Reclaiming Childhood
Letting Children Be Children in Our Achievement-Oriented Society
-
- $11.99
-
- $11.99
Publisher Description
An expert in child development champions the importance of an unhurried childhood
As our children are pushed harder than ever to perform so that they will one day "make the grade" in the adult world, parents are beginning to question the wisdom of scheduling childhood's basic pleasures. Across the country there have been parent rebellions against the overburdening with homework of young children by school officials bent on improving standardized test scores. And the "birth to three" movement has sparked a national debate on child development and educational policy.
In Reclaiming Childhood, William C. Crain argues that rather than trying to control a young child, the best a parent can offer is "a patient and unobtrusive presence that gives the child the security and the freedom to explore the world on her own." He examines how children find their way to natural development through experiences with nature, art, and language, and makes a strong case for child-centered education-a movement that may be under fire, but that is very much alive.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
As a developmental psychologist (Theories of Development: Concepts and Applications), Crain is deeply concerned that a societal emphasis on pushing children too hard to succeed is robbing them of creative, joyful childhoods. The widespread parental obsession, for example, with getting their children into good colleges has, in part, led to an educational system that promotes mastering academic skills and test-taking at the expense of the arts. Drawing on current research and the developmental theories of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Maria Montessori, John Dewey, Noam Chomsky and others, Crain convincingly argues that children have a natural affinity for drama, nature, art and poetry all of which are necessary to their development and should be encouraged by a "child-centered" rather than an "adult-directed" approach to raising children. He includes many strategies for child-centered parenting, such as making an effort to provide children with opportunities for experiencing the natural world and being careful to appreciate rather than trying to improve on a child's poem or drawing. This is a thoughtful plea for parents to focus on the quality of life that children can have now rather than on their future achievements. Illus. not seen by PW.
