U.S. Leadership in Science May Depend on 8th-Graders

[KarenH]

Originally Posted by Daisy

I think that children are failed even younger.

Remember those days when all the kids wanted to be astronauts?

That is the right time to teach them astronomy, because they have such an interest in it. ...

It seems that the school leason plans are arbitrary, to what the school finds important. I think that this is one of those things, that you should let the children respond to, not the other way around.

Good observation!

The problem is that the only way to teach children about what interests them WHEN they are interested in it is via an independent study program, which at the elementary grades is only feasible with a low pupil:teacher ratio (1:1 is ideal). Our public schools cannot possibly do this for every child.

If you want your own children to learn this way, you'll probably have to become a homeschooling parent, or else hire tutors. Moreover, you'll probably favor the educational philosophy known as "Unschooling ".

As for myself, in 4th grade I decided I wanted to be a scientist, but I changed my mind later on. (Perhaps the math was to blame.)