies for Stronger Schools and Healthy, Successful Kids A small correlation exists between homework and achievement in middle school, and only two hours is supported by research at the high school level.

Interestingly, a study from Penn State University , conducted by researchers Gerald LeTendre and David Baker, showed that students in high performing countries like Japan, Denmark, and the Czech Republic are given less homework than students in the United States. Students with the lowest scores came from countries like Iran, Greece, and Thailand, where large amounts of homework were given.

The research condemning homework goes on and on.

" When we are sleep deprived, our focus, attention, and vigilance drift, making it more difficult to receive information," wrote the researchers at the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School. "Without adequate sleep and rest, over-worked neurons can no longer function to coordinate information properly, and we lose our ability to access previously learned information."

down-time for your kids, you're also giving them How about giving them some down-time after school, or after their activity, so they can recover mentally from the long day? If our kids go to school refreshed rather than stressed every day, their natural curiosity will return and they will have more mental energy to learn. By protecting that time to think for themselves and discover who they are, rather than being robots who do as they are told from morning until night.

How about having them do chores? According to the Harvard Grant Study , the longest longitudinal study of humans ever conducted, the number one predictor of professional success in life is having done chores as a child. By helping out around the house, children feel that they are contributing to their family. This translates to an attitude of, "How can I contribute to the group ," as an adult rather than an attitude of, "What can I do for myself?"

Vicki Abeles , education advocate and creator of , "Race to Nowhere," a powerful documentary on our high-pressure education system and what it is doing to our children, created guidelines , with her team (a lawyer, a professor, and an education advocate), for what homework should be, if assigned at all . Their guidelines include: project-based, student-led work within the student's interests, experiences "that cannot be had within the confines of the school setting or school day," and assignments that "advance a spirit of learning, curiosity, and inquiry among students ."

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My kids' public school released kids from homework a few years ago - a move met with some pushback. As the NY Daily News put it: Parents Outraged After Principal Dumps Homework for more Playtime. Learning, according to that almost automatic view, is what children do in school and, maybe, in other adult-directed activities.

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The Homework Debate Is Ending Because traditional assignments are being hacked
Hacking Homework: Are you tired of the same old excuses for missing homework? "My printer is broken; I emailed it to you; I forgot my backpack." Is the routine of creating and grading nightly homework wearing you down?

Are you still wondering: Is homework valuable? Is homework unnecessary? It's time to stop the excuses and end the debate! Educators, students, and parents are ready for change, and Hacking Homework brings it.
Read it today - fix it tomorrow
As schools and educators continue to struggle with homework, renowned teachers and presenters Starr Sackstein and Connie Hamilton provide 10 practical solutions to common problems associated with learning outside the classroom, including:

Teaching students to be accountable for learning during the school day

Shaping homework policies with teachers and administrators

Building relationships with parents and empowering them to guide learning at home

Shaking up how learning happens at home

Connecting play with learning (It should be both meaningful and fun!)

Helping students self-assess and track learning at home

If you want all stakeholders to embrace and enjoy learning beyond the school day, you have to create amazing opportunities that kids can't wait to complete.

Give students the joy of independent learning today, and watch the homework debate disappear forever.

Look for Hacking Homework October 2016.

Hacking Homework Resources Live Twitter Chat Get it first
Wait, want us to ping you the second the book goes live? Oh, we'll give you a free download while you wait for Hacking Homework to arrive.

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Hacking Homework: 10 Strategies That Inspire Learning Outside the Classroom - Hack Learning

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The Homework Debate Is Ending Because traditional assignments are being hacked Hacking Homework: Are you tired of the same old excuses for missing homework? "My printer is broken; I emailed it to you; I forgot my backpack." Is the routine of creating and grading nightly homework wearing you down?

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What Happens When an Elementary School Abolishes Homework?

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What Happens When an Elementary School Abolishes Homework?

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NYU Sports & Society Program
What schoolchild hasn't wished, hoped, and dreamed of not having to do homework? Well, kids who attend elementary school at Public School 116 in New York City may get a pardon .

According to a , administrators and teachers there are saying "no" to homework and "yes" to spending time on other productive activities, including reading and spending some time with their families. They say that, for very young students, mandatory homework every night makes no sense. " report from DNAinfo.com Tiger Moms " all over America are probably faint at the prospect of third graders without a dreary assignment to carry out between dinner and bed. But is homework every night really important for elementary school kids?

In a letter sent to parents last month, school principal Jane Hsu explained that an analysis of research by school officials concluded the traditional homework assignments weren't leading to the learning and developmental outcomes that Pre-K through fifth grade students need. She also wrote about some of the awful effects of homework: frustration, stress, fatigue, lost family time, and an aversion to an interest in learning. So, she suggested, in lieu of usual homework, students could read books of their choosing, spend time with their family, and even yield some time to those hobgoblins of hyper-competitive parents everywhere: TV, computers, and video games.

Some parents at the school are so turned off by the idea of their kids coming home without math worksheets and writing assignments to be completed by Monday that they are readying to pull their kids from the school. Maybe they feel less homework offends their view of how to learn discipline. Maybe they figure that their kids won't learn skills that prepare them for life ahead, such as deadlines and goal-setting. Maybe they fear that less homework will place their kids at a disadvantage relative to other kids slaving away at their reports on the agricultural products of Guatemala and bauxite production around the world.

While that thinking is understandable, there is a real question as to whether it is right. It isn't clear whether a young child who grows up with a "Tiger Mom" and an eighty-pound backpack of assignments is on the road to success in life. Where is the evidence that the more homework a kid is given, the more learning is going to occur?

Whether homework is beneficial to students doesn't depend on how much of it is given. It depends on what type is given and its purpose. It also depends on when it is given.

Learning doesn't only happen in a classroom. It doesn't only get reinforced through the homework, either. There are other ways to get the experiences that lead students to learn self-reliance and other skills that will be increasingly important as they grow up. So, with all of the over-scheduling and mounting pressures that are increasingly the norm for today's young kids, why not let them have both a little choice and a little change of pace after school hours?

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What Happens When An Elementary School Abolishes Homework

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NYU Sports & Society Program What schoolchild hasn't wished, hoped, and dreamed of not having to do homework? Well, kids who attend elementary school at Public School 116 in New York City may get a pardon .