Reclaiming Childhood: Letting Children Be Children in Our Achievement-Oriented Society

by William Crain

An expert in child development champions the importance of an unhurried childhood
As our children are pushed harder than ever to perform so that they will one day "make the grade" in the adult world, parents are beginning to question the wisdom of scheduling childhood's basic pleasures. Across the country there have been parent rebellions against the overburdening with homework of young children by school officials bent on improving standardized test scores. And the "birth to three" movement has sparked a national debate on child development and educational policy.
In Reclaiming Childhood , William C. Crain argues that rather than trying to control a young child, the best a parent can offer is "a patient and unobtrusive presence that gives the child the security and the freedom to explore the world on her own." He examines how children find their way to natural development through experiences with nature, art, and language, and makes a strong case for child-centered education-a movement that may be under fire, but that is very much alive.

Genres: Parenting, Education, Nonfiction, Psychology

290 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 6, 2003

Reviews

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to the theories of child-centered learning. This book outlines an alternative to standards-based learning that stresses standardized tests and all but eliminates exposure to arts and nature. The author convincingly argues that children, especially younger than 8, are not developmentally primed to function in the rational-scientific based ways that schools are pushing at ever earlier stages. Young children are primed to explore the world through artistic expression and show a deep affinity with nature. Crain suggests that children should be allowed to learn in these mode in self directed ways. He provides a fairly detailed look at the educational methods of Montessori and presents detailed lists of advantages that stem for child-centered education. The author sometimes seems radical in his rejection of test-based education, but he does a good job of showing that such models of learning are relatively new and are probably not helping to produce confident, creative, self-directed students who intrinsically love learning and are likely to pursue new ideas. Instead standards-based education turns young students off learning by forcing them to memorize things they don't really understand and perform tasks that they don't actually grasp. While not everyone will agree with Crain's assessment I think it's valuable and certainly made me reconsider what is important in education. For instance, we may praise a two year old for being able to recite her ABCs and count to 100 but perhaps these academic feats are less valuable than we imagine. Rote memorizing does nothing to develop independent thinking or creative problem solving and it may be damaging that such tasks are so highly prized. There are a lot of concrete and fairly simple ideas for providing a child-centered education and Crain doesn't necessarily imply that you should keep your child out of conventional schools. Instead he suggests ways to work with the schools to lobby for an educational experience that will benefit your child rather than provide governments with a cheap, easy way to claim that they care about the future of youth.

Crain's most central, and most vital, point is that we need to be less future-centric when it comes to our children. Instead of priming them to be "future adults" we should allow them to be children and to develop in the context of their present existence. They should be free to develop skills that are inherent to the talents and abilities of children and these skills might be very different from what we would prize in a socially active working adult. For instance, Crain says that children are natural artists and poets and should be given lots of time to pursue these interests. As adults looking toward an adult future we may think math and science are more important, but forcing these academic subjects on a child too early robs them of the enjoyment of experimenting in ways that are more natural to them--through creative expression and interaction with the natural world. There are lots of good messages here, though implementing an education system like Crain's vision on a universal scale seems highly unlikely. Governments are too obsessed with measurable results rather than organic analyses and fluid definitions of student success.

[Connie Gunderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

started out strong but just petered. became unrelatable as it progressed. but i learned about Waldorf education from it and that's a good thing.

[Bridgid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chapter 5, the Child as a Poet

"I am a big, big rider
You're smaller than a spider!"

Russian poet and writer Kornei Chukovsky, "From Two to Five"

Chapter 6, the Child as a Linguist

Typical 2-word utterances

1. Naming That doggie
2. Repetition More jump
3. Negation Allgone ball
4. Possession My truck
5. Attribution Big boy
6. Agent-action Johnny hit
7. Action-object Hit ball
8. Agent-object Mommy bread (which may mean, "Mommy is cutting the bread"

Pidgins and Creoles - Derek Bickerton
Example of Hawaiian island laborers coming together and using 'pidgin' to communicate; in one generation, the children created a 'creole'; apparently only CHILDREN have this innate grammatical generative power!!

Chapter 9, Responding to the Standards Movement
He discusses Montessori
"As the psychologists Herbert Ginsburg and Sylvia Opper point out, it is not always for the child-centered educator to know what the individual child needs to develop well."

