weekend up date May 3, 2009

5-3-09—A 2007 UNICEF study of the well-being of children in 21 developed countries ranked Dutch children at the top and American children second from the bottom. NYT Mag p. 47

--The longitudinal H/Scope Preschool Curriculum Comparison Study followed 68 such children, who were divided between instruction- and play- based classrooms. While everyone’s IQ initially rose, by age 15, the former group’s academic achievement plummeted. They were more likely to exhibit emotional problems and spent more time in special education... would I embrace the example of Finland—whose students consistently come out on top in international assessment—and delay formal reading instruction until age 7? NYT Mag 13-14

--“My pursuits are a joke in that the universe is a joke. One has to reflect the universe faithfully.” –John Michell NYT 28.