The Moral Intelligence of Children: How to Raise a Moral Child

Rating:
Summary: Excellent anecdotes, but poor data
Review: In The Moral Intelligence of Children, Robert Coles outlines his considerable experience with the moral thinking of children. He finds that even the very young can reason using sophisticated moral logic, and makes numerous recommendations for how parents might try to raise a virtuous child. Sadly, I cannot recommend this book to a wide audience, as its fundamental assumptions have not been borne out by modern research.

Coles argues that children learn what moral behavior is through observation and immersion. In this regard he is similar to the Russian psychologist Vygotsky. Unfortunately, a great deal of research since Vygotsky's death causes me to doubt Coles' claims. Some of the evidence against this claim is found in W. Rottschaefer's Biology and Psychology of Moral Agency. In particular, infants as young as a few weeks display empathic behaviors, and this tendency grows immensely over the first year. It is hard to imagine how a child's moral sophistication is related to the observation of parents when their empathic behavior develops at such a young age, faced with no moral problems of their own.

Additional evidence comes from Jonathan Haidt's social institutionist model of moral reasoning. Haidt feels that morality does develop from a social context, but demonstrates that the "reasons" offered by adults and children, however cute or sophisticated, are little more than rationalizations for deeper emotions inherited from earlier development.

Finally, even if kids did learn from their parents, as soon as the child steps out of the home his reasoning will be shaped by his peers, not by his parents. To date, there is no compelling evidence that parents have a significant impact on the morality or personality of their kids beyond their genetic contribution. Judith Harris utterly crushed that area of research in her book, The Nurture Assumption.

Coles' book is full of interesting stories in a fairly warm and talkative style. If you're as fascinated by children and their stories about themselves and each other as I am, you'll enjoy this book. Just don't take it too seriously as a manual for raising your child.

Rating:
Summary: The moral intelligence of children
Review: It is evident that Robert Coles has an immense amount of insight on the psychology of young children. His work in this book extends to young children of all ages. He doesn't waste time spilling disheartening statistics that scares the reader. Coles discusses the issues and concerns of young children that help link their moral intelligence to moral life. His background in children psychology is deep and experienced, using ideas and shared beliefs with other professional masterminds of children psychology. Children believe that they are the world and everything revolves around them. Robert Coles dissects the moral intelligence by sharing his personal experience and observations with children of all ages. It is clear that Coles has a deep passion in his work. His feelings for the children he has worked with go beyond than just an observer. As Coles explains, moral intelligence derives from the surroundings that children observe. He seems to provide a solution to all aspects of child psyche. He covers angles in which parents and teachers can handle certain situations. Coles uses this book to fill the voids that children need. The moral intelligence is created by the child, but can be molded by proper guidance. Although children create personal shield around themselves, Coles offers a solution to the guidance that is vital to the development of the child. This book is a great tool to help teachers and parents how to adjust to the child who suddenly is becoming distant to moral reasoning. Coles perspectives are eye-opening and brilliant. Behaviors you would normally avoid and consider abnormal can be catered to by the help of this book. It just makes you want to serve and protect young

Rating:
Summary: The moral intelligence of children
Review: It is evident that Robert Coles has an immense amount of insight on the psychology of young children. His work in this book extends to young children of all ages. He doesn't waste time spilling disheartening statistics that scares the reader. Coles discusses the issues and concerns of young children that help link their moral intelligence to moral life. His background in children psychology is deep and experienced, using ideas and shared beliefs with other professional masterminds of children psychology. Children believe that they are the world and everything revolves around them. Robert Coles dissects the moral intelligence by sharing his personal experience and observations with children of all ages. It is clear that Coles has a deep passion in his work. His feelings for the children he has worked with go beyond than just an observer. As Coles explains, moral intelligence derives from the surroundings that children observe. He seems to provide a solution to all aspects of child psyche. He covers angles in which parents and teachers can handle certain situations. Coles uses this book to fill the voids that children need. The moral intelligence is created by the child, but can be molded by proper guidance. Although children create personal shield around themselves, Coles offers a solution to the guidance that is vital to the development of the child. This book is a great tool to help teachers and parents how to adjust to the child who suddenly is becoming distant to moral reasoning. Coles perspectives are eye-opening and brilliant. Behaviors you would normally avoid and consider abnormal can be catered to by the help of this book. It just makes you want to serve and protect young

Rating:
Summary: Practical advice for parents and teachers, well written
Review: Moral Intelligence one of numerous books Robert Coles has written is in a way in a culmination of the years he has spent working with children in families. It is a topic that has intrigued him since he was a student of psychology, and has continued to play a role in his life. He offers many personal insights and examples from his own life-showing that even a expert psychologist can learn from his own children-the rest of us should be equally humble!

Moral intelligence is the theory put forth by Dr. Coles, that children learn some of the most important lessons by observing the behaviors of those around them in authority positions (mainly parents and teachers). His theory goes beyond the teaching of moral lessons such as "you shouldn't steal, or lie" and reaches a deeper level of analysis. He theorizes that children pick up and retain information about moral behavior from witnessing the actions of others. He defines moral intelligence as the actions of one that effect the behavior of another. He feels that this manner of learning has a more lasting impact on children.

Dr. Coles states that he has been interested in moral intelligence much of his life. This topic is something he feels truly passionate about and it shows in this work and in this book. Critics may dismiss this work as simple common sense but it goes well beyond that, and cannot be summed up so easily. While the advice he offers may seem elementary-it is not being followed by many parents and bears repeating. He writes from both his heart and his mind and provides necessary reassurance and guidance for parents and teachers who may be struggling with the decisions and choices they must make each and every day. His book is unique in that it is a resource for parents, teachers and academics.

The book is an enjoyable read no matter what your purpose. He provides a glimpse into his own life so we can all see that no one is above being taught. He states that he has learned some of the most important lessons from his own son. If he can learn, so can we. He offers advice that everyone should be able to follow.

Rating:
Summary: WHERE WAS THE EDITOR?
Review: That Robert Coles' heart is in the right place and that his experience working with children is extensive, no one can dispute. But his writing is characterized by wordiness - even chattiness - and it undermines the serious nature of his topic. Perhaps the loose writing style is an attempt to make the book appeal to "every parent," - and not just educators - but instead it renders the whole work laborious and permeated with a condescending, patronizing tone. In the current political culture, a book on the moral life of children written by an educator of Coles' calibre would be expected to nail a spot on the N.Y. Times bestseller list for weeks, if not years. The fact that less than two years after publication I picked up a hard cover copy at a book clearance for 75% off is a testimony to lazy editorship more than anything else. What a huge loss for our society.

Rating:
Summary: WHERE WAS THE EDITOR?
Review: That Robert Coles' heart is in the right place and that his experience working with children is extensive, no one can dispute. But his writing is characterized by wordiness - even chattiness - and it undermines the serious nature of his topic. Perhaps the loose writing style is an attempt to make the book appeal to "every parent," - and not just educators - but instead it renders the whole work laborious and permeated with a condescending, patronizing tone. In the current political culture, a book on the moral life of children written by an educator of Coles' calibre would be expected to nail a spot on the N.Y. Times bestseller list for weeks, if not years. The fact that less than two years after publication I picked up a hard cover copy at a book clearance for 75% off is a testimony to lazy editorship more than anything else. What a huge loss for our society.