The Core Knowledge Blog

Richard Louv, is the author of the best-seller The Last Child in the Woods, which makes a passionate case that our children are suffering from “nature deficit disorder,” growing up disconnected from the natural world.  He links this lack of contact with nature to obesity, ADD and depression.  According to his website, Louv and his book have inspired “No Child Left Inside” initiatives in 27 states. 

It’s easy to see why his message resonates with parents and teachers in our risk-averse and increasingly wired world.  At a recent appearance described by the Providence Journal’s education columnist Julia Steiny, ”Louv was mid-sentence when an irate leader of a Girl Scout troop in the audience interrupted to complain that the scout camp forbids the girls to climb trees or walk on logs. The girls in the troop with her nodded with insulted agreement. Then a teacher piped up and said that her preschool forbids her to let the children touch fallen snow. Louv shrugged, shook his head and put his hands up in surrender.”  Notes Steiny:

Most intriguing to me was his discussion of nature’s effect on our brain’s “executive function,” which he described as “the voice in your head.” I would add that executive function governs your ability to assimilate lots of different kinds of information, and to act or make choices as a result. Louv said, “The best way to develop executive function is through imaginative, made-up games. But both independent play and nature have been disappearing. From Suzuki [music lessons] to soccer to the flip-down screen in the SUV so the kids can watch nature shows on the way to the play date, kids are dramatically split from nature. As a result, a 7-year-old today has the executive function of a 5-year-old in 1940.” One reason is that “on a playground, leaders tend to be the physically strongest. But in nature, leaders are the smartest because they are the ones making up the games.” “If you really want to get into Harvard, go outside,” he intones.

Quite a bold claim.  Whenever someone makes grand research-based claims about the brain, I always wonder WWDWS?  Or, What Would Dan Willingham Say?  I emailed Dan, the UVA professor and American Educator’s Ask the Cognitive Scientist columnist. 

“It’s hard to even guess what data he thinks supports this,” he said.  “I’d like to know more about what Louv has in mind, and not judge based on what someone reported he said, but this sounds unlikely.”