Book Nook: The Importance of Being Little - What Preschoolers Need from Grownups

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING LITTLE: What Preschoolers Really Need from Grownups, is written by Erika Christakis, an early childhood educator at the Yale Child Study Center and has been both a preschool teacher and director (as well as a parent to three children). Her book is a bold challenge to the conventional wisdom about early childhood that encourages parents and teachers to rethink how and where young children learn best by taking the child’s eye view of the learning environment. The Atlantic just ran an original piece by Erika, adapted from the book, called “The New Preschool is Crushing Kids” explaining why today’s young children are working more, but learning less and what we need to do to turn things around. It was the #1 most emailed article and is an excellent distillation of the book’s arguments.

I had a chance to review the book, and it's a great read for anyone involved with young children - parents with young kids, educators, family members. The message is well-written, and will resonate with anyone who is concerned about the overemphasis on academics at an early age. I'm a big believer in letting kids play, grow up with the chance to discover the world, and blossom at their own rate. Erika has expertise in the area, and research to back up her claims.