(Credit: Newman Studio/Shutterstock) When it comes to raising kids, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Kids forbidden to talk to strangers. Kids afraid to go inside a store on their own. Kids terrified of cooking an egg for fear of burning the house down. These are examples Lenore Skenazy, who pioneered the […]
By Peter Gray Ph.D. Freedom to Learn Early academic pressure creates learning blocks, diagnosed as disorders. Source: Flickr Creative Commons Our standard schools operate on the assumption that all children of a given age should learn the same lessons, in the same ways, at the same time. That assumption is […]
How a learning disorder diagnosis can become a self-fulfilling prophesy. By Peter Gray Ph.D. Freedom to Learn Source:Randen_pederson_creative_commons Many years ago, Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson (1968) performed a fascinating experiment in elementary school classrooms. They led teachers to believe that a special test had revealed that certain students would […]
By John Taylor Gatto”The Scientific Management of Children” The story / click image TOP of PAGE
A Harvard law professor wants to ban or greatly restrict homeschooling. Ouch. By Peter Gray Ph.D. Freedom to Learn An article published in the May-June 2020 issue of Harvard Magazine sent shockwaves through the homeschooling community. At the top of the article, entitled “The Risks of Homeschooling,” is a drawing of a forlorn girl […]
How are your kids managing at home? By Peter Gray Ph.D. Freedom to Learn We are in the midst of a terrible pandemic. Certainly, there is cause for all of us to be anxious, but I want to focus here on the effect on children. It is a well-established fact […]
Research conducted at Swansea University and the University of Milan has shown that students who use digital technology excessively are less motivated to engage with their studies, and are more anxious about tests. Internet Use Reduces Study Skills in University Students Research conducted at Swansea University and the University of […]
Nearly half of kids in a study were harmed by their peers. from shutterstock.com Many Australian students don’t know the difference between banter and bullying, with some saying they joke about wishing their friend would “drown” or “die in a car crash”. More than 800 Australian students aged 11-16 took […]
Teachers still sometimes punish a whole class for the behaviour of one student. from shutterstock.com Classroom management is consistently seen as a source of stress for beginning teachers. It’s also one of the main reasons cited for teachers leaving the profession. So, it’s no surprise teachers try to use classroom management strategies that appear […]
Many victims of school bullying suffer mental illness later in life. from shutterstock.com The Victorian state government was recently reported to be investigating whether it could make it easier for bullying victims to sue schools. This was prompted by the case of a 13-year-old boy who had to undergo surgery after being […]