Decades of work in psychology labs have vastly enhanced our
knowledge about how children perceive, think, and reason. But it
has also encouraged a distorted view of children, argues
psychologist Susan Engel in this provocative and passionate book--a
view that has affected every parent who has tried to debate with a
six-year-old. By focusing on the thinking processes prized by
adults, too many expert opinions have rendered children as little
adults. What has been lost is what is truly unique and
mysterious--the childlike quality of a child's mind.
Engel draws on keen observations and descriptive research to
take us into the nearly forgotten, untidy, phantasmagorical world
of children's inner lives. She reminds us that children fuse
thought and emotion, play and reality; they swing wildly between
different ways of interpreting and acting in the world. But just as
a gawky child may grow into a beauty, illogical and sometimes
maddening childishness can foreshadow great adult ability.
Engel argues that the "scientist in a crib" view encourages
parents and teachers to expect more logical reasoning and emotional
self-control from children than they possess. She provides a
concise and valuable overview of what modern developmental
psychologists have learned about children's developing powers of
perception and capacity for reasoning, but also suggests new ways
of studying children that better capture the truth about their
young minds.
General
Imprint: |
Harvard University Press
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
October 2005 |
First published: |
October 2005 |
Authors: |
Susan Engel
|
Dimensions: |
210 x 140 x 17mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Hardcover
|
Pages: |
240 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-674-01883-9 |
Categories: |
Books >
Social sciences >
Psychology >
Child & developmental psychology
|
LSN: |
0-674-01883-4 |
Barcode: |
9780674018839 |
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