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Dec 08, 2008

Nicole added it

This book was recommended by the newsletter from the preschool that my 3-year-old son attends. I didn't stop reading it because it sucked, really- it was more like preaching to the choir. My kids play a lot. In the 2.5 hours my older son is in preschool (2 days a week) they only have two structured circle times- one for shape/letter/name/number recognition, and the other for story time. The rest of the time they play in centers, play outside, eat snack, and color or play with Play-Doh. We never More...

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Jul 25, 2011

Adriane rated it:

Einstein Never Used Flash Cards attempts to debunk the modern myth in education and child-rearing that more knowledge, and faster, is better. Despite scientifically proven milestones of development, we as a society have in essence been rushing children past childhood and into our own “hectic, hurried, frenetic, and feverish image.” The urge to produce verifiable results in schools has thrown true learning, and the enjoyment thereof, out the window. Instead, teachers are now forced to “teach to More...

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Mar 04, 2011

Tiffany rated it:

A good review/summary of early childhood education.

Reflect, Resist, Recenter
REFLECT-why are you enrolling child in certain activity, does child actually like it?
RESIST-you don't have to sign up for every (if any) class invented for children (gymboree, music class, art class, etc. PLAY = learning
RECENTER-engage in teachable moments, play with your child, BE WITH you child, recognize that children take the lead in their own learning (and need your support as they go a More...

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Feb 12, 2011

AnnaMay rated it:

This really lightened my anxiety and helped me make better use of my resources and time in my parenting approach. I think every parent or soon-to-be parent or grandparent should read this book and take it to heart. Our kids would be much happier little people if we applied the principles in our parenting and even our educating!

The book is set up very well. It is not a quick read, definitely, and may seem redundant at times, but I liked that in each chapter, I was presented with sc More...

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Sep 02, 2009

Sam rated it:

Este livro tem sido uma pulguinha atrás da orelha há dois anos e com muita frequência ele ainda me faz rever o cotidiano dos meus filhos.

[Eu adoro o nome do livro em inglês: Einstein Never Used Flashcards: : How Our Children Really Learn--and Why They Need to Play More and Memorize Less]

As autoras parecem conversar conosco na obra. E esta conversa de mãe para mãe, mesmo sendo as três especialistas em educação e comportamento, nos faz pensar no desenvolvimento das habilida More...

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Jan 03, 2011

Gian Fiero rated it:

I like the premise of this book. I also like the palpable enthusiasm with which it was written. If you are a parent who is stressed out thinking about how to make your little bundle of joy into a high achiever with a high IQ - before they have learned how to speak - you will find this book very beneficial.

With page, after page of research conducted by professors at leading universities, and studies by renowned developmental psychologists, you will be provided with solid data to help More...

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Jul 05, 2008

Emily rated it:

Surprisingly comprehensive and not gimmicky at all. Great defense of play. Great explanations as to how children really learn to read, speak, do math, get along and more. Hopefully this will keep many families from wasting their money and their children's time on things like Baby Einstein and Leapfrog products.

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Jul 11, 2009

Mandy rated it:

I nearly completely agreed with this book. I often find myself wondering if I'm doing enough to teach my kids. With all the products you can buy you feel like if your child is not reading by 2 they are already behind and you are a bad parent for not buying and teaching it to your child.

This book directly takes on such falsities and gives examples of study after study of why the power of play is more important than anything.

It also explains through research and study (as More...

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Dec 17, 2009

Andria rated it:

The book's main message is: Children learn naturally through play, so there is no reason to go crazy for the latest "educational" toy, program, or class to try to give your kid the edge over everyone else's kid. The authors really want to encourage parents to value childhood as a distinct period in their kids' lives, to take time to BE with their children instead of rushing them from place to place, to stop trying to make them geniuses from birth but rather let them develop naturally More...

