“Teaching will harm the child…”

The arguments of Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Roberta Michnick Golinkoff in the book Einstein Never Used Flash Cards, and BrillBaby’s response:

Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Roberta Michnick Golinkoff:

What [the] concept of emotional intelligence means for children and parents is that the enjoyment of their relationship is fundamental to giving children the very best start in life. Simply taking the time to enjoy their children – to play with them and discuss what’s going on in their world – is the best thing parents can do for their children’s minds and emotional development to guarantee future success.

BrillBaby’s response:

We couldn’t agree more. Unfortunately, many critics of early learning programs are completely unaware of the fun parents and children have over reading, math, or anything else they care to explore.

Lessons are a wonderful time for bonding between parents and children. And as every child psychologist knows, it is such loving interactions between parents and children that form the basis of children’s emergent social skills and emotional intelligence.

We believe it is easier for children to learn reading and math before they start school than it is to start learning these subjects from the age of five or six. Children with a foundation of basic knowledge in these core subjects have higher self-esteem when they begin school. They find learning easier, which means they have more time for socializing. In other words, positive early learning experiences will only contribute to a child’s emotional intelligence.

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