All progress through the same stages, but different rates

"In developing her methods, Montessori didn't just decide what children need to know and begin teaching them. Instead she tried to suspend her own ideas and to observe open-mindedly their spontaneous tendencies and interests. When she did this, she saw that children often chose tasks on which they work with amazing concentration."

Then the classic example of the child doing 42 repetitions of the knobbed cyllinders, with such focus that even when the entire class marched and sang, even when she was lifted in her chair, the child continued, coming out of her cycle activity with a joyful smile, rejuvenated.

"The child, in Montessori's view, is guided by nature, and the teacher must follow the child's lead."

YES!

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

William Crain reminds us of some of the characteristics of children's development that have fallen by the wayside as the push for academic achievement (as measured by standardized tests) has become stronger and stronger. The child's desire to be connected with nature, to use her imagination, and to produce art and poetry is valued so much less in our schools than the three R's. As a result they are in danger of disappearing from the curriculum completely, especially in schools with limited resources. Yet these activities are precisely what researchers in the last two centuries have observed to be at the very heart of childhood.

The assumption that our children's future is more important than childhood itself has become so commonplace that it is difficult to shake it even for parents who are committed to a parenting style that is child-centered. This book challenges the assumption that academic achievement is a goal unto itself, rather than a by-product of kids who are happy, well-loved, and allowed to grow at their own pace. It will remain a powerful reminder for parents committed to a child-centered parenting style of what childhood is for in the first place.

[Gloria Stone · Rating 2 out of 5]

If this were purely about what I learned from this book, I was score it higher. I did pick up information/thoughts/philosophies that I am thankful for about giving my children space, time and freedom to learn, to appreciate that evolution. He used a quote I love, which is Trespass not on their solitude, it will represent much of what I remember from this book.

My score mostly reflects that I found it poorly written. The author is a bit of a self-indulgent, judgemetal, goof. His use of examples did not work, there were assertions that lacked data/backup and would have benefitted from them and there were probably 3 transitions where I felt like I leapt into a completely different book. I found myself gnarling at him a lot.

But I would recommend the book to other parents stressing or simply wondering about the tension between school, childhood and the western definition of success.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not good at reviews, but I have to express the value I feel this author's points are in this book. Our ed system has become an increasingly achievement based public system and I agree with this author. Too much focus on the future too soon and the child no longer gets to be a child. Schools are shortening and even eliminating recess and the arts, extending schools days and the school year all in attempt to get students learning more sooner and faster, but if a child is not developmentally ready then all that is happening is creating fear and anxiety for our young children. Life is too short to take away childhood, too. This author takes a child oriented approached and did his homework. I recommend this book highly.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to read this for my childhood class. I really really liked this book (some of it would not be practical to implement, but good suggestions nonetheless). I thought the author made a good point that childhood is quite magical, and that our society is way too concerned with the future. This book does reference a lot of different theorists and researchers (but don't get bogged down -- they're full of great insight). I also enjoyed the author's analysis of Huckleberry Finn and a couple of characters from the Peanuts gang.

[Kit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated the argument that in order to respect our children as people, we need to respect their non-academic needs regardless if these needs will help them in the future. I also found it helpful that they gave suggestions and information about child development to help parents facilitate children's interests.

[Kate Rosenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smart stuff. The author argues against most of what parents are fed re. early learning and instead argues for children taking their time and learning on their own. He is especially interested in the role of "untamed" nature (not manicured parks, etc.) in being a place for children to really grow and explore their imaginations.

[Clint · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had some insightful points about letting children just be children and how pushing them to fast to soon to learn can actually be harmful. When William Crain tries to explain the history of how children have been forced to grow up to soon, I was a little lost. Overall the book was good. Several main ideas that I have read in other books regarding the same issues.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're even a tiny little bit of a Tiger Parent and/or you're already stressed about which college your little one will attend, you should read this book by developmental psychologist William Crain. He cautions our overemphasis on academics and asks parents/educators to look at child-centered education.

[Nicole Johns · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gave me lots to think about.

[Shira and Ari Evergreen]

recommended by billy

[Kelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am reading this book for a class I am going to teach in the fall. It is an easy read.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

It made me think a lot about what we are valuing not only in our kids but in our society. I loved how it spoke about our loss of connection with nature!

[Clar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book for parents who are interested in child development and letting kids be kids! I highly recommend it!

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

Easy to read summary of child development but doesn't offer any new insights.

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good stuff, but not enough.

[Inez Beall]

To the child with exceptional gifts.