LSAT 122 | Section 1 | Logical Reasoning: Q6

LR Question 6 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Patti: Most parents are eager for their preschoolers to learn…

QUESTION TYPE: Necessary Assumption

CONCLUSION: Directed learning is unlikely to improve a child’s preschool education.

REASONING: Parents often direct a child’s learning to their own concerns, yet children learn an enormous amount simply from growing and adapting to the world.

ANALYSIS: As always, the negation of the correct answer choice will wreck the conclusion.

___________

1. It shouldn’t matter where the parents got their misguided theories, as long as they’re using them.
2. I almost picked this. Yet here’s the negation: “Children might still adapt well to the world even without the unique guidance of their parents.” It’s hard to see how this wrecks the conclusion. Her point was just that if parents did use directed learning, it wouldn’t help.
3. Since the conclusion is that directed learning won’t help, this is not a necessary assumption. By showing that directed learning enhances learning opportunities, it weakens the argument, if anything.
4. CORRECT. Yes. If directed learning is a necessary part of growth and adaptation, then parents who provide it will improve their children’s preschool education.
5. This is talking about formal education, while the argument discusses pre-school, which comes before formal education. In any case, even if general opportunities to learn were typical, it’s not clear how directed learning would help.

Recap: The question begins with “Patti: Most parents are eager for their preschoolers to learn”. It is a Necessary Assumption question. Learn more about LSAT Necessary questions in our guide to LSAT Logical Reasoning question types.