Minnesota Archives - Early Learning Nation

A New Approach to Managing Tantrums and Helping Children Learn Self-Control

Ellen Galinsky·Jun 18, 2019·5 min read

How often have you looked with pity on parents suffering through a child’s tantrum? Yes, like rubberneckers at a highway crash, it seems like everyone turns around to watch. Don't despair: tantrums are an inevitable part of life with young children. Read more from Ellen Galinsky to explore Executive Function Skills, Autonomy Support and 5 tips for managing tantrums.

Chad Dunkley: Fixing the Broken Economic Model of Early Childhood Education

The Editors·Nov 21, 2019·5 min read

In addition to working with children and parents while overseeing New Horizon Academy’s nearly 90 sites in four states, CEO Chad Dunkley also spends time working with public officials, helping expand access to early learning and drive policy changes that rework its “broken” economics.

Children’s Advocate Peggy Flanagan Poised to Become First Native Woman Governor

Minnesota's lieutenant gov promoted free school lunch & Indigenous curriculum, served on Minneapolis's school board and was Walz's political mentor.

Beth Hawkins·Oct 24, 2024·14 min read

The first night of the Democratic National Convention, vice presidential candidate Tim Walz’s lieutenant governor strode onto the stage to...

Faith-Based Child Care Activism in Minnesota: Because Kids Count on Us

Mark Swartz·May 8, 2024·4 min read

Advocacy requires patience and persistence. And humility. Sometimes, all the organizing, letters to the editor and congressional testimony fall short....

Minnesota Bills Would Roll Back Bans on Seclusion and Expulsion for K-3 Students

Discipline reforms in wake of George Floyd's death had targeted disproportionate punishment of non-white kids and those with disabilities.

Beth Hawkins·Mar 18, 2025·5 min read

Two years ago, Minnesota outlawed most suspensions and all disciplinary seclusion of very young pupils in schools. An outgrowth of an effort...

Minnesota Makes Major Strides on Behalf of Children and Families

Legislative Session Brings $750 Million in New Funds for Child Care and Early Learning Programs

Rebecca Gale·Jul 25, 2023·4 min read

There are major changes coming for families in Minnesota. That is how Representative Dave Pinto explains it. The Democratic legislator,...

Minnesota’s Early Education Scholarships: Access, Choice and Quality

Mark Swartz·Jun 16, 2021·3 min read

In one form or another, all 50 states and the District of Columbia recognize the importance of early education and...

Opinion: Raising Child Care Ratios is a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Idea

Elliot Haspel·Mar 15, 2022·3 min read

One of “Aesop’s Fables” goes like this: “A group of pigeons, terrified by the appearance of a Kite, called upon...

Our Child Care Facilities Are in Crisis But There Are Solutions

Business, Nonprofits, Chambers of Commerce Build Coalitions

Mark Swartz·Oct 8, 2020·3 min read

In the morning, as children dash into their preschools and home-based care sites, hanging coats and finding favorite toys or...

Research Study: Perception of Neighborhood Safety Can Shape Infant and Maternal Outcomes

K.C. Compton·Mar 12, 2024·6 min read

Sometimes the barriers that keep a pregnant person from seeking prenatal care and all the benefits that accrue to mother...

Stephanie M. Carlson & Philip David Zelazo: The Tools to Measure Executive Function

The Editors·Apr 26, 2019·5 min read

Executive function – the skills to focus and manage tasks – is, of course, central to childhood development. Given that, measuring executive function becomes imperative. How does that work? University of Minnesota professors Stephanie M. Carlson & Philip David Zelazo explain their research and the powerful tool they’ve created. 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