The Importance of Being Little
by Erika Christakis
An early-childhood educator on what preschoolers actually need (conversation, play, time, adults who take them seriously) versus what they get (worksheets, schedules, testing). Thoughtful, well-researched and critical of both the industry and anxious parents.
Read it if…
you are choosing early-childhood care and want to know what matters.
Skip it if…
you want a how-to; it is an argument.
Three things you will actually use
- Young children are more capable and less schedulable than we think.
- Conversation is the curriculum.
- Time is the resource children lack most.
Do this first
Read the chapter on conversation and count your real exchanges with your child today.
Our verdict
What preschoolers actually need.
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The Dutch alternative.
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