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Feb 08, 2011

Laura rated it:

Highly recommend this book to all parents who are concerned about whether or not their young children are going to learn enough. The short answer is - yes, if you let them play and play with them. No Leap Frog or flashcards required. All in all, a very freeing book for me. It makes me more comfortable in our "preschool isn't necessary" opinion and in our determination to limit the number and kind of toys that our kids have. Plus, there are lots of fun exercises to do with your kid More...

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Jul 31, 2008

sleeps9hours rated it:

Another reassuring book to know it's okay to skip all that parent-directed learning crap.

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Nov 28, 2011

Jessica rated it:

The best way for babies and children to learn is through free and undirected play. I'm just not sure why the authors need an entire book to say that. I didn't finish the book because now that I have a baby, my reading time is constantly in a tug-o-war with sleep time. I also felt like as much as the authors tried to convince me not to use flashcards to teach "ball", instead play with an actual ball, they were trying to sucker in parents to read an entire book when a simple essay wou More...

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Jan 16, 2011

Keith rated it:

Excellent book on child rearing and development. It talks from a teacher point of view, but is interesting to anyone interested in raising smart, successful, happy children. The book uses what is known rather than advertising to determine how the brain developes and what are the best strategies for raising children. They discount the forced learning at a young age. Instead they suggest letting the child play in unstructured environments, read to your child, play board games with your child, More...

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May 17, 2011

Suzanne rated it:

Many parents instinctively like to see their kids play, but wonder if they can afford the "luxury." Einstein Never Used Flash Cards debunks a lot of overblown scientific reports that have been used to sell "educational" programs and toys. See if any of these revelations surprise you.

It is not true that playing Mozart for infants improves their IQ.

It is not true that successful readers are those whose parents spent the most time drilling them on lett More...

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Jun 06, 2011

Jennifer rated it:

The authors of this book (both with PhDs in psychology) make the case that the best way for babies and children to learn is through free and undirected play. They argue that math, reading, and language skills are naturally acquired through play and that context-based, experiential learning is superior to formal instruction for young children. The authors argue against the development of many types of so-called educational toys and television programs, and also advise against flash cards, drill More...

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Dec 13, 2011

Jacob rated it:

This book is actually a pretty good companion to Testing for Kindergarten: Simple Strategies to Help Your Child Ace the Tests for: Public School Placement, Private School Admissions, Gifted Program Qualification, since that one talks about ways to increase the development value of your regular interactions with your children in order to help them grow. This book is much more focused on what kinds of activities should be done in the first place with your kids, the idea being that interactive pla More...

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Feb 13, 2009

Ellyn rated it:

I read this book for my summer Infant/Toddler Development class and really enjoyed it. The authors use child development research to show that all children really need is adults who love them, care about them, play with them, and give them the opportunity to explore at their own level and pace. Too many high pressure activities will only result in the loss of children's natural love for learning. Very wise and an important message for the middle class parents of today's young children to hear More...

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Oct 30, 2008

Melitsa rated it:

Was very excited to read this book after hearing the author talk about it in a recent parent Podcast. It did not disappoint.

Lots of factual information to sink your teeth into. I particularly like the easy to read style; the studies & authors mentioned, so you can look them up yourself. The book sets forth clearly the case for advocating early years play and how to play with your child.

Most people may think- well that's easy but trying to strike a good balance against t More...

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Apr 26, 2009

Emily Mellow rated it:

Refutes, as the title suggests, the need for educational materials and programming to strengthen the brains of our offspring. What they need is the ability to explore, to question and experiment, right? One thing they did say though, that surprised and stuck with me all these years, is that higher intelligence is consistently linked with kids who grew up with more toys. They thrive with variety? At first you would think it's a class thing, but they take that into account when they come up with t More...

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Aug 07, 2008

Moriah rated it:

"When we understand what really does matter to children's development and how myths mislead us, we can feel more relaxed as parents and educators and can easily ensure that our children are intellectually stimulated and socially competent" (p. 268).

