Page 2 – Early Learning Nation

6-Year-Olds in England Get a Phonics Check. American Kids Should Get One, Too

Aldeman: Having students read a list of 40 words — some real, some not — and pass with an 80 or better has driven dramatic increases in performance

Chad Aldeman·Feb 20, 2025·4 min read

I’m going to give you a reading test. Ready? Say these words out loud: Chip Hill Jars Bep Fod Glork...

Robin K. Fox: Ensuring Inclusivity in Early Childhood Education

The Editors·Nov 21, 2019·6 min read

Early childhood education is imperative and challenging under any circumstances. Families formed through adoption, families with LGBTQ members, and children who are gender fluid bring their own unique challenges – and opportunities. Robin K. Fox, Interim Dean of University of Wisconsin-Whitewater College of Education & Professional Studies, discusses what teachers, parents, and children need to know – and how they can apply that understanding every day.

Elliot’s Provocations: In Plain Dollars and Cents, a Child Care Policy Without Major Compensation Increases Is No Child Care Policy

Elliot Haspel·Feb 2, 2023·6 min read

Elliot’s Provocations unpacks current events in the early learning world and explores how we can chart a path to a...

5 Questions for the Governor: Tennessee’s Bill Lee

The Editors·May 4, 2021·3 min read

Literacy is a top priority because we know that so much of our success in K-12 hinges on building better readers. In the past, we’ve had an environment of “too little, too late” when it comes to helping kids before they pass the third grade, which is recognized as a milestone for reading development.

Book Review: Children’s Health and The Peril of Climate Change

Mark Swartz·Feb 7, 2023·4 min read

Every year, air pollution-related causes kill more than half a million children before their fifth birthdays, and an even greater number are afflicted by lasting damage to their developing brains and lungs.

An Interview with Dana Suskind: “When a Group Speaks with One Voice, Society Listens”

Part 2 of a 2-part Conversation

Mark Swartz·Apr 27, 2022·5 min read

Dr. Dana Suskind’s Parent Nation: Unlocking Every Child’s Potential, Fulfilling Society’s Promise diagnoses a range of obstacles that prevent young...

The Early Learning Community Shows Its Gratitude

Mark Swartz and Art Hondros (Illustrator)·Nov 25, 2021·7 min read

Early Learning Nation’s community of experts, advocates, leaders and readers continues to grow. As much as we’d like to, we...

Alabama Child Care Activist Lenice Emanuel Speaks Her Truth

Mark Swartz·Mar 31, 2022·5 min read

This magazine uses the word crisis a lot. We’ve reported again and again that early childhood education in America is...

5 Top Takeaways from the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading Webinar: Philanthropy and Public Financing for Children

Mark Swartz·Apr 11, 2024·4 min read

On March 19, the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (CGLR) hosted a discussion titled “Investing in the Future,” exploring the role...

A woman reads a book outdoors with a small boy who has paint and dirt on his face.

Tiny Trees Preschoolers Get to Know Their World, Rain or Shine

K.C. Compton·Aug 30, 2019·3 min read

The children attending Tiny Trees Preschool classrooms in Seattle and King County parks may look like they’re “just playing,” but those little boots are actually marching, climbing, stomping and squishing their way to a well-rounded preschool education.

Elliot’s Provocations: Employer-Sponsored Child Care is a Wrong Turn

Elliot Haspel·Nov 1, 2022·7 min read

As I travel internationally, I have been thinking a lot about how we position child care in the United States. I am increasingly concerned by an ascendant school of thought that emphasizes a role for employer-sponsored child care benefits.

5 Top Takeaways: Indigenous Sovereignty and the Indian Child Welfare Act

Mark Swartz·May 3, 2023·3 min read

As we logged onto this webinar, we were greeted by the sights and sounds of Frank Waln’s “My Stone.” All...

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