Learning Through Play
Thanks to Addy who started this thread, we have an alternative voice to teaching our children through flashcards!
Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Professor at Temple University and author of the book "Einstein Never Used Flash Cards: How Our Children Really Learn-- And Why They Need to Play More and Memorize Less", gave a talk at "The Preschool Education Revolution" organized by MindChamps on 12 July 2008. Excerpts of her talk can be found on YouTube:
If you ignore the occasional marketing pitch for MindChamps Pre-school and barbs against the flashcard memory training proposed by Glenn Doman, Shichida, Tweedlewink, and other baby education methodologies, a lot of what she says do make sense. The value of unstructured toddler play is not to be under-estimated, and she is a strong proponent of early preschool education which focuses of fostering EQ in children through play, instead of "drilling" academic or encyclopedic knowledge. In the year 2030, do we want to have a nation of robots, or do we want Singapore to be run by creative problem-solvers that can adapt to any situation? That was the pragmatic question she threw to the floor.
Definitely worth a look-see. Especially when she tries to say the term "kia-suuu".
Its true that play and EQ
Its true that play and EQ is important and memorizing will only get you so far. However, seems that the title of her book that starts "Einstein Never Used Flash Cards:" cause many to totally disregard the benefits of using flash cards and introduction of academics /written knowledge in general.
Unfortunately, our education system now expect kids to be academically advance from a young age and part of the tools they will have is to learn to read earlier and start their academic training earlier.