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Your Brain on Childhood
This book reviews the consequences of raising children in today’s highly unnatural environments and suggests ways in which parents can learn to naturalize childhood again, so that a child’s environment gels with how the brain was designed to grow. In a clearly presented, accessible narrative, the author marshals scientific evidence from a wide array of fields to explain why there is a disconnect between the brain’s evolutionary history and the technology-centered present. Research from both human and animal studies indicates that brain development is fostered by consistent opportunities for face-to-face communication and freewheeling pretend play.
The startling implication is that today’s structured, controlled, and fabricated surroundings are exactly wrong for developing brains. Instead of emphasizing technology and organized activities, parents and teachers could better help children learn by encouraging exploration, experimentation, and exposure to the real world. Recess, now often dismissed as a waste of time, should be considered an essential part of children’s cognitive and social development; lessons should be individualized as much as possible; and the current focus on homework and letter grades should be de-emphasized and eventually eliminated altogether.
Fascinating and controversial, this well-researched discussion by an expert on child development will make parents and school systems rethink how we are raising our children.
The startling implication is that today’s structured, controlled, and fabricated surroundings are exactly wrong for developing brains. Instead of emphasizing technology and organized activities, parents and teachers could better help children learn by encouraging exploration, experimentation, and exposure to the real world. Recess, now often dismissed as a waste of time, should be considered an essential part of children’s cognitive and social development; lessons should be individualized as much as possible; and the current focus on homework and letter grades should be de-emphasized and eventually eliminated altogether.
Fascinating and controversial, this well-researched discussion by an expert on child development will make parents and school systems rethink how we are raising our children.
325 pages, Paperback
First published September 20, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 24, 2012
The gist of this book is that basically You're Doing It Wrong. How? By trying too dang hard. Put away the stupid flash cards, turn off that consarned TV, and throw your kid outside and leave it alone.
Most of this book makes a terribly good amount of sense, which is why it's so depressing, especially the parts about school. I think most people agree that No Child Left Behind was about the worst thing ever to happen to American schools, but there doesn't seem to be too much we can do about it. Little things like recess and the elimination of homework could do so much to make sure that our children end up thoughtful, confident, hard-working, and in love with learning. This is instead of bitter, angry, lazy, and full of burning hatred for anything resembling a school. Like me. Oh god. Like me.
I hate school. I'm pretty sure that was the first coherent thought I ever had that I remember. Ponies, ballerinas, cartoons, candy . . . these concrete ideas were secondary to the one true realization that I loathed school. I hated waking up in the morning. I hated the homework when I was at long last released. I hated the books they made me read, the PE evaluations I constantly failed, the handwriting I could never master, the science projects I feared, the math classes I was never fast enough at, the meaningless "awards" ceremonies we had to sit through, the hormones of the other students, the cold and heat of the ancient cinder block structures, the pressure to be better than other students at what I was good at and the resignation to fail at things I was bad at. The list goes on. The only thing I liked was lunch and they did everything they could to make that inconvenient, too.
I'm pregnant right now. If everything goes well, in five to six years my children will be subjected to this nightmare. I have no idea what to do.
But back to the book. It's written in an easily accessible style for the popular audience. There are lots of colorful examples, though sometimes I think she takes her metaphors a little longer than they need to be, resulting in a certain lack of information density. If you're an expecting parent, I would recommend reading this book before you buy any crap. Might save you a buck or a thousand.
Most of this book makes a terribly good amount of sense, which is why it's so depressing, especially the parts about school. I think most people agree that No Child Left Behind was about the worst thing ever to happen to American schools, but there doesn't seem to be too much we can do about it. Little things like recess and the elimination of homework could do so much to make sure that our children end up thoughtful, confident, hard-working, and in love with learning. This is instead of bitter, angry, lazy, and full of burning hatred for anything resembling a school. Like me. Oh god. Like me.
