How Children Acquire "Academic" Skills Without Formal Instruction

Author: Peter Gray
Publisher: Alliance for Self-Directed Education
ISBN: 9781952837043
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 122

Book Description
Children who grow up in a literate and numerate environment do not need to be taught how to read or how to use numbers to calculate. They pick these skills up in the course of their everyday living. In this collection of essays, developmental psychologist Peter Gray presents the evidence that this is so. He also presents evidence that teaching-especially when it is forced and comes too early-can interfere with children's learning to read and calculate. In addition, in one essay he describes the difference between Self-Directed Education and progressive education, and in another he presents evidence refuting the claim that children lose academic skills during summer vacation from school (the so-called "summer slide"). This book is especially valuable for parents who are thinking of opting out of standard schooling for their children but are concerned about their children's acquisition of academic skills. It is also valuable for educators who are interested in stretching their understanding of how children naturally learn the kinds of skills that schools try to teach.

Mother Nature's Pedagogy

Author: Peter Gray
Publisher: Alliance for Self-Directed Education
ISBN: 9781952837067
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 172

Book Description
Children come into the world biologically designed to educate themselves. Their natural curiosity, playfulness, sociability, willfulness, adventurousness, tendency to look ahead, and desire to do well in the world were all shaped, by natural selection, to serve the function of education. In this collection of essays, developmental psychologist Peter Gray describes, with research evidence, how these natural tendencies play themselves out in children who are not schooled but, instead, are allowed ample time and opportunity to exercise their natural educative drives. He explains, especially, how children learn from one another when allowed to play freely in settings where they are not segregated by age. In addition, he presents evidence that children come into the world with prosocial drives-to help, share, and comfort-that grow ever stronger when adults allow them to grow. He also discusses ADHD as a natural and valuable personality variation, not a disorder, which causes problems in the typical school environment but does not interfere with Self-Directed Education.

Evidence That Self-Directed Education Works

Author: Peter Gray
Publisher: Alliance for Self-Directed Education
ISBN: 9781952837029
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 152

Book Description
Theory is one thing; empirical evidence is another. Is it true that children can educate themselves well, without coercion or coaxing, when provided with a supportive environment and plenty of opportunity to play, explore, observe, and socialize? In this collection of essays, developmental psychologist Peter Gray presents evidence from a variety of sources that this indeed is true. One essay points out the amazing amount that little children learn before anyone attempts to teach them in any formal way. Another presents evidence from anthropological research that children in hunter-gatherer cultures educated themselves well, for life in their culture, with no formal instruction. This is followed by an essay summarizing the results of research showing that graduates of the Sudbury Valley School-a school designed for Self-Directed Education-have succeeded very well in higher education, jobs, and life in general. The final seven essays all deal with the results of research, conducted by Peter Gray and Gina Riley, into unschooling families and the lives of adults who grew up unschooled. "Unschooling" here is defined as the variety of homeschooling in which children are not subjected to an imposed curriculum but are allowed to follow their own interests and thereby educate themselves.

The Science of Reading

Author: Margaret J. Snowling
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 0470757639
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 680

Book Description
The Science of Reading: A Handbook brings together state-of-the-art reviews of reading research from leading names in the field, to create a highly authoritative, multidisciplinary overview of contemporary knowledge about reading and related skills. Provides comprehensive coverage of the subject, including theoretical approaches, reading processes, stage models of reading, cross-linguistic studies of reading, reading difficulties, the biology of reading, and reading instruction Divided into seven sections:Word Recognition Processes in Reading; Learning to Read and Spell; Reading Comprehension; Reading in Different Languages; Disorders of Reading and Spelling; Biological Bases of Reading; Teaching Reading Edited by well-respected senior figures in the field

Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8

Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309324882
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 587

Book Description
Children are already learning at birth, and they develop and learn at a rapid pace in their early years. This provides a critical foundation for lifelong progress, and the adults who provide for the care and the education of young children bear a great responsibility for their health, development, and learning. Despite the fact that they share the same objective - to nurture young children and secure their future success - the various practitioners who contribute to the care and the education of children from birth through age 8 are not acknowledged as a workforce unified by the common knowledge and competencies needed to do their jobs well. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 explores the science of child development, particularly looking at implications for the professionals who work with children. This report examines the current capacities and practices of the workforce, the settings in which they work, the policies and infrastructure that set qualifications and provide professional learning, and the government agencies and other funders who support and oversee these systems. This book then makes recommendations to improve the quality of professional practice and the practice environment for care and education professionals. These detailed recommendations create a blueprint for action that builds on a unifying foundation of child development and early learning, shared knowledge and competencies for care and education professionals, and principles for effective professional learning. Young children thrive and learn best when they have secure, positive relationships with adults who are knowledgeable about how to support their development and learning and are responsive to their individual progress. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 offers guidance on system changes to improve the quality of professional practice, specific actions to improve professional learning systems and workforce development, and research to continue to build the knowledge base in ways that will directly advance and inform future actions. The recommendations of this book provide an opportunity to improve the quality of the care and the education that children receive, and ultimately improve outcomes for children.

Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children

Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 030906418X
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 449

Book Description
While most children learn to read fairly well, there remain many young Americans whose futures are imperiled because they do not read well enough to meet the demands of our competitive, technology-driven society. This book explores the problem within the context of social, historical, cultural, and biological factors. Recommendations address the identification of groups of children at risk, effective instruction for the preschool and early grades, effective approaches to dialects and bilingualism, the importance of these findings for the professional development of teachers, and gaps that remain in our understanding of how children learn to read. Implications for parents, teachers, schools, communities, the media, and government at all levels are discussed. The book examines the epidemiology of reading problems and introduces the concepts used by experts in the field. In a clear and readable narrative, word identification, comprehension, and other processes in normal reading development are discussed. Against the background of normal progress, Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children examines factors that put children at risk of poor reading. It explores in detail how literacy can be fostered from birth through kindergarten and the primary grades, including evaluation of philosophies, systems, and materials commonly used to teach reading.

The Neuroscience of the Developing Child

Author: Mine Conkbayir
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1000790649
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 323

Book Description
The Neuroscience of the Developing Child informs Early Years (EY) students, practitioners and parents about the fundamental importance of self-regulation (SR) as a critical skill for young children to develop if they are to go on to lead happy and fulfilled lives. Packed with accessible information concerning the neuroscience of early brain development alongside real-life case studies, this book clearly demonstrates how to put SR theory into action across educational and home settings. Dr Conkbayir draws upon a wide range of resources to show readers how they can nurture SR through their daily interactions with children and the environment and experiences they offer them. Comprehensive and engaging chapters cover topics such as: Examining what exactly SR is (and what it is not) Co-regulation’s critical role in enabling SR to occur Exploring the developing brain The importance of sensory integration as part of SR Using relational approaches to nurture behaviour in the classroom and at home The wider global role of SR in creating a sustainable future. With real-life case studies and reflective questions in every chapter, this book is essential reading for students and practitioners within the EY sector, as well as anyone beyond the sector wanting to develop their understanding of SR and how to apply it for themselves and others.

Reaching and Teaching Students Who Don’t Qualify for Special Education

Author: Steven R. Shaw
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1000597334
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 241

Book Description
This book helps readers understand, teach, and support children with persistent low academic achievement who don’t meet special education eligibility criteria, or for whom Tier 2 MTSS interventions are insufficient. Designed to be implemented in inclusive classrooms with minimal resources, comprehensive chapters cover topics from reading, writing, and math to executive functions, SEL, and mental health. This critical, ground-breaking volume provides teachers, psychologists, and counselors with an understanding of the issues children and adolescents with mild cognitive limitations and other causes of low academic achievement face, as well as detailed, evidence-based teaching practices to support their academic and social and emotional learning.

Academic Skills Problems

Author: Edward S. Shapiro
Publisher: Guilford Publications
ISBN: 1462551599
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 570

Book Description
Now in a revised and expanded fifth edition that reflects current research and best practices in direct assessment and intervention, this text addresses a perennial need for school practitioners and practitioners in training. Presented is a comprehensive, problem-solving-based approach for working with K–12 students who are struggling with reading, writing, or mathematics. The book provides a framework for evaluating the instructional environment as well as each student's context and unique learning needs; planning instructional modifications; and monitoring progress. The companion workbook, available separately, contains practice exercises and reproducible forms. New to This Edition *Revised throughout by new coauthor Nathan H. Clemens, while retaining the core elements of Edward S. Shapiro's approach. *New emphasis on the central role of language in reading, mathematics, and writing development and difficulties, and implications for working more effectively with linguistically and culturally diverse students. *Fresh perspectives on behaviors that facilitate learning, such as attention to task and following directions. *Updated and expanded coverage of key topics--universal screening; progress monitoring; intensive, individualized academic skills interventions; and more. See also Academic Skills Problems Fifth Edition Workbook, which provides the reproducible forms discussed in the text, practice exercises, and additional useful materials, in a convenient large-size format.

The Harm of Coercive Schooling

Author: Peter Gray
Publisher: Alliance for Self-Directed Education
ISBN: 9781952837005
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 164

Book Description
Children, like all human beings, crave freedom, but they are not free in school. Schools operate by methods of coercion (a "request" in school is really an order), enforced with reward, punishment, and threats. Coercion interferes with children's natural, joy-filled and interest-filled ways of learning and turns learning into "work." In this collection of essays, developmental psychologist Peter Gray describes also how schooling promotes bullying, cheating, and showing off; contributes to high rates of anxiety, depression, and even suicide among students; aims to push everyone, regardless of the shape of their personality, through the same square holes; and leads to a lifetime of anxiety dreams. The last two essays show how the harm has moved down even to the youngest students, caused by the misbelief that academic training should start in kindergarten and before. This collection is for everyone who cares about children's wellbeing.