I read an article tonight in the NYTimes, titled "Your Baby Is Smarter Than You Think." In summary for those that do not want to read the article itself, it is basically saying that children learn the most through 'play' and 'interaction', making programs like No Child Left Behind (which incorporates a structural method of teaching through movies/lecture/etc) less effective. In regards to infants, it says that things such as Baby Einstein videos, educational programming, and ABC flashcards are overrated and not worthy of importance in considering children's cognitive growth.
I get what the author is saying. Don't put baby in a corner. But as as someone who never professionally studied education or psychology, my first reaction is:
Um... DUH!
That's why we teach babies sign language to communicate. Their cognitive skills develop exponentially more quickly than their motor skills. Don't we already know this?
And, while I get that interaction sort of entangles a one-size-fits-all type of learning, I also think that Baby Einstein videos, educational programming, and picture/letter/number flashcards are AWESOME.
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