I hate school. I'm pretty sure that was the first coherent thought I ever had that I remember. Ponies, ballerinas, cartoons, candy . . . these concrete ideas were secondary to the one true realization that I loathed school. I hated waking up in the morning. I hated the homework when I was at long last released. I hated the books they made me read, the PE evaluations I constantly failed, the handwriting I could never master, the science projects I feared, the math classes I was never fast enough at, the meaningless "awards" ceremonies we had to sit through, the hormones of the other students, the cold and heat of the ancient cinder block structures, the pressure to be better than other students at what I was good at and the resignation to fail at things I was bad at. The list goes on. The only thing I liked was lunch and they did everything they could to make that inconvenient, too.
I'm pregnant right now. If everything goes well, in five to six years my children will be subjected to this nightmare. I have no idea what to do.
But back to the book. It's written in an easily accessible style for the popular audience. There are lots of colorful examples, though sometimes I think she takes her metaphors a little longer than they need to be, resulting in a certain lack of information density. If you're an expecting parent, I would recommend reading this book before you buy any crap. Might save you a buck or a thousand.
October 20, 2012
This was refreshing and consuming all at once. The type of book that your brain goes into overload on, but you don't want to put down for fear you'll miss some important scientific discovery about kid's brains.
Principe has a devilish yet contrite tone and humor throughout the book that somehow makes reading statistical psychology more readable.
I wouldn't recommend this to someone that hates science or the theory of evolution, but it is one of those reads that is a must have to any parent. Simply because there is truth even in between the science. The truth is that kids are expected to live inside; inside our view of what childhood is; inside technology; outside the realm of what is natural.
Principe speaks to downsizing childhood again and allowing kids exposure to the natural world because it affects their brain chemistry in a positive way, because of direct links to behavioral issues, because it make them happier.
Principe has a devilish yet contrite tone and humor throughout the book that somehow makes reading statistical psychology more readable.
I wouldn't recommend this to someone that hates science or the theory of evolution, but it is one of those reads that is a must have to any parent. Simply because there is truth even in between the science. The truth is that kids are expected to live inside; inside our view of what childhood is; inside technology; outside the realm of what is natural.
Principe speaks to downsizing childhood again and allowing kids exposure to the natural world because it affects their brain chemistry in a positive way, because of direct links to behavioral issues, because it make them happier.
February 15, 2012
Principe, chair of the Psychology Department at Ursinus, reviews many of today's child rearing techniques. More importantly she reviews the studies associated with those techniques and in many cases the lack of studies. The conclusion is that the expensive toys, excessive computer/TV time, indoor play, the structured classrooms, and structured playtime contribute to the loss of "play" in childhood. Play is defined as the work of children. Parent's, in striving to do the best, are spending too much time(and money) structuring their childrens' time. More time should be spent in allowing and encouraging their creative juices to flow unimpeded.
In an easy to read format, she presents the research starting with the development of the child's brain prenatally through adolescence. Her arguments are persuasive. In simpler terms she concludes that the best toys and play for children are the simpler things like socks, boxes, books, blocks and the great outdoors.
Easily understood, persuasive but at times redundant. Recommended for parents, teachers, and those who wish to control education.
In an easy to read format, she presents the research starting with the development of the child's brain prenatally through adolescence. Her arguments are persuasive. In simpler terms she concludes that the best toys and play for children are the simpler things like socks, boxes, books, blocks and the great outdoors.
Easily understood, persuasive but at times redundant. Recommended for parents, teachers, and those who wish to control education.
February 7, 2013
This is the best book on child development that I have read. I am a teacher and will be a mom very soon, and the book illuminated aspects of both these roles and made me see childhood in a different light. I love the way the author wrote in a humorous manner and everything she had researched really rang true to me deeply inside. I knew from the writing and from my feelings that I could trust her guidance- and I rarely feel that way when I read other articles on parenting from the internet, magazines, or even other books. I really recommend this book to teachers and parents. It will help you see through the quagmire of parental advice out there so that you can raise problem-solvers and kids without attention issues.
