Einstein Never Used Flash Cards: How Our Children Really Learn and Why they Need to Play More and Memorize Less.

KATHY HIRSH-PASEK AND ROBERTA MICHNICK GOLINKOFF, WITH DIANE EYER

Numerous products target parents trying to jumpstart their infants' intellectual development. Hirsh-Pasek and Golinkoff are two developmental psychologists who argue that the sounds of Mozart and the effort of flash card drills are futile in developing creativity and critical thinking, the benchmarks of intelligence. They also deride the notion that faster, earlier learning is better. They encourage parents to allow children to learn problem solving and creativity through play rather than through scheduled activities, organized classes, and other structured events. The authors cite a wealth of research indicating that children who learn through play also develop social and emotional skills that serve them throughout life. The book provides data that contradict the belief that memorization fosters long-term retention or higher IQs. The authors bridge the gap between scientific research and parenting skills to explain how children learn and what parents can do to encourage them. The book describes how everyday games and other activities can foster learning. For instance, there's math in sharing french fries or cutting a cake. Shapes are everywhere, and therefore so is geometry. The authors assert that this type of awareness will help parents cultivate smart, well-rounded and less anxious children. Rodale, 2003, 302 p., hardcover, $22.95.