This article examines recent educational research on the effectiveness of homework in improving achievement. The definition we have chosen to use for homework is any assignment intended to be completed during nonschool hours.

Educational philosophy in elementary and secondary schools has often centered on creating a "product," full of content knowledge and basic skills (Bagby, 2002). However, no longer is academic achievement in the classroom considered the sole gauge of lifelong success. Meltzer (2010) suggested that the development of executive functioning skills…

Each school, in some way, makes decisions that alter classrooms in order to satisfy the needs of students, concerns of parents, requirements of governing bodies, and other factors that need to be addressed. It is an ongoing juggling act that schools must constantly deal with in evaluating the effectiveness of their individual programs. Through…

Albert Bandura, the leading pioneer in the study of self-regulation, has defined the term as the child's ability to self-educate, self-direct, regulate motivation, and learn to think about what she is learning (1994). Lev Vygotsky's theory that children can be taught to think independently about how to solve problems expands upon Bandura's work…

Public Montessori elementary schools have two challenges: They strive to achieve a child-centered Montessori environment and must also address the demands of state and federal requirements developed for more traditional educational settings. This study analyzes how schools were operating on both fronts. On the one hand, the study measured the…

Addressing the many complex issues associated with culture, race, and diversity is tough under any circumstances. But such issues become even more complex in school settings where large numbers of students speak different languages and reflect diverse ethnicities and socioeconomic statuses. In this article, the author describes how the faculty…

This article describes how second- and third-grade students joined their teacher, Mary Ann McTiernan, a marathon runner from Cape Town, South Africa, in a one-mile run every Thursday morning while she was training. Mary Ann's students had been asking, "Where do you run?" "How far do you go?" "How fast can you run?" "Can we run with you?" Mary Ann…

The authors' intention in writing this article is to dispel any fears and mysteries previously subscribed to about appreciating and creating music. Through simplification and isolation, the understanding of music will inevitably unfold as predictably and beautifully as a blossom on a warm summer day. Their hope is that, people may use this…