March 28, 2013
I loved the first third of this book but got a little bored towards the end. The author is a developmental psychologist and she explains what happens to the brain during gestation and early childhood and how we do a disservice to our kids by trying to push them to learn too much too early. She gives the science behind why this could actually be damaging, more than just asinine.
I learned A TON but when she left the science behind and started to write about culture and nostalgia for childhoods past she got repetitive and verbose. She gives list upon list of some of the ways in which parenting can be ridiculous and that drones on.
I can highly recommend the first half of this book to all parents, especially if you want to be inspired to not allow yourself to get crazy about the over-commercialization of childhood! And I had a few important takeaways:
1. Strollers should face the parents, not face outwards. The babies learn so much more from those types of strollers and enjoy the outings so much more. I tried this and saw a huge experience in my daughter's enjoyment of outings!
2. Toys with batteries are pretty useless. She suggests taking the batteries out of toys and not buying toys where the "narrative is built into the toy." She thinks things like castles and cars that talk and create the story for the children harm imagination. She says that toys should be more generic and open-ended and allow the child to play with more freeform and I wholeheartedly agree! I do not like plastic toys that demand play in a certain way and I especially don't like the commercialization of toys and am pleased to read the science behind it! Amen to that!
I learned A TON but when she left the science behind and started to write about culture and nostalgia for childhoods past she got repetitive and verbose. She gives list upon list of some of the ways in which parenting can be ridiculous and that drones on.
I can highly recommend the first half of this book to all parents, especially if you want to be inspired to not allow yourself to get crazy about the over-commercialization of childhood! And I had a few important takeaways:
1. Strollers should face the parents, not face outwards. The babies learn so much more from those types of strollers and enjoy the outings so much more. I tried this and saw a huge experience in my daughter's enjoyment of outings!
2. Toys with batteries are pretty useless. She suggests taking the batteries out of toys and not buying toys where the "narrative is built into the toy." She thinks things like castles and cars that talk and create the story for the children harm imagination. She says that toys should be more generic and open-ended and allow the child to play with more freeform and I wholeheartedly agree! I do not like plastic toys that demand play in a certain way and I especially don't like the commercialization of toys and am pleased to read the science behind it! Amen to that!
September 19, 2015
Wow.. Amazing book!
The main point of the book is that modern children (especially the current generation) live in a way that's not effective to their development, with respect to brain, emotional and physical development. For example,
* Spending most of the time indoor and in very predictable environment.
* Relying on gadget and electronics for entertainment and learning, instead of playing and interacting with peers and with nature.
* Education that's out of context (i.e. not immediately clear why learning this formula or memorizing this list is useful, as opposed to hands-on and experimental learning)
* Play that is highly restricted (often for "safety") and regulated by adults (e.g. official soccer match) as opposed to letting the children explore, negotiate and make rules on their own.
The book explains (convincingly and often humorously) why these are really not the best things for children, citing various studies, scientific arguments, and explanations based on evolution, biology and developmental psychology. It also explains why we (as parents) are often misled, for example due to marketing campaigns or by our own irrationality and biases.
The main point of the book is that modern children (especially the current generation) live in a way that's not effective to their development, with respect to brain, emotional and physical development. For example,
* Spending most of the time indoor and in very predictable environment.
* Relying on gadget and electronics for entertainment and learning, instead of playing and interacting with peers and with nature.
* Education that's out of context (i.e. not immediately clear why learning this formula or memorizing this list is useful, as opposed to hands-on and experimental learning)
* Play that is highly restricted (often for "safety") and regulated by adults (e.g. official soccer match) as opposed to letting the children explore, negotiate and make rules on their own.
The book explains (convincingly and often humorously) why these are really not the best things for children, citing various studies, scientific arguments, and explanations based on evolution, biology and developmental psychology. It also explains why we (as parents) are often misled, for example due to marketing campaigns or by our own irrationality and biases.
