Ditch That Homework: Practical Strategies to Help Make Homework Obsolete

Students hate it. Parents wonder if it’s worth the tears, frustration, and nightly arguments. Teachers debate whether it’s really helpful or just busywork that consumes their precious time. One thing everyone can agree on is that homework is a contentious topic. In Ditch That Homework, Matt Miller and Alice Keeler discuss the pros and cons of homework, why teachers assign it, and what life could look like without it. As they evaluate the research and share parent and teacher insights, the authors explore some of the benefits for ditching homework: Better education for all students Reduced stress for families More intentionality with lesson planning Increased love of learning More time for teachers to focus on learning at school and enjoying their after-school hours And that’s just the beginning. Miller and Keeler offer a convincing case for ditching—or at a minimum greatly reducing—homework. They also provide practical guidance on how to eliminate homework from your lessons. You’ll discover strategies for improving learning through differentiation and student agency and by tapping into the way the brain works best. Are you ready? Read this book and you’ll understand why it’s time to Ditch That Homework! #DitchHW

"Matt and Alice are challenging educators to fly again. To give up the shortcuts and the bureaucratic tools and actually go back to making change happen. Bravo!" --Seth Godin, author, Stop Stealing Dreams

"Considering ending homework in your classroom but don't know how to address the pushback? Alice and Matt have done the research and created the rationales you've been looking for. Ditch That Homework is a must-have resource for every teacher, providing impactful solutions and alternatives to help students maximize learning during the school day." --Lisa Highfill, co-author, The HyperDoc Handbook

"Every day I talk to more educators and parents who are becoming convinced that homework isn't a good way to spend kids' time out of school. Ditch That Homework provides real-world ways to get off the homework train by working bell-to-bell and maximizing time in class, not sluffing off things to worksheets and word searches that don't benefit anyone academically." --Jon Corippo, CUE chief innovation officer

"Ditch That Homework is not just a book about why educators and parents should rethink homework, but it's a practical guidebook to how. Matt and Alice have filled this book chock-full of resources for educators, kindergarten and up, who want to begin or continue their journey towards ditching homework. As a parent of a young school-aged child, this book left me feeling empowered and inspired to continue to support the shift towards making homework obsolete." --Karly Moura, teacher on special assignment

"Matt and Alice have really approached a hot topic with honest and open experiences about the inequities they have experienced with homework! A practical guide, whether you're a novice or veteran teacher, to give resources and guide in the transformation of your teaching. Challenging the ideals of conventional practice to truly reach the whole child and re-light that spark in learning!" --Anne Kamper, instructional coach