"The pervasive myth in our achievement-oriented society that child's play is a waste of time is linked to the hype that parents must boost their children's intelligence. So we overschedule our children and give up on the va More...

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Aug 08, 2011

Kate rated it:

One of the impossible ideals The Mommy Myth outlines is the responsibility of the mother to develop their children's intellect. This book provides the alternative culture that The Mommy Myth fails to build. Whereas "talking back" (Mommy Myth's conclusion and call to arms) means that we interrogate the culture of extreme interventionist parenting, this book offers a deconstruction of that culture and provides the understanding you need to resist that culture of extreme parenting both in More...

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Jun 08, 2011

Emily rated it:

I never finished reading this because I got bored. If you've taken any amount of college level child development courses, nothing in this book is going to be earth shattering. Also, I was already pretty well convinced about the premise of the book (kids need playtime, not so much structured "learning time" when they're under 6) before I began reading, so the first few chapters of study after study proving why play was critical were definite yawners.

I did appreciate the s More...

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Apr 23, 2011

Wendy rated it:

Good evidence-based argument for why play is better than the rote approach for facilitating true learning in your child. Preaching to the choir in my case but still nice to read about the research and get a better idea of how to avoid the pitfalls of educational toys and over-scheduling. Would have liked their recommendations for best toy types per age group (though you can glean this from the text) and to have the various activities gathered in one place chronologically for ease of reference.

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Jun 20, 2011

Sheri rated it:

These authors put together a very parent-friendly book discussing the ways in which children learn various skills and how their unstructured play truly prepares them mentally for such societally-valued tasks as reading and mathematics. With interesting descriptions of studies that were done and suggestions on implementing findings in your own home, this book was both informative and practical.

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Jul 24, 2010

Clint rated it:

Stop pushing your infants to be adults. I don't think Ivy League colleges care if your child began reading at the age of 2. As a teacher I see if more and more that kids are like little robots that can only think in one direction. Children no longer have an imagination and can't think "outside the box" when it comes to problem solving, why because parents don't allow them anymore. There is to much pushing and not enough playing. What's wrong with the world today? Don't get me sta More...

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Jul 18, 2009

Cayenne rated it:

Well, skimmed more like it. I read the beginning and I'm pretty sure I got the idea, but it's on the cover too--let your kids play instead of overscheduling them. It stresses them and you out. A few select activities they enjoy is great, but pushing them to a hurried schedule does not make them smarter. In fact, it does the opposite and takes the joy out of learning for them. I think it takes the joy out of parenting too. Very easy to read. Highly recommended to any parent wanting to know More...

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Nov 08, 2007

Colleen rated it:

This is a wonderful book that pokes holes in a lot of common misconceptions about how children learn, how you can make your child "smarter," and the "benefit" of all those infant- and toddler-learning videos. Written by two very reputable developmental psychologists, they explain the results of numerous developmental studies in layman's language. I agree that perhaps it might be a bit heavy on the research for someone without a background in psychology, but the authors did More...

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Feb 19, 2009

Rachel rated it:

Great for the parent eager to accelerate her child's learning... this book reminds the reader that children are learning at a rapid rate without gimicky flashcards and software. Gives eye-opening mini'experiments' that help raise parental respect and understanding of age-appropriate development milestones.

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Dec 17, 2008

Geoffrey rated it:

The first chapter or two was slightly slow going to me, but as they started to talk more about the learning process and the studies, it got markedly more interesting.

I would have liked them to supply more information about the studies they cited, explaining the findings and the methodology in a little more detail. It felt a little like I was expected to take the studies as an appeal to authority rather than have the findings backed up with additional detail.

That said, I More...

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Jan 17, 2012

Kim rated it:

Great book for parents of infants and toddlers. Though I have always believed that children learn through play it was good to read evidence of how and what exactly they learn. I found the chapter on numbers and math interesting - how playing a board game can teach children the number line continuum etc.

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