Knowing what to expect from a teacher is a really good thing, of course: It lets you get the right answers more quickly than you would otherwise. Alison Gopnik answerexpectgood Change image and share on social
The real excitement is collaborating with computer scientists and neuroscientists and starting to understand in detail how children learn so much so quickly. Alison Gopnik childcollaboratecomputer Change image and share on social
Historically, absolute IQ scores have risen substantially as we've changed our environment so that more people go to school longer. Alison Gopnik absolutechangeenvironment Change image and share on social
One of the best ways of understanding human nature is to study children. After all, if we want understand who we are, we should find out how we got to be that way. Alison Gopnik childfindhuman Change image and share on social
What makes knowledge automatic is what gets you to Carnegie Hall - practice, practice, practice. Alison Gopnik automaticcarnegiehall Change image and share on social
If parents are the fixed stars in the child's universe, the vaguely understood, distant but constant celestial spheres, siblings are the dazzling, sometimes scorching comets whizzing nearby. Alison Gopnik celestialchildcomet Change image and share on social
We have lots of evidence that putting investments in early childhood education, even evidence from very hard-nosed economists, is one of the very best investments that the society can possibly make. And yet we still don't have public support for things like preschools. Alison Gopnik childhoodearlyeconomist share on social
Our babies are like penguins; penguin babies can't exist unless more than one person is taking care of them. They just can't keep going. Alison Gopnik babycareexist Change image and share on social
The ancient media of speech and song and theater were radically reshaped by writing, though they were never entirely supplanted, a comfort perhaps to those of us who still thrill to the smell of a library. Alison Gopnik ancientcomfortlibrary share on social
Teaching is a very effective way to get children to learn something specific - this tube squeaks, say, or a squish then a press then a pull causes the music to play. But it also makes children less likely to discover unexpected information and to draw unexpected conclusions. Alison Gopnik childconclusiondiscover share on social
