E. D Hirsch Education

E.D. Hirsch, an 84 year old retired professor from Virginia expressed that children with a poor background of learning struggled to comprehend basic knowledge of any book they had read. Due to the realization that children were missing an important part in their education, he decided to write a book called Cultural Literacy in which he argued that it is essential first for American children to gain “core knowledge” so they can learn further in their studies. To achieve this, Hirsch expressed some of his theories that can help children understand better of what they are reading; such theory of value, knowledge and human nature. In theory of value, Hirsch indicates that it is important for children to understand the basic principles of constitutional government, major …show more content…
This is due to what each individual brings to the table from what they have learned at home, outside and school. Hirsh believes that the more knowledge a student has, the more they can acquire. Hirsch argues that the beliefs of formalism and naturalism are incorrect. He explains formalism as "the belief that the particular content which is learned in school (the content which he calls intellectual capital) is far less important than acquiring the formal tools which will enable a person to learn future content." When referring to naturalism, Hirsch states that he means "the belief that education is a natural process with its own inherent forms and rhythms, which may vary with each child, and is most effective when it is connected with natural, real-life goals and settings" (F, p. 218). Lastly, theory of human nature states, all human communities share common information and that information is passed on to the younger generation and so forth. With the information each individual gains, helps improve their learning abilities and expands their language skills. For example, in the United States, English is the common language used