Preschool Learning

Why Preschool Shouldn't Be Like School
Alison Gopnik

Slate.com
March 16, 2011
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/26/us/26charter.html?ref=education
Topic: Research shows preschools should avoid direct instruction style of education.

New research shows that teaching kids more and more, at ever-younger ages, may backfire.

Key Points: Studies provide scientific support for the intuitions many teachers have had all along: Direct instruction really can limit young children's learning. Teaching is a very effective way to get children to learn something specific. But it also makes children less likely to discover unexpected information and to draw unexpected conclusions.

Relevance: More fodder for the very interesting and imprecise science of early childhood learning and education psychology.