Anything that requires memory only is easily learned by very young children. I use to say to my nephew when he was about three, “Say Pithecanthropus Erectus.” Back it would come.

And don't little children learn all of the names of the dinosaurs very quickly?

Things that require coordination are better learned at an older age. Drawing requires eye-hand coordination. Some children have natural artistic talent and show it early. Others can be taught to draw when they have developed the required coordination.

Incidentally, it's best not to teach young boys contact sports until their bones and joints have developed properly to take the jolts and bumps.

The thing is that children need to be interfaced with many subjects while they are young. You can be the example. If you write a poem, your child will want to write a poem. If you draw a picture, your child will want to draw one too. If you write a story, your child will want to write a story. If you study birds, your child will want to study birds.

The Lesson

"Never trust your brain. It is two-sided and self-programmed.: Taylor Jones (Yes, that's me.)

"What is mind? No matter. What is matter? Never Mind." T. H. Key

"The lightning-bug is brilliant, but he hasn't any mind; He stumbles through existence with his head-light on behind." E. F. Ware, The Lightning-bug

"If you had another brain, it would be lonely." Common Saying

Our Marvelous Mind

The human mind controls the actions of the body and interprets impulses from cells that deliver sound, optical, chemical and other messages.

You can be right-brain or left-brain minded. One sixth of all people are left handed, and routine functions are monitored by the right half of the brain. The left half of their brain handles the complex interpretations needed for many brain functions.

Most other people are right handed, and routines are handled by the left side of the brain. For them, the right half handles the complex and 3-dimensional interpretations.

Right or left, the brain is a marvel.

Many scientist see the Hand of God in the optics of the eye and the brains ability to interpret them. Their are many miracles in the human anatomy controlled by the brain.

The human brain is slow in developing, taking about sixteen years to reach its full potential. At that age, most teenagers can think as adults and should be allowed to make adult decisions under the guidance of their parents. Then when they are older and on their own, they will be able to make good decisions because of their experience.

"If I Only had a Brain"

That's what the scarecrow sang in the "Wizard of Oz." Ray Bolger played the part as I remember. During W.W. II, my brother saw Ray Bolger play on the stage in San Francisco. He still talks about what a great performer he was. Ray Bolger died in 1987 at age eighty-three.

The scarecrow said he was a failure because he didn't have a brain. Dorothy (Judy Garland) asked what he would do with a brain if he had one. He replied that he could, “wile away the hours conferring with the flowers and consulting with the rain.”

He said that while he was "scratchin’" his head, that "thoughts would be hatchin’". He added that he could resolve riddles that were causing others to be "in trouble and pain."

Dorothy told his that with “all that thinkin’, he would be another Lincoln,” if he only had a brain.

Did the scarecrow ever get his brain?

No, the Wizard of Oz gave him a diploma. What did the scarecrow really need? Confidence! He already had a working brain. He just didn't have enough confidence to rely on his thoughts.

You can destroy the confidence of a person by continually calling him or her, stupid.

Never use such terms. Sometimes, even in jest, they can hurt.

How do we educate our children?

First, we have to realize that they are intelligent human beings. Most children can speak fully coherent and grammatically correct sentences by the time they are three years old.

They have learned a foreign language!

The fact of the matter is that it is very difficult to learn a foreign language when you are over 25 years old. I have a friend who speaks French and Spanish and German to his young daughters. So they too can speak these languages.

He speaks French to his dog. The dog obeys him and speaks French back. Did you know that Woof! In French is also Woof! (That is what is called a "Weak joke! Jay Leno is a master of the "weak joke.")

The point is that children learn different thing easier at different times in their lives. I taught my youngsters to play chess when they were four-years-old. It's just a game, isn't it? I taught my oldest son some simple algebra when he was four or five.

Another game.

Many children can learn to read at age three or four. Just give them a chance. One of my adopted grandchildren is four-years-old. She has been reading for almost two years. She can read a college level text. She doesn't understand what she is reading at that level, but she can read every word. I think she is from another planet and could always read. She just was two young to hold the book.

