Part 1 — MLA Citation
Berliner, Wendy. “’Schools Are Killing Curiosity’: Why We Need to Stop Telling Children to Shut up and Learn.” The Guardian, Guardian News, and Media, 28 Jan. 2020, https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/jan/28/schools-killing-curiosity-learn.
Part 2 – Summary
The passage “’Schools Are Killing Curiosity’: Why We Need to Stop Telling Children to Shut up and Learn,” by Wendy Berliner is about how children get less curious when they start school and as they get older. According to the writer, teachers should place more emphasis on encouraging students’ curiosity, which may be even more important than encouraging focus and good behavior. The writer mentions that children are born curious but when they start school, they stop. The writer emphasizes how certain teachers stimulate and promote children’s curiosity. The writer uses the example of a nursery school that confiscated toys from two-year-old children and replaced them with household items. This approach motivated the kids to be more imaginative and creative. The writer concludes by quoting Paul Howard-Jones, professor of neuroscience and education at Bristol University, who said, “Children should be prompted and encouraged to ask questions even though that can be challenging for the teacher.”
