Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Children Don't Need to Be Taught to Think

"I am beginning to suspect all elaborate and special systems of education. They seem to me to be built upon the supposition that every child is a kind of idiot who must be taught to think. Whereas, if the child is left to himself, he will think more and better, if less showily. Let him go and come freely, let him touch real things and combine his impressions for himself, instead of sitting indoors at a little round table, while a sweet-voiced teacher suggests that he build a stone wall with his wooden blocks, or make a rainbow out of strips of coloured paper, or plant straw trees in bead flower-pots. Such teaching fills the mind with artificial associations that must be got rid of, before the child can develop independent ideas out of actual experience." --
Anne Sullivan


one step at a time...

5 comments:

  1. Excellent quote! It really does make such lovely sense. Thanks for sharing it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Georgia18.3.09

    It sounds like a modern complaint...things haven't changed much, I guess. I find lots of inspiration in your blog - Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Excellent quote! Wish I'd read it before I wrote today's post!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love that last sentence. I have that quote in my own notebook :-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wonderful quote!

    Blessings,
    Melissa
    www.homeschoolblogger.com/melissal89

    ReplyDelete