Anything that requires memory only is easily learned by very young children. I use to say to my nephew when he was about three, “Say Pithecanthropus Erectus.” Back it would come.

And don't little children learn all of the names of the dinosaurs very quickly?

Things that require coordination are better learned at an older age. Drawing requires eye-hand coordination. Some children have natural artistic talent and show it early. Others can be taught to draw when they have developed the required coordination.

Incidentally, it's best not to teach young boys contact sports until their bones and joints have developed properly to take the jolts and bumps.

The thing is that children need to be interfaced with many subjects while they are young. You can be the example. If you write a poem, your child will want to write a poem. If you draw a picture, your child will want to draw one too. If you write a story, your child will want to write a story. If you study birds, your child will want to study birds.

Right or left, the brain is a marvel.

Many scientist see the Hand of God in the optics of the eye and the brains ability to interpret them. Their are many miracles in the human anatomy controlled by the brain.

The human brain is slow in developing, taking about sixteen years to reach its full potential. At that age, most teenagers can think as adults and should be allowed to make adult decisions under the guidance of their parents. Then when they are older and on their own, they will be able to make good decisions because of their experience.

"If I Only had a Brain"

That's what the scarecrow sang in the "Wizard of Oz." Ray Bolger played the part as I remember. During W.W. II, my brother saw Ray Bolger play on the stage in San Francisco. He still talks about what a great performer he was. Ray Bolger died in 1987 at age eighty-three.

The scarecrow said he was a failure because he didn't have a brain. Dorothy (Judy Garland) asked what he would do with a brain if he had one. He replied that he could, “wile away the hours conferring with the flowers and consulting with the rain.”

He said that while he was "scratchin’" his head, that "thoughts would be hatchin’". He added that he could resolve riddles that were causing others to be "in trouble and pain."

Dorothy told his that with “all that thinkin’, he would be another Lincoln,” if he only had a brain.

Did the scarecrow ever get his brain?

No, the Wizard of Oz gave him a diploma. What did the scarecrow really need? Confidence! He already had a working brain. He just didn't have enough confidence to rely on his thoughts.

You can destroy the confidence of a person by continually calling him or her, stupid.

Never use such terms. Sometimes, even in jest, they can hurt.

How do we educate our children?

First, we have to realize that they are intelligent human beings. Most children can speak fully coherent and grammatically correct sentences by the time they are three years old.

They have learned a foreign language!

The fact of the matter is that it is very difficult to learn a foreign language when you are over 25 years old. I have a friend who speaks French and Spanish and German to his young daughters. So they too can speak these languages.

He speaks French to his dog. The dog obeys him and speaks French back. Did you know that Woof! In French is also Woof! (That is what is called a "Weak joke! Jay Leno is a master of the "weak joke.")

The point is that children learn different thing easier at different times in their lives. I taught my youngsters to play chess when they were four-years-old. It's just a game, isn't it? I taught my oldest son some simple algebra when he was four or five.

Another game.

Many children can learn to read at age three or four. Just give them a chance. One of my adopted grandchildren is four-years-old. She has been reading for almost two years. She can read a college level text. She doesn't understand what she is reading at that level, but she can read every word. I think she is from another planet and could always read. She just was two young to hold the book.

Anything that requires memory only is easily learned by very young children. I use to say to my nephew when he was about three, “Say Pithecanthropus Erectus.” Back it would come.

And don't little children learn all of the names of the dinosaurs very quickly?

Things that require coordination are better learned at an older age. Drawing requires eye-hand coordination. Some children have natural artistic talent and show it early. Others can be taught to draw when they have developed the required coordination.

Incidentally, it's best not to teach young boys contact sports until their bones and joints have developed properly to take the jolts and bumps.

The thing is that children need to be interfaced with many subjects while they are young. You can be the example. If you write a poem, your child will want to write a poem. If you draw a picture, your child will want to draw one too. If you write a story, your child will want to write a story. If you study birds, your child will want to study birds.

