How we praise children is important in shaping the ways in which children see themselves. from www.shutterstock.com How do you react when you hear expressions like “well done”, “another A grade”, “aren’t you clever” and “great work”? Maybe you use them yourself with your children in the belief that it […]

But why doesn’t she say to school authorities, stop schooling? Alison Gopnik is a renowned developmental psychologist whose research has revealed much about the amazing learning and reasoning capacities of young children, and she may be the leading interpreter of such research to the general public.  She is one of the […]

Pressures on teaching time and resources often means the benefits of outdoor learning are overlooked, a report says Outdoor learning can have a positive impact on children’s development but it needs to be formally adopted, a report suggests. Childhoods were dramatically changing, with fewer opportunities to spend time outdoors, researchers […]

Peter Gray Ph.D.Freedom to Learn It’s been many decades since I’ve been a student in any kind of school.  Yet, just two days ago I had a dream that I was a student.  It was the same dream I’ve had many times.  I’ll tell you about it in my next […]

Credit: Marcos Mesa Sam Wordley |Shutterstock.com The way you view failure may influence how your children view their own abilities, a new study finds. The researchers set out to study what influences children’s view of their intelligence; some kids see their intelligence as fixed, while others think they can become […]

By Peter Gray The monsters under the bed are real. Infants and young children in our culture regularly protest going to bed.  They make all sorts of excuses. They say they are not tired, when in fact they obviously are tired. They say they are hungry, or thirsty, or need to […]

Creativity blossoms in a non-controlling, non-judgmental environment. Published on October 16, 2012 by Peter Gray in Freedom to Learn In my last post I wrote of evidence that children’s creativity has declined over the past two or three decades, a period during which children’s lives, both in and out of school, have become increasingly controlled and regulated […]

Bullied children grow into adults who are at increased risk of developing anxiety disorders, depression and suicidal thoughts. (Credit: © Pixel Memoirs / Fotolia) Feb. 20, 2013 — Bullied children grow into adults who are at increased risk of developing anxiety disorders, depression and suicidal thoughts, according to a study led by […]