China's widely acclaimed yet insular education system is held up as a model of academic and behavioral excellence. Chu, an American journalist of Chinese descent raising a young family in Shanghai, noticed how well-behaved Chinese children were compared to her boisterous toddler. Enrolling three-year-old Rainer in China's state-run public school system, the immediate results were positive. But Chu also noticed troubling new behaviors, and discovered a military-like education system driven by high-stakes testing. An exploration of China's widely acclaimed yet insular education system shares insights into how their examples are shaping the future of American parenting and education.
Lenora Chu's Little Soldiers offered me the very enjoyable present of her experience with and her research into American (USA American to be precise) and Chinese education. Because she tied her present in the bow of her own experience with the American system, and son's experience with early childhood education in China, the book read like a novel with an arc that kept me turning pages. While reading, I always wanted to know what would happen next and what conclusions she would draw.
I think that there's a lot we can learn about kids and education in this very well-written book.
Pity the children! Forever at the receiving end of education theory. Now it's China's turn. An inside look at the far end of the spectrum from discovery learning.
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Add a CommentLenora Chu's Little Soldiers offered me the very enjoyable present of her experience with and her research into American (USA American to be precise) and Chinese education. Because she tied her present in the bow of her own experience with the American system, and son's experience with early childhood education in China, the book read like a novel with an arc that kept me turning pages. While reading, I always wanted to know what would happen next and what conclusions she would draw.
I think that there's a lot we can learn about kids and education in this very well-written book.
Pity the children! Forever at the receiving end of education theory. Now it's China's turn. An inside look at the far end of the spectrum from discovery learning.