We're short-changing them

This is less a descriptive post than one simple rant.

We're short-changing young children with the way we expose them to science. The prevailing tendency that I've noticed is to "dumb it down" and give them only what we think they can handle. This is horrifically short-sighted and insulting to the child's intelligence.

How many of you have seen a three or four year old playing with dinosaur toys? The kid will grasp and absorb every ounce of information that they are given. I've seen many a four year old who may not be able to pronounce his siblings' names, but can rattle off the name "daspletosaurus" with ease. So, why are we only spoon-feeding these children minute amounts of science knowledge at the age they're the most receptive?

Developmental psychology is clear that young kids' brains are like sponges, picking up anything thrown at them. I propose that we serve children better if we throw everything at them, as early as possible. As a generality, kids love animals, especially dinosaurs. Use this, give them all the information you can cram into the conversation. Will all of it stick? Probably not, but it's not going to stick 100% with many college freshmen either. Every piece of information is one that the kid has been exposed to by the time he or she reaches school age, and a head start on the complex issues ahead of time.

Best situation is one where you're working with a child and you can both learn about a topic. Kids aren't stupid. If you're enjoying learning about, say, plate tectonics, the kid that you're teaching is going to pick up on that, and the kid is going to be enriched for it. Challenge a child, and you won't be disappointed.

If you think my idea of dumping as much information on a child puts too much pressure on the kid, I present you the The Two Year Old Astrophysicist . This is what I'm talking about. The next time I hear an adult tell me things like "That's too advanced for my kid", or "He's too young for science stuff", this is an example of what you can do by harnessing the natural wonder inherent to each and every child.