Children's Minds, Talking Rabbits, and Clockwork Oranges

By Kieran Egan and Professor Kieran Egan

Book Overview

These provocative essays confirm Kieran Egan's reputation as a writer unafraid to challenge long-held notions of children's thinking and learning. In a brilliant analysis, he questions the concept of children as "concrete thinkers" and recommends discarding social studies from the curriculum. Arguing that most empirical research in education is fruitless because of a particular conceptual confusion, Egan shows how our presuppositions commonly prevent us from thinking effectively about educational issues. Focusing on children's and adolescents' thinking, Egan shows how education must engage children's imaginations. This fascinating text moves from research and theory to practical lesson-planning--showing, for example, how one can teach punctuation in an imaginatively engaging way. Both authoritative and controversial, this book will prove a stimulating read to anyone who cares about education.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0807738085
• ISBN13: 9780807738085
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: Teachers College Press
• Length: 200 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Children's Minds Talking Rabbits and Clockwork Oranges

The book Children's Minds Talking Rabbits and Clockwork Oranges by Kieran Egan is a collection of essays that focus on three main issues. Egan compares children's thinking to adults' thinking, argues that imagination be the focus of curriculum, and tries to deter educators from treating children like machines. He also discusses teh influence of society on curriculum and distinguisehs between educating children and socializing them. I felt that Egan's book had arguments that were well developed, strong, and very persuasive. Egan rations through each of his arguments, taking plenty of steps to prove his point to the reader. On the other hand, I felt that this book was very difficult to read. Egan's language is far too elevated for the common reader. I had to read this book very slowly to fully grasp what Egan was trying to say. Egan also does a poor job of capturing the reader's interest. His principles were blandly stated and his examples lacked imagination. I would recommend this book to anyone who is majoring in Early Childhood or Elementary Education. While it is a fairly dry read, the ideas would be helpful to anyone in this field if they are passionate about teaching, even if they disagree with Egan's points.