Ken Burns: Committing to Complexity
Nothing against TikTok, but the documentarian still believes in sustained attention
If you add it all up, Ken Burns and PBS have broadcast over 200 hours of documentary films. It might... Read More
In January of 2020, The Hunt Institute—an education policy non-profit based in Durham, NC—released updates to its State Early Childhood... Read More
For babies to have the best start in life, they need to form a deep emotional bond with the person... Read More
I see people signing all the time because I live in the Washington, D.C., area near the Red Line, which... Read More
The Consequences of Forced Separation
When Traumatized Children Return to Traumatized Parents
Science tells us that an outpouring of stress hormones shapes the way the brain develops. Trauma affects behavior, brain development, even the immune system. It’s devastating for all, but for newborns and youngest children, the impact can be profound. Read More
On February 28, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce held a summit for early education advocates and professionals, highlighting the work... Read More
The New Year, with its metaphor of clear vision, calls out to all of us to think about the future; to envision a better world for children, youth, and families. While we can’t predict what the decade will bring, we can use what we have learned over the years—and our common sense—to set some goals and move forward. Here is what I see and hope for in a new year, in a new decade. Read More
Fixing a Broken Marketplace
Talking Childcare with Elliot Haspel
Sometimes what seems like idealism at first can actually be canny realism. Case in point: Elliot Haspel’s recent book Crawling... Read More
“Our health system is failing women” are the unequivocal opening words of a report issued this past spring by Early... Read More
Why Don’t We Just Do That?
Over Cocktails, Restaurateurs Hatch a Plan for Literacy
Three years ago, Amanda and John Horne, owners of Anna Maria Oyster Bar in Bradenton, Florida, heard that 51 percent of children in their local Manatee County school system couldn’t read at grade level by third grade. They were appalled.
“This was horrific,” Amanda says. “We had no idea that this was an issue.”
Over cocktails one night, Amanda and John wondered what they could do. Their clientele is largely composed of older “grandparent-type” people. They have four restaurants and a mailing list of more than 24,000 customers. What if they could pair children up with a grandparent figure or somebody who cares about them, read with them and maybe instill them with a love of reading? Read More
