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We encourage children to act stupidly, not only by
scaring and confusing them, but by boring them, by filling their days with dull,
repetitive tasks that make little or no claim on their attention or demands on
their intelligence. Our hearts leap for joy at the sight of a room full of
children all slogging away at some imposed task, and we are all the more pleased
and satisfied if someone tells us that children don't really like what they are
doing. We tell ourselves that this drudgery is good preparation for life, and we
fear that without it children would be hard to 'control'. But why must this busy
work be so dull? Why not give tasks that are interesting and demanding? |
Are the points made by the author supported by evidence?
Does the writer present a balanced picture of the issue?
Is the methodology valid? (e.g. size of the sample, method of sampling used)
How would you characterise the writer's tone? How does the tone affect your response to the text?
Does the writer use unfair persuasion tactics such as appeals to prejudice or fear?
Does the writer distort the ideas of others or present them out of context?
Does the writer's language, tone, or choice of examples reveal any biases? If so, do the writer's biases reduce his or her credibility?
Does the writer present opinion as fact?
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