Education

Pre-K Education Policy

Research shows that infancy is super important for one’s brain development. Initially, politicians would jump on this opportunity and say we need to add years on the young end of educational institutions. However, there’s some fascinating research that a group at Harvard did on Romanian orphanages. When children are institutionalized from birth – they’ve done brain scans on these kids from infancy up now through adolescence – it damages their brains when they are in an interaction-deprived, institutionalized setting. Some of the childcare in our country comes close to that setting. Prior to jumping the gun and implementing universal pre-K, we need to be aware of this. That kids at home with a parent may have more stimulating of an environment than an institutional setting. We want to be sure that it does not hurt the future of our children and consequently, the future of our nation and its citizens. Source: American Enterprise Institute

Differentiation

Differentiation in the classroom doesn’t actually work (customizing the curriculum for each student) – it stretches teachers too thin and isn’t really done with fidelity.

Anti-Bullying Kiva Program

Source: Kiva

Roughhousing

Roughhousing with your kids is a boon for them. It is beneficial for young children to understand pain, and limits of being active and roughhousing. They will not only be doing so with their friends, but any person will experience pain. Not to mention that touch is important in development. The main lesson is that they have to realize when someone gets hurt, the fun stops. Just as when you have a puppy or other pet, if they hurt you, you must both reprimand and teach them that the fun stops when that happens, to discourage them from hurting others, whether it be intentional or accidental.

Pickiness of Eating

The worst thing is to say “Eat this, it takes good.” Solutions – Either just eat different foods around your children and sometime they will smell something they like and will come around to trying something. OR say “This is for grownups, honey, I don’t think you’ll like this”