agemixedlearning

Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life | Peter Gray

Through out this book, I‘ve thought about the adage that to teach is to learn again. Now, I‘m also thinking it‘s easier for a student to say “I don‘t know” to a younger student than to an adult, which also opens up the next part of the answer, “let‘s find out” or “let‘s look it up.” My older cousins did this with me all the time when I was growing up, and I frequently did it with the younger kids in my neighbourhood.

GingerAntics I think the default with adults is to just think “I‘m a kid” or if it was my grandmother, I was sent away to “look it up.” It was a demand, not something I chose, so it stuck with me less than if the time had been taken to have a conversation about it. I also still do not see the value in my asking how to spell something and my grandmother telling me to look it up. If I can‘t spell it, how am I supposed to look it up? 6y

GingerAntics Google is great at guessing what I mean when I can‘t spell something, but that was still a good 15 years off when I was a kid. #PeterGray #FreeToLearn #Education #agemixedgroups #agemixedlearning (edited) 6y

Chrissyreadit Another perspective- I teach in trainings- children in same age groups are not able to imitate and engage in play that helps them gain developmental skills naturally. Instead everything must be manufactured. They also do not learn positive, appropriate social mores because teachers create the rules, vs groups developing fluid rules and learning how to change or transition in a natural environment. I‘m also very passionate about this topic. 6y

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Chrissyreadit Have you read

The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got That Way

Chrissyreadit I really enjoy the information provided regarding education systems, but truly the best education would reflect developmental understanding and opportunities. 6y

GingerAntics @Chrissyreadit I agree with absolutely every part of that. Our current education systems are totally failing at developmental appropriateness or giving them opportunities for developmental advancement. I have not read that book, but it‘s getting added to the list. 6y

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GingerAntics

Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life | Peter Gray

Outside of school, I was generally with much older kids or significantly younger kids. At one point, my 4th grade teacher complained to my mother that I wasn‘t content to just be with other 4th graders. I wanted to play with everyone and she thought something was wrong with me. Too bad for her it was actually making me smarter.
#PeterGray #FreeToLearn #Education #agemixedgroups #agemixedlearning

GingerAntics I like that he‘s also addressed that nuclear families used to be larger (allowing sit mixed groups at home) and greater connection with extended families (allowing further age mixing when visiting or being visited by cousins, etc), but that these things rarely happens today, so Age mixed groups rarely if ever happen for today‘s children. 6y

wanderinglynn Wow, I can‘t believe how short sighted your teacher was. 6y

GingerAntics @wanderinglynn I think she was just looking for things to complain about. I was the only kid in catholic school whose parents had never been married, so prejudice was most of it. She claimed my mother worked as a store clerk and that I couldn‘t read by 4th grade. The principal happened to be my uncle, so when he read her assessment, he laughed in her face and informed her that I‘d taught myself to read at age 3 and she was way off base. 6y

wanderinglynn Again, wow. So short sighted that she would make up lies about a child. That woman had issues. 6y

GingerAntics @wanderinglynn right? It was ridiculous. She made up lies about a child and a parent she hardly knew. We found out about the claim I couldn‘t read when my uncle told us. I don‘t think I was supposed to overhear it. I was pissed. He laughed and said that he gladly dismissed her by telling her that I probably read more and better than she did. 😏 6y

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