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Joanne Jacobs
Mar 31, 20182 min read
Swedish preschools teach boys to dance, girls to yell
Swedish preschools encourage boys to draw, dance and play in toy kitchens, while girls are taught to shout “No!,” reports Ellen Barry in...
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Joanne Jacobs
Feb 26, 20181 min read
Help parents help kids before they start school
Education reformers are working hard to “rescue” children who arrive at school without the language skills, knowledge and emotional...
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Joanne Jacobs
Feb 17, 20182 min read
Naked tykes by the fire pit
Sara Zaske moved to Germany with a four-year-old daughter, then gave birth to a son. In Achtung Baby she praises “the German art of...
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Joanne Jacobs
Feb 1, 20182 min read
‘Nudging’ aims to change habits
Text-messaged “nudges” can help parents support their children’s learning, writes Daisy Yuhas, citing research at Stanford’s Center for...
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Joanne Jacobs
Jan 19, 20182 min read
Does your kid’s preschool teacher need a degree?
Should preschool teachers be college graduates? “Our most important teachers” — preschool teachers — are paid the least, writes Jeneen...
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Joanne Jacobs
Jan 12, 20182 min read
Your baby is not Einstein
A Colorado mother shot the first video for her child in 1996. “Five years later, she sold the company to Disney for a reported $25...
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Joanne Jacobs
Jan 11, 20181 min read
Teaching kindness
Feelings are part of the curriculum for young children in some New York City schools, reports Richard Schiffman in the New York Times....
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Joanne Jacobs
Oct 4, 20172 min read
To end inequality, more preschool?
“Inequality in America is apparent by age 3, writes writes Heather Long in the Washington Post. “Most rich kids are in school, while most...
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Joanne Jacobs
Aug 23, 20171 min read
Is your 5-year-old an anarchist?
In Pasco County, Florida, parents don’t like “new behavior expectation charts that suggest conforming to peer pressure is positive, and...
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Joanne Jacobs
Aug 22, 20172 min read
Red shirts for all? Older is better through college
Older students do better through college, according to a new study by David Figlio, a Northwestern economist, reports John Ydstie on NPR....
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Joanne Jacobs
Jun 13, 20172 min read
More work, less play makes Jack a smarter boy
Preschools where teachers teach about phonics, numbers and shapes produce cognitive gains for students — especially blacks — concludes a...
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Joanne Jacobs
Apr 27, 20172 min read
Modeling high school on preschool
High school should be more like preschool, writes Sarah Garland in the Hechinger Report. That means more focus on relationships, play,...
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Joanne Jacobs
Apr 18, 20171 min read
Redshirting may do more harm than good
“Redshirting” five-year-olds may do more harm than good, concludes a study published in Education Next. The academic advantages of being...
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Joanne Jacobs
Apr 17, 20171 min read
First graders read better, but …
First graders are better readers than they were 12 years ago, according to an Ohio State study, reports USA Today. Students are learning...
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Joanne Jacobs
Mar 24, 20171 min read
Kindergarten can wait
Kids who wait a year to start kindergarten show significant long-term benefits, concludes a Stanford study of Danish children. “Delaying...
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Joanne Jacobs
Feb 18, 20171 min read
Bringing preschool home
By the first day of kindergarten, children with educated, affluent parents are far readier for school success than children from...
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Joanne Jacobs
Feb 5, 20171 min read
‘Nature Preschools’ grow
“Nature preschools” are catching on, reports Education Week. Children play outside, exploring natural environments. All Friends Nature...
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Joanne Jacobs
Jan 7, 20171 min read
Video trike for toddlers: More screen time!
Fisher-Price’s new Think & Learn Smart Cycle is designed for screen-addicted toddlers, reports the New York Post. The $150 kiddie...
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