1. Respect children's nature and set them free.
Although children are not adults, they are not adults' playthings and can be commanded by adults. Children are first and foremost "people" and have their own consciousness and emotions. Rousseau called for protecting children's innocent nature and fully developing children's personality. He said: "Children have their own unique views, ideas and feelings; If we want to replace their views, thoughts and feelings with ours, it is simply the stupidest thing. "Rousseau's views on children's education have reference significance at that time and now. Nowadays, many parents place too high expectations on their children and enroll them in various interest classes and remedial classes. This deliberate and untimely cultivation of children often obliterates their inner hobbies and sacrifices their time for self-discovery and self-exploration. In this kind of education, under the state of reluctance and great pressure, children will only be at a loss, passively accept what they have learned, produce weariness of learning, and eventually become victims of education. Therefore, we should respect children's nature, teach children in accordance with their aptitude according to the natural rhythm of their physical and mental growth and the different situations of each student, give them a space for free development, carefully observe their interests in this space, and then give them appropriate guidance.
2. Correct the purpose of education in order to cultivate people with harmonious development.
As far as educational purposes are concerned, children's education in China today is characterized by extreme and utilitarian educational purposes. Examinations and further studies have become the lifelong goals of parents and children, and the goals and contents of children's life have been reduced to reading. All education that has nothing to do with exams has been despised, and even some parents have lost their purpose by rewarding their children with money and other temptations. Once the goal of further education is achieved, children don't know what the next goal and significance of life is, so the students trained in this way often can't adapt to the changing society and can't survive well in society. This utilitarian education is completely contrary to Rousseau's natural education and violates the laws of nature. The free education advocated by Rousseau is a means for children to learn how to make a living. Without being enslaved by powerful people and interests, everyone can freely enjoy the rights endowed by nature. Therefore, children's education should pay attention to their present situation. Childhood is a very precious period in one's life, which directly affects one's future study, life and world outlook. Parents, schools and society should not ignore the process of children's development and pay one-sided attention to the results of education. In free education, we should constantly guide children to correctly understand themselves and their various connections with nature and society, develop children's basic abilities, and pay special attention to the cultivation of children's sensory ability and survival ability, so that children can freely control their physical strength and will, have independent thinking and rational judgment in the face of society, conform to nature, and develop harmoniously in body and mind.
3. According to children's physical and mental characteristics, choose appropriate teaching content and methods.
Rousseau believes that children should not receive knowledge and moral education before 12 years old, but should only receive sensory training. He believes that children's rationality is still in a deep sleep period before 12 years old. Therefore, children have no rational judgment ability before, and only by treating children according to their age characteristics and thinking characteristics can they have a good educational influence. After all, children are children and have their own unique thoughts and feelings. Sometimes we can't understand their thoughts. Therefore, when we tell them what we think is true, they may be filled with many absurd and fallacious things instead of truth. All Rousseau advocates the "natural consequence method"-that is, through personal experience, let children know the meaning of things around them, activities and the results of activities. Nowadays, many parents often treat their children with severe punishment when positive education is ineffective. This kind of education is easy to increase children's rebellious psychology and can't achieve the effect of education. Parents should think more about their children's way of thinking and psychological characteristics, and educate their children equally with their way of thinking, which will get twice the result with half the effort. Although some of Rousseau's educational views are unscientific in today's society, Rousseau's educational thoughts have given great enlightenment to the problems existing in today's children's education. On the issue of children's education, our parents, schools and society should adhere to the characteristics of children's physical and mental development, scientifically develop courses and teaching contents suitable for children at all ages, and should focus on the harmonious development of children's physical and mental, rather than adopting utilitarian education methods.
In addition, Rousseau attached great importance to increasing children's practical experience through childhood activities and sensory stimulation. He strongly advocates that children should be close to nature and learn in changing environments and activities. Feel the changes in the world. Only by developing and growing in change can we better adapt to the complex and changeable society. In the process of educating children, Rousseau also attached great importance to the methods of "intuitive teaching" and "activity teaching". This can stimulate children's attention and interest, which is suitable for children's age characteristics and very enlightening. A large part of our children have been locked up at home for a long time, or have a narrow life at school. The main source of learning also comes from books. The knowledge described in many books is sometimes boring and rigid, and it is difficult to turn it into your own ideas. Children lack personal experience of the world. Therefore, it is very necessary to let them go to nature to capture the knowledge they lack, let them return to nature and learn in activities, adapt to children's nature and physical and mental characteristics, and let them gain a lot, so that they can understand knowledge and apply it to life practice. It laid a solid foundation for future education.
Although Rousseau's natural education thought has certain petty bourgeoisie and social limitations, its educational theory still has practical value. His understanding of children is also worth learning from. We should pay more attention to children's nature, respect children and let them develop more freely and happily.