Product: NOVA: Secret of the Wild Child (1994)
Rating: 5.0
Great Educational Video
Secret of the Wild Child tells the story of Genie, a 13 year old girl who was discovered by social workers. Genie had been raised in a small, featureless room since the age of 18 months--strapped into a potty chair by day and a crib by night, no one was allowed to talk with her, play with her, or give her the least sign of human affection and communication. This video shows the struggle of the psychologists and caretakers who tried to teach Genie the simple everyday things that we all take for granted--how to wear clothing, how to feed herself, and how to talk. Her struggle to learn language was a key issue for cognitive theorists who believed that there is a critical period for learning language, a period that Genie missed. Powerful and moving.