It is not surprising that our no-homework policy does wonders for parents' relationships with their children. I will never forget when a parent sat at my desk one day and, told me, with tears in his eyes: "You have given back our family life."
But, you might ask, how do VanDamme Academy students fare when they are sent off to high school with their homework-laden peers?
Well, consider this typical comment by a parent of a high school student at a school attended by several VanDamme Academy graduates—each of whom had several homework-free years: "Do you have to be a complete genius to go to that school?"
You don't have to be a genius to go to our school or learn from our courses—but the level of knowledge and caliber of thinking that our curriculum instills can make our graduates seem like geniuses.
Our students shine because we make efficient use of the school day, focusing on those subjects which are most essential to the cognitive development of the child—because we give students careful supervision in the development of academic skills instead of shunting that task off to parents—because we revere and enjoy the work itself, and do not feel compelled to "jazz it up" with treats and distractions—because we present the material in a careful, systematic, hierarchical manner, one which allows the child to grasp and keep the knowledge presented—and because the effect of all of this is intelligent, driven students who love to learn.
A few concrete results: . . .