Transfer of Knowledge, Child Education about the Real World

Wendy M. Williams & Paul B. Papierno & Matthew C. Makel & Stephen J. Ceci

Day after day, in schools around the world, students memorize state capitols and learn what makes plants grow. Lessons such as these are a vital part of our education system, but they are not the sum total of what students need to master before leaving school. Acquiring knowledge for use in real-world settings and learning how to appropriately apply this knowledge is an increasingly important part of modern education. One would be hard-pressed to find someone who does not believe that children should be taught knowledge and skills that are meaningful and useful in daily life. Yet, there has been little attention to this issue in the current debate on educational reform and in the educational and developmental psychology literatures. What skills do children need to succeed in their daily lives? What knowledge will help children prosper in their home and school environments as well as in the world at ...

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