March 26, 2021
I loved this the first time I read it years ago. I have since been privileged to learn about data and citations, and feel this book has a severe bias with a lot of anecdotes centered on conclusion shopping. I once treated this book as a dogmatic parenting Bible, much to the detriment of my own mental health. It is too much pressure, unsustainable, and party to the culture of enslaving parents to an idyllic standard of constant servitude. Your kids will not perish if they watch cartoons. They can do that AND enjoy outside play. This book is written as though all types of hobbies create a world where the “wrong” hobby or interest deprives children and families from all things “right/acceptable/appropriate.” Many citations with an appeal to nature fallacy. Exposure to nature is nice, but this book dramatizes it.
February 9, 2012
This was a very readable book going through several things that we are doing as parents, teachers, and as a culture that are not helpful for children's brains. As another reviewer on Goodreads pointed out, a lot of it makes perfect sense: turn off the TV, go outside and don't push your child so hard to grow up so fast. It makes me hope that I haven't already ruined my almost two year old but I think I'm okay so far. The section on schools was especially depressing since it feels like there is little that we can do about No Child Left Behind. It makes me think about looking up some homeschooling books...
June 16, 2013
The author posits that child development is best served with no electronic screen input. This book is well written, informative, yet easy to read and applicable to anyone with young children. Instead of competition and pushing kids to learn facts, the author suggests that the child is better served by discovering the physical world by being and acting in it. It is better to for the child to go to the playground and touch dirt, swing, slide, jump, watch insects, etc. instead of staying home and memorizing vocabulary or watching TV. Excellent book for anyone, and a eye-opener about how much we are tied to our electronic devices today - which is not a good thing for us.
July 24, 2013
At first, you'll wonder, "is this book only about monkeys?". But then the research turns to children and the detrimental effect of recent trends in parenting (over-scheduling, educational technology, excessive indoor activity). I'd love to give this book to every parent I know; sadly, if we don't work together to change the current educational milieu, it won't happen.
I've read a few books on this topic, and I really enjoyed Principe's intelligent, yet conversational tone. I laughed out loud several times and managed to whip through the book in two days, unusual for material that has the potential to be quite dry.
I've read a few books on this topic, and I really enjoyed Principe's intelligent, yet conversational tone. I laughed out loud several times and managed to whip through the book in two days, unusual for material that has the potential to be quite dry.
February 1, 2013
I LOVED this book--it was so reassuring to read that kids are basically wired to thrive in a normal, not-overly stimulating environment. Even though she only makes a passing reference to Montessori teaching methods, I thought this entire book came across as a massive scientific treatise on why Montessori works, from a developmental neurology/psychology perspective. Can't recommend it highly enough to ANYone who interacts with children on a regular basis.
September 11, 2013
This was a fantastic book! There was lots to think about as a parent and as an advocate of free play. It took me awhile to read because I want to think about the chapters and absorb the information. I definitely think differently about things such as educational toys, out facing snugglies and more. I think this book should be on every parents' curriculum. A must read.
November 6, 2012
Great message but too much science and too redudant for my taste. Love the message, though! Worth skimming. Other books with similar messages, "Einstein Never Used Flashcards," etc. are more enjoyable reads.
October 29, 2019
Great overview of core nueroscience research, exploring how modern industralised societies influence this development. A clear statement that who we are is not a question of nature or nurture...but a combination of both.
February 24, 2012
It reminded me we (my family) are spending too much time indoor and in the car. It is not good for the body, nor it is to the brain.
February 8, 2013
This is a great book, well written and thoroughly documented.
It is funny but at the same time raises a lof of questions that make you think about the way we raise our children.
It is funny but at the same time raises a lof of questions that make you think about the way we raise our children.
May 31, 2012
4.5 stars
Best book on raising children I've read so far.
Best book on raising children I've read so far.
never-finished
February 16, 2016Too academic. Never finished.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews