Re:Should children do more enrichment activities? Correcting...
by mattkrause on Saturday July 11, 2020 @10:18PM
(#23808157)
Given the very limited readout of "skills", how could it be otherwise? Nothing in their measurements captures the actual skills taught by music lessons (piano-playing ability, music appreciation, etc).
Perhaps music lessons have some second-order effect on "does neat, careful work", but it doesn't seem impossible that might have opposing effects on other so-called skills too: "too fearful or anxious" for stage fright, "disobedient" for not practicing when told.
Re:Should children do more enrichment activities? Correcting...
by catalogia on Saturday July 11, 2020 @10:01PM
(#23808042)
Yeah, those kids could be honing their fortnite skills instead. You always have to factor in the opportunity cost, particularly when you're talking about how children spend their free time.
They say that since time is finite, the benefit from music lessons seems to be canceled out by lost opportunities of doing other things. It’s totally reasonable to think that, in fact if enrichment was positive in net then that would actually mean kids are doing too little.