Children’s Minds by Margaret Donaldson, Paperback, 9780006861225 | Buy online at The Nile
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Children’s Minds

Author: Margaret Donaldson  

Paperback

Margaret Donaldson’s seminal work on child development, first published in 1978, has become a classic inquiry into the nature of human thought.

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Summary

Margaret Donaldson’s seminal work on child development, first published in 1978, has become a classic inquiry into the nature of human thought.

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Description

Margaret Donaldson’s seminal work on child development, first published in 1978, has become a classic inquiry into the nature of human thought.
In this concise and brilliantly readable book, Margaret Donaldson shows that context is key when it comes to the development of language and thought, and how the right support can ensure children are skilled in these areas before they even start school. She revisits earlier theories of child development, notably those of Jean Piaget, to expose flaws in the accepted wisdom on child psychology and to suggest a range of new strategies to help children combat difficulties.

As wise and perceptive today as it was when it first appeared, Margaret Donaldson’s bestselling work is essential reading for anyone interested in child development and child psychology.

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Critic Reviews

“'One of the most powerful, most wisely balanced and best informed books on the development of the child's mind...Its implications for education are enormous.' Jerome Bruner 'A book of great, and very general significance...a classic.' Jack Tizard”

‘One of the most powerful, most wisely balanced and best informed books on the development of the child’s mind…Its implications for education are enormous.’ Jerome Bruner

‘A book of great, and very general significance…a classic.’ Jack Tizard

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About the Author

Margaret Donaldson was educated at the University of Edinburgh, where she continued as a teacher after ceasing to be a student and where, in 1980, she was appointed Professor of Developmental Psychology. Her main research interest has always been the study of human thought and language. At an early stage in her career she spent some time at Piaget’s research institute in Geneva and was much influenced by that experience, though she later came to question some important aspects Piagetian theory. She spent a year in the United States as the holder of a John Hay Whitney Fellowship and has also worked there with Bruner on curriculum development projects. She is the author of A Study of Children’s Thinking and Human Minds. Along with Robert Grieve and Chris Pratt, she has edited a book of readings entitled Early Childhood Development and Education.

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Back Cover

First published in 1978, 'Children's Minds' has become a classic inquire into the nature of human thought. Margaret Donaldson shows how thought and language originally depend upon the interpersonal contexts within which they develop, and how, given the support of such contexts, children are already skilled thinkers and language users by the time they come to school. However, when school begins, success depends on the development of new modes of thinking. Margaret Donaldson shows what these entail and analyses the difficulties which they present. She claims that we have not fully understood the nature of these difficulties and so have not known how best to help children to deal with them. She suggests a range of strategies that can be used, arguing that the way in which reading is taught is even more important than we have supposed. This book is essential reading for all who are interested in the development of the human mind. "One of the most powerful, most wisely balanced and best informed books on the development of the child's mind to have appeared in twenty years. Its implications for education are enormous." JEROME BRUNER "A book of great, and very general significance... a classic." JACK TIZARD

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More on this Book

Margaret Donaldson's seminal work on child development, first published in 1978, has become a classic inquiry into the nature of human thought. In this concise and brilliantly readable book, Margaret Donaldson shows that context is key when it comes to the development of language and thought, and how the right support can ensure children are skilled in these areas before they even start school. She revisits earlier theories of child development, notably those of Jean Piaget, to expose flaws in the accepted wisdom on child psychology and to suggest a range of new strategies to help children combat difficulties. As wise and perceptive today as it was when it first appeared, Margaret Donaldson's bestselling work is essential reading for anyone interested in child development and child psychology.

Read more

Product Details

Publisher
HarperCollins Publishers | HarperCollins
Published
30th May 1986
Pages
160
ISBN
9780006861225

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