He said that while he was "scratchin’" his head, that "thoughts would be hatchin’". He added that he could resolve riddles that were causing others to be "in trouble and pain."

Dorothy told his that with “all that thinkin’, he would be another Lincoln,” if he only had a brain.

Did the scarecrow ever get his brain?

No, the Wizard of Oz gave him a diploma. What did the scarecrow really need? Confidence! He already had a working brain. He just didn't have enough confidence to rely on his thoughts.

You can destroy the confidence of a person by continually calling him or her, stupid.

Never use such terms. Sometimes, even in jest, they can hurt.

How do we educate our children?

First, we have to realize that they are intelligent human beings. Most children can speak fully coherent and grammatically correct sentences by the time they are three years old.

They have learned a foreign language!

The fact of the matter is that it is very difficult to learn a foreign language when you are over 25 years old. I have a friend who speaks French and Spanish and German to his young daughters. So they too can speak these languages.

He speaks French to his dog. The dog obeys him and speaks French back. Did you know that Woof! In French is also Woof! (That is what is called a "Weak joke! Jay Leno is a master of the "weak joke.")

The point is that children learn different thing easier at different times in their lives. I taught my youngsters to play chess when they were four-years-old. It's just a game, isn't it? I taught my oldest son some simple algebra when he was four or five.

Another game.

Many children can learn to read at age three or four. Just give them a chance. One of my adopted grandchildren is four-years-old. She has been reading for almost two years. She can read a college level text. She doesn't understand what she is reading at that level, but she can read every word. I think she is from another planet and could always read. She just was two young to hold the book.

Anything that requires memory only is easily learned by very young children. I use to say to my nephew when he was about three, “Say Pithecanthropus Erectus.” Back it would come.

And don't little children learn all of the names of the dinosaurs very quickly?

Things that require coordination are better learned at an older age. Drawing requires eye-hand coordination. Some children have natural artistic talent and show it early. Others can be taught to draw when they have developed the required coordination.

Incidentally, it's best not to teach young boys contact sports until their bones and joints have developed properly to take the jolts and bumps.

The thing is that children need to be interfaced with many subjects while they are young. You can be the example. If you write a poem, your child will want to write a poem. If you draw a picture, your child will want to draw one too. If you write a story, your child will want to write a story. If you study birds, your child will want to study birds.

He speaks French to his dog. The dog obeys him and speaks French back. Did you know that Woof! In French is also Woof! (That is what is called a "Weak joke! Jay Leno is a master of the "weak joke.")

The point is that children learn different thing easier at different times in their lives. I taught my youngsters to play chess when they were four-years-old. It's just a game, isn't it? I taught my oldest son some simple algebra when he was four or five.

Another game.

Many children can learn to read at age three or four. Just give them a chance. One of my adopted grandchildren is four-years-old. She has been reading for almost two years. She can read a college level text. She doesn't understand what she is reading at that level, but she can read every word. I think she is from another planet and could always read. She just was two young to hold the book.

Anything that requires memory only is easily learned by very young children. I use to say to my nephew when he was about three, “Say Pithecanthropus Erectus.” Back it would come.

And don't little children learn all of the names of the dinosaurs very quickly?

Things that require coordination are better learned at an older age. Drawing requires eye-hand coordination. Some children have natural artistic talent and show it early. Others can be taught to draw when they have developed the required coordination.

Incidentally, it's best not to teach young boys contact sports until their bones and joints have developed properly to take the jolts and bumps.

The thing is that children need to be interfaced with many subjects while they are young. You can be the example. If you write a poem, your child will want to write a poem. If you draw a picture, your child will want to draw one too. If you write a story, your child will want to write a story. If you study birds, your child will want to study birds.

Anything that requires memory only is easily learned by very young children. I use to say to my nephew when he was about three, “Say Pithecanthropus Erectus.” Back it would come.

And don't little children learn all of the names of the dinosaurs very quickly?

