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Comment by jorjordandan | Hacker News Reader

The fairly standard elementary school my daughter attends has little to no screen time. I'm more likely to play with 3d modelling software or Minecraft with my daughter at home - in addition to time we spend exploring tidal pools or petting farms or at ballet classes. My younger daughter is reading and writing simple words a full year before Kindergarten, thanks to engaging educational apps. This story seems long on nostalgia but short on data. The same concerns have been raised since Socrates (http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/201...), and yet generation after generation learns to function. It's such a time honoured cliche that even this response is a time honoured cliche.

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> My younger daughter is reading and writing simple words a full year before Kindergarten, thanks to engaging educational apps

This is going to be harsh, but I'm in the mood:

I don't think there is a strong correlation between the age at which somebody spells his first words and later academic success.

I guess if you put in the time you can teach any reasonably smart three year old a trick or two, but wouldn't they be able to learn that more quickly at the age of 6 or 7?

One of the things that helped me a lot during my studies was the ability to mentally vizualize complex topological situations. I don't think that's a skill you get from educational apps or from being able to spell your name at 8 months.

Overall I agree, but maybe the person you're replying to just enjoys it.

My mother in law was a preschool teacher. Parents would ask when they would learn to spell, math, etc. She would say: after they learn to wait their turn in line and stop eating the paste.

My mom's favorite story is my oldest brother could read going into kindergarden. She told the teacher, who then asked: but does he know where he lives? Nope, he didn't.

> One of the things that helped me a lot during my studies was the ability to mentally vizualize complex topological situations. I don't think that's a skill you get from

I'm not convinced that's a skill you get from anything, as opposed to an inate talent (or set of talents). I'd want to see pretty strong evidence that it could be taught to someone without the inate talent.

I'm pretty sure I'm someone with that talent, since I was never taught how to do it.

> as opposed to an inate talent (or set of talents) [...] I'm pretty sure I'm someone with that talent, since I was never taught how to do it.

I'm sure that it's innate, because I can't visualize even simple things.

There have been a number of people who insist that they can teach me how to do that. They always start off with "Picture a..." When I tell them that I can't, I'm just being negative or uncooperative. Eventually, they get angry, throw tantrums, insult me, and stomp off like a child because I'm doing everything I can to prove them wrong, yet it never occurs to them that I simply can't do it. No, I'm always lazy, negative, and am allowing a diagnosis to define me.

> and yet generation after generation learns to function.

True, each generation learns to function, but one should also be careful not to minimize the negative generation-wide effects of technology.

The most recent and current generations have learned to function with a huge available supply of calorie-dense, nutrient-poor foods with the consequence that record numbers of them suffer from obesity and diseases that were previously termed "adult onset" or "old age" diseases. While they have learned to function, we shouldn't deny the huge negative consequences of what technology has allowed.

There are many other examples of this (many generations "learned to function" with an overabundance of lead). We shouldn't minimize some of the negative effects of ubiquitous 2 dimensional screens just because we are used to them.

Can she play outside with other children without adult supervision? Do those children require adult intervention when a problem arises? Can she ride a bike without training wheels? I find these to be far more important skill-sets than being able to read prior to starting school.

I have two children - one going into 3rd grade and the entering kindergarten. Both of them up and outside by 9am playing all day without adult supervision. We can see them from our kitchen in the field and street playing; we are monitoring them.

> My younger daughter is reading and writing simple words a full year before Kindergarten, thanks to engaging educational apps.

So was I. I was reading books to my parents and grandparents by the time I was three years old. By 8 years old, I had the reading age of an adult, and when my father eventually regained legal access to us (edit: when I was 9 years old), I was correcting his spelling, pronunciation, and grammar.

My entire family thought I was some kind of genius, but it turned out that I have a moderate-to-severe learning disability, and this was an early symptom of it.

I'm not trying to diagnose your daughter, don't even imagine that. However, I am suggesting that there may be other reasons for your daughter's apparent advancement.

Smart kids reading and writing a year before kindergarten is not a new phenomenon since the development of education apps. It’s wonderful that she’s doing that, though!

I was spelling basic words and reading by the time I was four. So was my mom around that age, and from talking to her I wasn't exactly exceptional, many kids did back then (this was 1990 for me, in Russia, regular people didn't have computers at all).

I had my struggles with written language througout my whole school carreer, (but not dylectic level struggles). Yet I went from engineering into academics with 20 years of software development in between, where I am researching and teaching now with the firm belief that I have a much more concise grasp on language and being able to express complex thoughts much better than any student.

Let children be children. Let them play freely. Don't push anything onto them. If they love learning reading, ok. If they don't, that's ok too and practically meaningless for their future prospect.

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