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Summary: Short summary -- "Get Down in the Floor...
Review: ... and just PLAY with your kids. Simple stuff, like blocks."
Makes parents who feel pressured to be cramming their kids secure in their more laid-back style. Danger: exposure to this book may cause grandmas to say "I told you so."
I happened to read this roughly at the same time as the more science-heavy "How the Mind Works" by Steven "Stinker" Pinker. (Sorry. I have great respect for his writing style and knowledge, but I can't help thinking of him as a PG Wodehouse character.) They go well together. Pinker spends a lot of time on what babies are born knowing and what they quickly learn even when they seem to be playing aimlessly. "Einstein" describes details of the play = learning process.
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Summary: Einstein Learned Science as a Baby and Toddler
Review: Albert Einstein learned science and physics as a baby and toddler. He had a very unique education when he was young, like no other child. When Einstein was born, his Uncle Jacob and his wife had moved in with Albert's parents. Jacob Einstein was an electrical engineer. They were starting an electrical engineering company. Albert's parents knew nothing of electrical engineering so Jacob Einstein moved in to help teach them. From the time Albert was born he heard about the science and physics of electrical engineering of the day. About a year after Albert was born, they moved from Ulm Germany to Munich Germany. Jacob Einstein still lived with Albert's parents to teach about this new field of electrical engineering they were working in. The Einstein electrical engineering company did well for several years in Munich. Albert Einstein always heard about the engineering and science of the day. In regards to this, it should be pointed out that when children learn reading as a baby or toddler, it takes less than a minute a day. Not only that, children who learn reading as a baby or toddler typically have superior reading skills. They can read much faster and can have astounding comprehension. You can find out about people who learned to read as a baby or toddler and you will also find out that they really do have superior reading skills. They can read a book a day and remember most of what they have read.
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Summary: Please Read This Mom and Dad!!!
Review: And save yourself a lot of unecessary worry and some money as well!! A child's best learning tool is their imagination...as parents, we need to trust in the importance of play. The benefits of imaginative/explorative play cannot be found in a box, a book, software or a dvd...but it's all right there in your child's mind!
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Summary: Thank The Lord
Review: As an early childhood teacher I truly love the research based message of this book. You have no idea how misinformed parents are when it comes to how children truly learn and the programmed, hyper way they believe they must "challenge" their children...if I had a dime for every time I hear the word "challenge"...oh brother...now that we are beginning to see how the brain functions through MRIs and other technologies and because of thorough research many of these hyper myths are being debunked...
As for one of the reviews below that somehow talks about how we can all program young children to read in just a minute a day is off the mark...the problem is that reading isn't just decoding words...it's understanding the message of print...unfortunately, I've seen children who have been pushed by these so-called canned reading programs and "hyper-parents" at an early age...they come into class lacking motivation and then the parents want us to continue to push them because of this same lack of motivation..it becomes a terrible cycle for these children...here's the reality...
talk to your children, get down with them, engage them at an early age...help them make sense of the world and expose them to print in a very natural, purposeful way...remember, the children of many foreign nations with the best reading scores do not expose their children to phonic instruction until the age of 7 or 8...when they do read in a more systematic way they then have more life experience to make sense of print and then...what do you know...they have more natural, internal motivation to read...
Oh, and by the way, the new research is showing that free play actually "recharges" wiring in the brain allowing children to work better and with more focus...
Find a "hyper-parent" and slip them this book...give their kids a break...
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Summary: Great books for parents on how kids REALLY learn!
Review: Great book for parents on how and WHY to stop the craziness with baby classes, baby flash cards, electronic whizzing toys!Explains how and why we need to get down on the floor, let our children be children and learn at their own pace. Reinforced for me that we ARE doing the right thing for our son by not "enriching" his days, but letting him stay home and play truck driver and trains.
Also has great developmental advice and information on what to expect in preschool development.
As for the reviewer who claims that Albert Einstein had a special childhood -- yes he did, BUT he learned about these things in a NATURAL way, not by being forced to sit through enrichment programs.
Yes toddlers and preschoolers CAN learn to read. And if THEY want to do it, fine. But, don't force it upon them.
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Summary: Great book
Review: Haven't we all intuitively known this? That kids can learn from playing. We all knew, but never had the evidence to back up what we always had known in our hearts. Well now I have the evidence. Now, I won't feel guilty for teaching my kids that learning through exploring is just as valuable if not more so than shoving facts into their already crammed heads. Let kids be kids. Let imagination reign. Lets stop carting the kids to every activity we can possibly sign up for. Moms like me can now breathe, and know that our children will turn out just fine! Thanks for this book!
Rating:
Summary: Simply Superb
Review: Haven't we all intuitively known this? That kids can learn from playing. We all knew, but never had the evidence to back up what we always had known in our hearts. Well now I have the evidence. Now, I won't feel guilty for teaching my kids that learning through exploring is just as valuable if not more so than shoving facts into their already crammed heads. Let kids be kids. Let imagination reign. Lets stop carting the kids to every activity we can possibly sign up for. Moms like me can now breathe, and know that our children will turn out just fine! Thanks for this book!
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Summary: The freedom to enjoy being a parent
Review: I love this book. It takes a lot of the pressure off parents to "create" an intelligent child -- love your baby and play with him or her. Learning should be fun, not rote memorization. I like that the authors explain in plain English the science behind their theories and provide real-life examples. They also provide practical exercises to put their approach to work. Definitely worth a read. I plan to wear my copy out as I'll refer back to it while my little girl grows up.
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Summary: A Very Practical, Scientific and Readable Book
Review: Not only does this book give you practical advice and experiments to see your child's development but it backs it up with scientific results. This book will show you how much of the child's development will happen naturally through play and by observing, nuturing and participating in your child's play is the best education for her.
Rating:
Summary: A Very Practical, Scientific and Readable Book
Review: Not only does this book give you practical advice and experiments to see your child's development but it backs it up with scientific results. This book will show you how much of the child's development will happen naturally through play and by observing, nuturing and participating in your child's play is the best education for her.
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