Things that require coordination are better learned at an older age. Drawing requires eye-hand coordination. Some children have natural artistic talent and show it early. Others can be taught to draw when they have developed the required coordination.

Incidentally, it's best not to teach young boys contact sports until their bones and joints have developed properly to take the jolts and bumps.

The thing is that children need to be interfaced with many subjects while they are young. You can be the example. If you write a poem, your child will want to write a poem. If you draw a picture, your child will want to draw one too. If you write a story, your child will want to write a story. If you study birds, your child will want to study birds.

Do a lot of different things with your children to help them find their interest early.

I returned to graduate school when my children were young. They thought that spending your life in college was a normal thing to do. My oldest son spent eight years in residency after medical school to become a neurosurgeon. Number two sons did his residency in pediatric anesthesiology. Number three son went to the veterinarian college at Purdue University. Number four son went to law school. My daughter's education was interrupted because of her husband going off to Medical School and then doing his residency in anesthesiology. He works with a heart team. But she is an accomplished portrait painter because she kept on with her education.

All four of my sons are Eagle Scouts. They were exposed to many different areas through the Boy Scout Merit Badge Program. Two of my grandsons are also Eagle Scouts. So, I think I'm giving good advice.

Spend time with your children. Teach them what you know. Expose them to mind-opening experiences. Zoos are good. Museums and planetariums are good. Nature is good. The library is good.

So buy a microscope and a telescope and let your kids use them.

Television is good if you are selective about what you and your children watch. But TV can be a bug-out from exposing your children to educational experiences.

Let your children explore their world.

I think I said this in another lesson. When I moved to a mountain town in Arizona some years ago, I learned that many families here stopped watching television years ago. Some only use the television for video tapes. But there are worthwhile educational programs on television. You just have to make some restrictions so that your children will not be deprived of a real education that only you can give them.

Teach your children to learn to do things that are difficult to do. There is no other way to stretch the mind. There is no other way to give them a competitive edge in their adult life.

For Little Children

“What are you doing, Billy?”

“Get out of my light, Sandy. I'm studying these ants.”

Sandy stepped back and said, “Haven't you got anything else to do? Studying ants? Why?”

“Girls don't understand science and stuff,” said Billy. “I'm going to be a scientist.”

Sandy lifted her chin. “I'm going to be a ballerina.”

“A what?” Billy asked.

“A prima ballerina. A dancer. That's what I'm going to be.”

Billy laughed. “In this little town? Who would go to see you?”

“New York! Paris! Moscow! That's where I’ll be dancing.”

“Fat chance!” said Billy. “I'm going down on the Amazon River and to Africa. I've read that they have lots of ants to study in those places.”

Sandy laughed and said, “I think you have plenty of ants right there, Billy. "They're climbing up your leg!”

“So what?” said Billy. “Do you want to look at this one with wings through my magnifying glass?”

“An ant with wings? Sure! Give me the glass.”

“It's a queen,” said Billy.

“Wow! She really looks good through this magnifying glass. I'm going to look at a hundred of them.”

“Oh, no!” said Billy. “I think it's time for you to go home and tell your mother she wants you. Give me my magnifying glass.”

Billy grabbed the magnifying glass. Sandy jumped up and ran home. Billy thought, "Now she is gone, I can really study these critters." But Sandy came running back from her house with an even bigger magnifying glass. Billy said, “Wow! Can I look through that thing?”

“Sure,” said Sandy. “But you've got to make me a promise.”

Billy grabbed the larger magnifying glass. “What promise?”

“You've got to take me with you to the Amazon River and Africa.”

“Sure,” said Billy, “but what about all that dancing stuff?”

“Girls can change their minds if they want to. I'm going to be an entomologist!”

Billy asked, “A what?”

“Boys are so dumb! It's a bug scientist. Give me back my magnifying glass.”

They both kneeled on the ground and studied the ants together.

The End

Copyright©2001-2005 by Taylor Jones, John T. Jones, Ph.D.