Random thoughts on teaching children

Tonight I read a book recording a girl's stay in the U.S. for a year, I found some differences between china and the america.
First, the Americans always encourage their children, chinese are not so, they just scold them heavily;
Second, the America's children are taught from lots of aspects, such as culture, economy and politics, they are required to express their own idea or thoughts on those topics;
And thirdly, the American like to cultivate the independence of children, help them to find materials they need, provide them an environment.
Since I had a nephew, I often thought of how to cultivate child .
In my opinion, we should provide a flexible environment for child, then encourage them to find the real outside world himself.