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The Importance of Being Little
The Importance of Being Little: What Preschoolers Really Need from Grownups | Erika Christakis
6 posts | 4 read | 1 reading | 9 to read
Christakis . . . expertly weaves academic research, personal experience and anecdotal evidence into her book . . . a bracing and convincing case that early education has reached a point of crisis . . . her book is a rare thing: a serious work of research that also happens to be well-written and personal . . . engaging and important.--Washington Post"What kids need from grown-ups (but aren't getting)...an impassioned plea for educators and parents to put down the worksheets and flash cards, ditch the tired craft projects (yes, you, Thanksgiving Handprint Turkey) and exotic vocabulary lessons, and double-down on one, simple word: play."--NPR.orgA bold challenge to the conventional wisdom about early childhood, with a pragmatic program to encourage parents and teachers to rethink how and where young children learn best by taking the childs eye view of the learning environment To a four-year-old watching bulldozers at a construction site or chasing butterflies in flight, the world is awash with promise. Little children come into the world hardwired to learn in virtually any setting and about any matter. Yet in todays preschool and kindergarten classrooms, learning has been reduced to scripted lessons and suspect metrics that too often undervalue a childs intelligence while overtaxing the childs growing brain. These mismatched expectations wreak havoc on the family: parents fear that if they choose the wrong program, their child wont get into the right college. But Yale early childhood expert Erika Christakis says our fears are wildly misplaced. Our anxiety about preparing and safeguarding our childrens future seems to have reached a fever pitch at a time when, ironically, science gives us more certainty than ever before that young children are exceptionally strong thinkers. In her pathbreaking book, Christakis explains what its like to be a young child in America today, in a world designed by and for adults, where we have confused schooling with learning. She offers real-life solutions to real-life issues, with nuance and direction that takes us far beyond the usual prescriptions for fewer tests, more play. She looks at childrens use of language, their artistic expressions, the way their imaginations grow, and how they build deep emotional bonds to stretch the boundaries of their small worlds. Rather than clutter their worlds with more and more stuff, sometimes the wisest course for us is to learn how to get out of their way. Christakiss message is energizing and reassuring: young children are inherently powerful, and they (and their parents) will flourish when we learn new ways of restoring the vital early learning environment to one that is best suited to the littlest learners. This bold and pragmatic challenge to the conventional wisdom peels back the mystery of childhood, revealing a place thats rich with possibility.From the Hardcover edition.
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obviateit
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All of these were new to the #parenting section of our library since the last time I was there. I don't have time to read any of them right now, but they all piqued my interest so I took pictures and will come back to them later. Does anyone else do this? My photo album #tbr might be longer than my Litsy one lol. Can any of you share opinions about these books? #raisingreaders #mommyreads

TheWordJar We have Tinker Lab and love it! Lots of fun activities using common objects. 7y
obviateit @TheWordJar that one looked like the most fun to me! What age range would you say it's best for? 7y
Clwojick I do this! I take pics of them all, then post them on here with the tag #LibraryWishlist . I generally ask if anyone else has read them and if they would recommend them. This helps me to choose books next time I'm at the library, or next time I'm surfing around on #hoopla or #Libby ☺️☺️ 7y
obviateit @Clwojick that's a great idea! Thanks! 7y
18 likes4 comments
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Ellamay
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If we taught intimacy the way we teach school.

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Fishinthefield
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Pickpick

An excellent work that looks at early childhood education - from its earlier purposes to many of the challenges educators (and pre-schoolers) face today to a brief comparison with every educators dream: Finland. It gives concrete studies, examples, and ideas for both parents, educators, and administrators for improving the learning and social-emotional wellbeing for the little kiddos.

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katcanwrite
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Dobby: "Well of COURSE I'm important!" #smallcat ?

BookBabe 😻 8y
MrBook 😻😻😻 8y
Tanzy13 🐱 8y
13 likes3 comments
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Librarylady
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School just got out but I've already read The Importance of Being Little by Erika Christakis and bookmarked lots of important parts. This is a must read for parents and educators.

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Michelle_Rohrbach
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Pickpick

Take-away: both parents and educators need to ditch all the trite curriculum packages, meaningless busy-work crafts, overwhelming decorations, & concentrate on better, deeper, more meaningful COMMUNICATION & verbal /interaction skills. Students' reading skills are practically guaranteed to improve.