Baby Einstein is a multiple award winning company which
makes many products to help infants create connections and learn words and
meaning from a very young age. They make extremely stimulating products like
textured books, colorful play sets, and art kits. A parent reading one of their
books, or any book at all, to their child (regardless of age), is integral to
learning. “The association between hearing written language and feeling loved
provides the best foundation for this long process [of learning to read]”, so a
parent using a product such as this can set the child up for long-term
educational success.
The most prolific product from the Baby Einstein line is no
doubt their video line. While expensive, many of these stepping-stone videos
are available on YouTube. These movies allow parents to scaffold with their
children, helping them understand higher levels of language by using what they
already understand (such as images and sounds) to grow on (Collins &
Halverson, 19). Parents taking such a primary role in their children’s education
is integral to their success, as “…responsibility for education is shifting away
from the state and back to the parents (for younger children)… this movement
reflects the emphasis on customizing education to the particular learners’
needs, interests, and abilities” (Collins & Halverson, 95). In addition, according to Collins and
Halverson, children who are homeschooled perform better than normally schooled
children in standardized tests and are more involved in their own learning.
While these videos are not a replacement for a more
traditional educational experience or one on one parenting time, they can be
used as an extremely useful supplementary tool.
The role of parenting in a child’s education is an often overlooked, yet crucial, component. I believe that parents have as much of an effect on their children’s education as our educational systems do; parents are the first people to set an example and their actions set the stage for their children’s response to formal education. Whether a child actively participates in an educational system is often decided by the behaviors and mindset he or she observes at home.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I believe that Baby Einstein is a step in the right direction for parents trying to encourage their children to be receptive to education, but it should not be the only method. A parent’s role in education is much more than plugging his or her child in to a TV screen. As Jennifer mentioned, this role involves one-on-one time: reading with the child, building with the child, and simply being there for the child. “…relationships hinge on these investments of time. We know that the time we spend caring for children, doing the most basic things for them, lays down a crucial substrate…. Providing substitutes for human care may not be ‘equal’ in the least…. Humans need to be surrounded by human touch, faces, and voices. Humans need to be brought up by humans” (Turkle 291-292). Baby Einstein is a great method of educating young children, but should a small, limited piece in the larger, more delicate process of parenting children.