Hothousing is a form of education for children involving intense study of a topic intended to stimulate the child's mind, with the goal of pushing normal or bright children to a level of intellectual functioning above the norm. Advocates argue the practice is essential for the brightest children to flourish intellectually, while critics argue it can do more harm than good and may lead a child to abandon the subject studied under such a scheme later in life.
Facts
Core ClaimThe goal is to take normal or bright children and boost them to a level of intellectual functioning above the norm. 2 Classification
Education LevelEarly Childhood Education (ISCED 0) 1 FAQs
Where does the term hothousing come from?
Irving Sigel coined it in 1987 by analogy with forcing vegetables to ripen in a greenhouse.
According to the source article, Irving Sigel, who worked for the Educational Testing Service in Princeton, introduced the term in 1987. He borrowed it from greenhouse farming, where vegetables are forced to ripen, and defined it as the process of inducing infants to acquire knowledge that is typically acquired at a later developmental level. He used it for a child who is drilled in academic fields such as reading and math long before other children begin learning them in school.
Sources
1. Hothousing (Wikipedia)
Lead section
Hothousing is a form of education for children, involving intense study of a topic in order to stimulate the child's mind.
Lead
In 1985, a symposium titled "The Hot Housing of Young Children; So Much, So Soon" was held in Philadelphia.
View the Source2. Hothousing (Wikipedia)
Development section
It was Irving Sigel who first introduced the term hothousing in 1987
Development section, second paragraph
The goal is to take normal or bright children and boost them to a level of intellectual functioning above the norm.
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