Einstein Never Used Flash Cards: How Our Children Really Learn--and Why They Need to Play More and Memorize Less Paperback – August 25, 2004

Great book! After 40 years of teaching at the elementary level, I can honestly say this book is on target with learning and having BALANCE in life!

The thing I liked most about this book was that with each chapter discussion, they ended the chapter with practical tips you can do with your baby to enhance those concepts discussed. For my husband, I basically just flagged those pages to read with the tips so he can get the overview - you could almost get what you need out of the book by just reading those. But I did appreciate that the book also cited so many social experiments tried with babies and kids on a variety of different cognitive skills and methods, so I could learn from those tests and exercises what to do or how a little bit better, especially some of the Montessori methods. Being a couple who really wants to provide the most nurturing environment possible to raise a Baby Einstein, without driving our daughter overboard, I do slightly wish that the book wasn't so anti-Baby Einstein or critical of parents who want to try to push their kids a little harder, but balanced on how to do that a bit more healthily. I was raised in India then America after age 10, and frankly think that although my parents could have provided more emotional support during my teenage years, I do bring something more to my work ethic as an adult with how they pushed me academically growing up. Glad I did this type of reading though, at least I feel more armed with better techniques and methods on a better nurturing environment.

As a parent of a 3 and 1 year old, I have felt the pressure of "schooling" and scheduling my childrens' time. This book puts the science behind that instinctual feeling that children just need to be children. The authors layout how children think and how they are built to learn without our help. While I didn't see it mentioned, much of their scientific findings relate and support the Montessori method. This book will inform parents on ways they can teach in context and through play which is the best way to help your child to love to learn. This mirrors the Montessori methods fundamental belief to follow the child.I feel this book has given me the support needed to resist outside influences which make many parents feel like their toddler "needs" classes, activities and reading programs. They don't, they need quality time playing with their parents who pay attention to their interests and then support those interests. Not worksheets and lessons that only service the parents desire.

Parents have so much information to sift through it is hard not to second guess yourself. I have a Master of Arts in Teaching and I still find that I get confused when making choices for my 3 year old son. You often wonder, will this decision change his life forever. The authors of this book offer a lot of information that you can use when making choices for your family and your children. We are all hurrying along in life so much that we are missing the simplest things and not enjoying parenting. Our kids are stressed out from their full schedules and do not have adequate time to play. I already shared many of the same philosophies presented in the book but it is comforting to have some research to back up my gut instincts. After all raising a child is a precious gift.

I thought I wanted to be the kind of parent who turned every experience into an educational one - it's never to early to learn. But after reading this book, my eyes were opened to the idea that sometimes kids just need to play. I found it fascinating that the authors actually suggest that pushing too much early education can sometime do more harm that good. Their words have helped me to relax and let my child be a child - not everything has to be an educational experience, my baby doesn't have to be the first and fastest at everything. The irony is that some of the simplest daily playtime activities are subliminally educational without even trying. I highly recommend this book to every over-achieving parent out there - I'm one and I'm grateful to have found this book.

It is difficult to say that the book presents some unexpected findings. It advices to parent exactly the same way as our own parents raised us. But, taking into consideration the anxiety that reins parenting in the USA (I am originally from Eastern Europe and can attest that parenting here is more anxious and stressful than in my native country) it provides an antidote to all those headlines and advice that makes you worry that you are not doing something important that you should be doing, like teaching infants to read. On the other side, I believe that if your child grows up in a positive, nurturing and relaxed atmosphere, a little bit of flashcards and other early development tactics wouldn`t harm him, as soon as he or she enjoys them. In other words, it would be sad if the parenting pendulum in US would swing to the other direction - from obsessive parenting to neglect. The author doesn`t advocate for neglect, I must add.

I'm not a helicopter parent nor do I believe children's days need to be completely planned. In today's society I always have felt like I may be making a mistake but I'm pretty independent and stubborn. This book supports the idea that kids need to be kids!!! Love Love it. Oh and personal history I have 5 children and two have graduated and are attending college one studying deaf education they are very advance smart driven adults. My third has autism and I was told he would never speak and playing with other children helped him more than any "scheduled" activity. This is a must read.