MM> VH> They must be socialized, yes -- just as they must learn to talk, walk,
MM> VH> read, and so on.  But it's becoming more clear that in the womb they
MM> VH> engage in activities to prepare them for life after birth -- in other
MM> VH> words, they embark on the journey long before they were thought to
MM> VH> exhibit such behavior.

MM>Right on ... and best to be treated as recording devices sucking
MM>in every action and event from conception on to provide models for
MM>building future behaviour on.

MM>People who treat babies from 0 - 2 as dolls senseless of adult
MM>behaviour drive me right up the wall.

Oh, they learn everything.  Those little eyes and ears are always busy.

MM> VH> I live in a state where we have whole counties with adult
MM> VH> illiteracy rates over 50%.  Remediation, if it is working
MM> VH> somewhere is not working there.

MM>`Reading Recovery' works nicely on people who got a reasonable
MM>start in literate behaviour.

But what does that mean?  Many of the people I'm talking about have been
to school.  Yet they cannot read well enough to read a simple child's
book or fill out an application form.

MM>Real adult illiterates are only marginally better off than true
MM>feral humans who escaped the physical brain changes wrought by
MM>being reared in a human, literate environment.

MM>A 14 year-old discovered in Fiji recently had been raised in a
MM>chicken coop,  and is almost totally resistant to re-programming
MM>(his minders use the word `rehabilitation' but he was imprinted
MM>with chickens so there isn't any `human-ness' to return to).

MM>They can't even get him to stop hopping around...

MM>Similarly with two children found in a South Island, NZ, hovel
MM>living in a locked cupboard, imprinted on each other.

MM>Not so bad with real adult illiterates...but intractability rules
MM>nevertheless.  Having PSOed some Army recruits from back-country
MM>environs here in NZ many years ago,  only to find the Education
MM>Corps floundering on instilling minimum literacy, was an eye-
MM>opener.

We were quite successful here with computer-aided courses (which my
company produced.)  However, soldiers are above average in intelligence,
and are under miltary discipline.

MM>It's like trying to train teenages with congenital cataracts to
MM>recognise the difference between triangles and squares post-
MM>operation...

MM>Intellectually, they know about physical shapes but no matter how
MM>you go about it,  they still need to use their new visual ability
MM>to physically count the sides to tell the difference - making
MM>instant visual letter differentiation (and visual reading)
MM>impossible.

MM>Every human baby should have the inalienable right to the sort of
MM>adult company that his society merits most....

And every child should have the right to a first-class education, but
many do not get it.
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