Aptitude Myth How an Ancient Belief Came to Undermine Children's Learning Today

What are our goals in educating children, and what is the nature of human learning? Americans typically answer these questions in ways that differ from the answers given in other nations. In The Aptitude Myth, Cornelius Grove reveals that ancient Greece was the source of key underlying themes in American education, and traces these down through European and American history into the early 20th century. He then proposes alternative ways of thinking about children and learning. Addressed to parents and educators, The Aptitude Myth offers a fascinating panorama, and will challenge the thinking of all who are interested in education. -- Daniel Willingham, cognitive scientist, University of Virginia, author, "Why Don't Students Like School?" Cornelius Grove makes an important contribution in The Aptitude Myth, filling in the historical path that led to our current conceptions of ability, learning, and education. Anyone who wants to dig a little deeper into the origin of these beliefs will be rewarded here. -- James W. Stigler, psychologist, University of California, Los Angeles, co-author, "The Learning Gap"