“This is a moment for difficult conversations,” says Dr. Robert Blaine, who recently became senior executive of the Institute for...
The pressure to over-program kids often seems endless – so much so that a simple, old-fashioned idea has fallen to the side: Children should play. Roberta Michnick Golinkoff & Kathy Hirsh-Pasek – researchers and co-authors of “Becoming Brilliant, What Science Tells Us About Raising Successful Children” – explain their “Learning Landscapes” program, where they help local municipalities turn public spaces like bus stops into child-friendly play zones.
Early Learning Nation spoke to Aysha E. Schomburg, J.D, leader of the Children’s Bureau (part of the Administration for Children...
Shared Values, Different Stories
Logan Smalley’s Vision for Building Community
Like a lot of kids, Logan Smalley liked to take his toys apart and then try (the operative word is...
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...
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...
Early Learning Nation magazine recently interviewed Michelle Kang, CEO of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC),...
For many children in India, getting to early education centers is impossible while their parents work long hours at often temporary jobs. So what if early education centers traveled to kids instead? Executive Director Sumitra Mishra describes how Mobile Creches has been doing just that for 50 years.
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?
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.
Want to fight poverty? Robin Hood CEO Wes Moore – bestselling author, Army combat veteran, social entrepreneur – explains why improving education is an excellent place to start. Filmed for Early Learning Nation’s Mobile Studio at the Society for Research in Child Development’s biennial meeting in Baltimore, MD, on March 22, 2019. #SRCD19
An Interview with Dana Suskind: “Extreme Situations Can Be Clarifying”
Part 1 of a 2-part Conversation
Dr. Dana Suskind’s Parent Nation: Unlocking Every Child’s Potential, Fulfilling Society’s Promise diagnoses a range of obstacles that prevent young...














