Developmental scientists like me explore the basic science of learning by designing controlled experiments.
Alison GopnikYou read a bunch of books and you get a bunch of how-tos, and you take a bunch of classes and you learn a bunch of techniques. You set yourself goals and benchmarks. I think people have imported that into their experience of taking care of children.
Alison GopnikAdults tend to think they have much free will. Kids younger than six are less sure. They may be more realistic!
Alison GopnikScientists learn about the world in three ways: They analyze statistical patterns in the data, they do experiments, and they learn from the data and ideas of other scientists. The recent studies show that children also learn in these ways.
Alison Gopnik