--- title: "4 Early childhood Quotes By David Elkind" description: "4 Early childhood quotes by David Elkind. Plus more from David Elkind and more Early childhood sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/879/david-elkind-20149_age_the-conviction-that-the-best-way-to-prep_399569.jpg" --- > [The conviction that the best way to prepare children for a harsh, rapidly changing world is to introduce formal instruction at anearly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-elkind/the-conviction-that-the-best-way-to-prepare-children-for-a-harsh/) [David Elkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-elkind/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/879/david-elkind-20149_age_the-conviction-that-the-best-way-to-prep_399569.jpg) > [Certainly, young children can begin to practice making letters and numbers and solving problems, but this should be done without workbooks. Young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-elkind/certainly-young-children-can-begin-to-practice-making-letters-and/) [David Elkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-elkind/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed6/david-elkind-20149_answers_certainly-young-children-can-begin-to-pr_925529.jpg) > [Young children learn in a different manner from that of older children and adults, yet we can teach them many things if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-elkind/young-children-learn-in-a-different-manner-from-that-of-older/) [David Elkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-elkind/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82d/david-elkind-20149_ability_young-children-learn-in-a-different-mann_1122359.jpg) > [Learning to read and write makes little sense if you don't understand what you're reading and writing about. While we may have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-elkind/learning-to-read-and-write-makes-little-sense-if-you-don-t-understand/) [David Elkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-elkind/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6a/david-elkind-20149_childhood_learning-to-read-and-write-makes-little_1928298.png) ## Other authors on Early childhood - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b022/author-shakira-84307.jpg) Shakira 8 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/early-childhood/shakira/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b005/author-barack-obama-16275.jpg) Barack Obama 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/early-childhood/barack-obama/) ## More by David Elkind > [“Shift from modern nuclear family to the postmodern permeable family.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-elkind/shift-from-modern-nuclear-family-to-the-postmodern-permeable-family/) [David Elkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-elkind/) > [Infants and young children are not just sitting twiddling their thumbs, waiting for their parents to teach them to read and do math. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-elkind/infants-and-young-children-are-not-just-sitting-twiddling-their/) [David Elkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-elkind/) > [The conviction that the best way to prepare children for a harsh, rapidly changing world is to introduce formal instruction at anearly age is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-elkind/the-conviction-that-the-best-way-to-prepare-children-for-a-harsh/) [David Elkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-elkind/) > [When we are polite to children, we show in the most simple and direct way possible that we value them as people and care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-elkind/when-we-are-polite-to-children-we-show-in-the-most-simple-and-direct/) [David Elkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-elkind/) > [We see these adolescents mourning for a lost childhood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-elkind/we-see-these-adolescents-mourning-for-a-lost-childhood/) [David Elkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-elkind/) > [Certainly parents play a crucial role in the lives of individuals who are intellectually gifted or creatively talented. But this role is not one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-elkind/certainly-parents-play-a-crucial-role-in-the-lives-of-individuals-who/) [David Elkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-elkind/) > [Play is not only our creative drive; it's a fundamental mode of learning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-elkind/play-is-not-only-our-creative-drive-it-s-a-fundamental-mode-of/) [David Elkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-elkind/) > [In leading-edge companies like Google and Apple, workers are given much freedom and opportunity to play. They know that's an important component of creating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-elkind/in-leading-edge-companies-like-google-and-apple-workers-are-given/) [David Elkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-elkind/) > [Certainly, young children can begin to practice making letters and numbers and solving problems, but this should be done without workbooks. Young children need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-elkind/certainly-young-children-can-begin-to-practice-making-letters-and/) [David Elkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-elkind/) > [If it is to be done well, child-rearing requires, more than most activities of life, a good deal of decentering from one's own needs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-elkind/if-it-is-to-be-done-well-child-rearing-requires-more-than-most/) [David Elkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-elkind/) > [Young children learn in a different manner from that of older children and adults, yet we can teach them many things if we adapt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-elkind/young-children-learn-in-a-different-manner-from-that-of-older/) [David Elkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-elkind/) > [Much of the pressure contemporary parents feel with respect to dressing children in designer clothes, teaching young children academics, and giving them instruction in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-elkind/much-of-the-pressure-contemporary-parents-feel-with-respect-to/) [David Elkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-elkind/) > [Modern children were considerably less innocent than parents and the larger society supposed, and postmodern children are less competent than their parents and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-elkind/modern-children-were-considerably-less-innocent-than-parents-and-the/) [David Elkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-elkind/) > [Taking the child's point of view demands good will, time, and effort on the part of parents. The child is the clear beneficiary. Parents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-elkind/taking-the-child-s-point-of-view-demands-good-will-time-and-effort-on/) [David Elkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-elkind/) > [Many older wealthy families have learned to instill a sense of public service in their offspring. But newly affluent middle-classparents have not acquired this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-elkind/many-older-wealthy-families-have-learned-to-instill-a-sense-of-public/) [David Elkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-elkind/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/early-childhood/david-elkind/#itemlist", "name": "4 Early childhood Quotes By David Elkind", "numberOfItems": 4, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The conviction that the best way to prepare children for a harsh, rapidly changing world is to introduce formal instruction at anearly age is wrong. There is simply no evidence to support it, and considerable evidence against it. 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