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.
Some experts say that when it comes specifically to teaching consent, sex education for young children can be done without being explicit, and it can help kids learn about boundaries and empathy when it comes to their own bodies and the bodies of other people.
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?
An Interview with Dana Suskind: “When a Group Speaks with One Voice, Society Listens”
Part 2 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...
The Washington, D.C.-based Bainum Family Foundation recently announced a five-year, $100 million funding commitment to early childhood. The ambitious plan...
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...
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.
Early Learning Nation columnist Elliot Haspel recently joined Capita as a Senior Fellow working on establishing a new philanthropic fund...
With more than 1.5 million members, Moms Clean Air Force unleashes the power of mothers on behalf of Mother Nature....
5 Takeaways from Jack Shonkoff’s EdRedesign Keynote
Welcome to Our New Column Covering Live Events
On May 19, Dr. Jack P. Shonkoff delivered the Education Redesign Lab (EdRedesign) spring keynote address via YouTube. Among his many distinctions, Dr. Shonkoff—Director of Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child and Professor at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard Medical School, and Harvard Graduate School of Education—was awarded the 2019 LEGO Prize for revolutionizing the field of early child development. Here are our notes from his remarks.
Maxine Clark, founder of Build-A-Bear Workshop and Chief Executive Bear through 2013, is co-chair of the ReadyNation CEO Task Force...
Investing in New Systems for Paying Educators What They Need and Deserve
New Grant Opportunity Deadline May 1, 2023
For U.S. children to realize their potential, the professionals who care and educate them need the training, respect and compensation...