Roberta M Golinkoff

While the U.S. economy becomes ever more information-driven, our system of education seems stuck on the idea that "content is king," neglecting other skills that 21st century citizens sorely need. Golinkoff and Hirsh-Pasek introduce the "6 Cs": collaboration, communication, content, critical thinking, creative innovation, and confidence. They also show parents ways they can nurture their children's development in each area.

Argues that current parenting trends that emphasize early learning through memorization and repetition are actually harmful for children, stifling their creativity and preventing them from learning basic problem solving skills and focuses on the importance of letting children play and have fun and understanding the learning experiences offered through creative, unstructured, independent play.

Understanding the development of spatial skills is important for improving overall success in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields (e.g., Wai, Lubinski, Benbow, & Steiger, 2010). Children use spatial skills to understand the world and can practice them via spatial assembly activities like puzzles or blocks. These skills have been linked to success in subjects like mathematics (Mix & Cheng, 2012) and science (Pallrand & Seeber,...