Early years professionals know from their work with young children that formal instruction at too early an age is counter-productive, but getting this message accepted and understood is not easy. So some firm scientific evidence about how the brain develops and the implications for early years education should be an important weapon in the fight to ensure that children are not taught in inappropriate ways. Our Special Report this week, 'Brain waves' (see pages 10-11), looks at the work of Professor Colin Blakemore, the eminent neuroscientist, whose research has led him to believe that not only could the 'worksheet culture' damage children's later academic study, it could also meant that the window of opportunity when vital social skills can be acquired is missed. Perhaps in the future, as more is discovered about how the brain works, the concept of hot-housing children's intellectual development will come to be seen as a turn-of-the-century aberration.
Early years professionals know from their work with young children that formal instruction at too early an age is counter-productive, but getting this message accepted and understood is not easy. So some firm scientific evidence about how the brain develops and the implications for early years education should be an important weapon in the fight to ensure that children are not taught in inappropriate ways.
Our Special Report this week, 'Brain waves' (see pages 10-11), looks at the work of Professor Colin Blakemore, the eminent neuroscientist, whose research has led him to believe that not only could the 'worksheet culture' damage children's later academic study, it could also meant that the window of opportunity when vital social skills can be acquired is missed. Perhaps in the future, as more is discovered about how the brain works, the concept of hot-housing children's intellectual development will come to be seen as a turn-of-the-century aberration.
Don't forget to collect token 2 out of the six you need to enter our fantastic nursery makeover competition, and stand to win 5,000 of new equipment and resources. Just turn to page 7.
