Best Practices Archives - Early Learning Nation

Captain Underpants Is Welcome Here: Carla Hayden’s Vision for Community Hubs

She not only runs the world greatest library. She also keeps a Little Free Library in her office.

Mark Swartz·Apr 22, 2020·4 min read

A librarian right down to her sensible shoes, Dr. Carla Hayden greets visitors to her office in the Library of...

Behind the Mask: Alicia Lieberman Reflects on Trauma and Toddlers

Mark Swartz·May 7, 2020·3 min read

Dr. Alicia Lieberman was on a telemedicine call with a mother and her four-year-old son. The boy was continually and...

5 Top Takeaways from the Webinar “From Research to Reality: A Funder Conversation about Policy”

Mark Swartz·Jan 11, 2021·3 min read

On December 15, The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (CGLR) hosted a funder-focused webinar to discuss mechanisms by which research translates into policies that impact our nation’s families and children, particularly those living in poverty.

Virginia is for Childcare Solutions

Smart2Start = 1 Application for Almost 150 Providers

Mark Swartz·Feb 26, 2020·2 min read

Virginia’s Roanoke Valley, anchored by its namesake city in Southwest Virginia, is a considerable distance from the economically booming area...

Tackling the Play Deficit

Mark Swartz·Feb 6, 2020·4 min read

Our kids need to put the devices down and to play outdoors more. This isn’t just another parent waxing nostalgic...

Waterford UPSTART: The Next Best Thing to Being There

Mark Swartz·Jun 2, 2020·4 min read

Those of us who watched too much TV in the 1970s probably remember commercials extolling long-distance phone calls as The...

A little boy and girl play with toy hammers and nails

Children First: What a “Values-Based Budget” Looks Like

Mark Swartz·Sep 13, 2019·3 min read

What would happen if we prioritized children’s potential? That’s the question implicitly asked and explicitly answered in the recent paper...

Early Childhood 2020: What Do You See?

Joan Lombardi·Jan 31, 2020·3 min read

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.

Barbershop Books: Innovative Approach Offers Haircuts, Books and Promotes Lifelong Relationships with Reading

Elise Anderson·May 22, 2024·7 min read

“I’m a reader!” These are magic words for Alvin Irby, a former teacher and the founder and executive director of...

Building Young Brains When Schools Are Closed, Part 3: Outdoor Tips and Activities

Our Top Tips for Parents and Caregivers

Mark Swartz and Art Hondros (Illustrator)·Mar 24, 2020·1 min read

This is part 3 of a a three-part series. Read Part 1 (Offline Activities) and Part 2 (Online Tips). In...

All Our Kin: Fortifying Family Child Care—and Families—with 130 Organizations and Agencies in 23 States and Washington, D.C.

Mark Swartz·May 23, 2023·4 min read

All Our Kin is an innovative national nonprofit leading the effort to transform the U.S. child care system. Launched 24...

“Baby’s First Years” Offers First U.S. Study to Assess Impact of Poverty Reduction on Infant and Toddler Development

Tom Kertscher·May 8, 2019·5 min read

“What this study is asking is whether or not, as a matter of public policy, is it a straightforward way to achieve the important goal of early childhood development.” -- Matt Klein, executive director, New York City Mayor's Office for Economic Opportunity

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