Kids are Scientists

Just want to share an epiphany I had this morning – Kids are Scientists.

Whilst doing the school run I noticed a small group of mum’s trying to organize the kids prior to the teacher arriving for class “Won’t Mrs Darr be so pleased if she arrives and you are all stood outside quietly waiting for her to let you in”

Two things struck me straight away

1. Mrs Darr would probably think something very strange was going on if she came to class and found a group of 8 year olds stood outside quietly waiting as though they were students in North Korea
2. Are the parents doing this for the benefit of the kids or themselves? I agree the kids w` ere especially crazy this morning but isn’t that what kids do?

For my mind one of the reasons very young children learn so much so quickly is the fact that they are brilliant scientists they observe the world with all its complexity and then they run experiments (sometimes wild crazy ones) they collect the data and gradually they come up with the most efficient way or correct way of dealing with or thinking about a problem.

They do this largely by not having the constraints of adults with their pre conceived view of things, this seems perfectly acceptable when children are very young but the moment they reach an age where we can impose our view of things on them we start organizing them and controlling them often making them vulnerable to dictatorship or very strong leadership.

Don’t get me wrong I think we need to provide boundaries for our young but the boundaries should be there to allow them to grow as independent thinkers and leaders not as meek followers to rules and regulations and the rules should certainly not be there to make our lives easier.

 

Live Learn Evolve.