Citation and Summary Practice – Iren

Part 1: MLA Citation 

Berlin, 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, www.theguardian.com/education/2020/jan/28/schools-killing-curiosity-learn

Part 2: Summary 


In the article “Schools Are Killing Curiosity”: why we need to stop telling children to shut up and learn by Wendy Berliner shows how schools may unintentionally hinder children’s natural curiosity and creativity, ultimately making learning less engaging and enjoyable for them. Kids are naturally curious. They ask a lot of questions as they grow up, which helps them learn. Researchers in 2007 found that children aged 14 months to five years ask around 107 questions per hour on average, showing just how curious they are. According to Susan Engel, an expert on children’s curiosity, kids ask fewer questions once they begin school. Her research team observed classrooms and discovered that younger students in an American suburban elementary school asked only two to five questions in a two-hour period. As they got older, kids stopped asking questions altogether, with some 10 and 11-year-olds going entire two-hour stretches without asking their teacher anything. Additionally in September, the nursery made a bold decision to get rid of most of its toys for two-year-olds. Instead, they introduced a variety of everyday items like cardboard boxes, tin cans, pots and pans, old phones, kettles, computers, and plumbing supplies. These items were chosen for their potential to inspire creativity and imagination in the children. Paul Howard-Jones, a professor specializing in neuroscience and education at Bristol University, visited the nursery to witness the children engaging with their new “toys”. Howard-Jones stresses the need for children to be encouraged to ask questions, even though it may present challenges for teachers. He believes that schools should allocate more time to fostering creativity and allowing students to pursue their curiosity.

2 thoughts on “Citation and Summary Practice – Iren”

  1. This is a good summary. It is a little on the long side. Going forward as you work on your own RAB source entry summaries for your own sources — remember that you don’t have to give all the small details. Otherwise very good.

  2. Add a few sentence starters that refer to the author.

    • According to Berliner,
    • Berliner cites leading authority Susan Engel who says,

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