As we wrap up the month looking at education for our youngest learners, there are many pieces of the equation to grapple with. Like most of you reading this, I cringe at the politicization of education issues that we often see online, on TV, or in other media formats. After all, there is no magic wand to wave for our systematic education woes. On the other hand, there is overwhelming research that shows early education and intervention work wonders on preventing bigger issues down the road.
As a dad to two boys, there seems to be an abundance of attention about boys in schools, and there's added pressure for them to do well. A recent post on Time Magazine's education blog focuses on how to help boys succeed. Yet, as my boys reach the age where standardized testing is the norm (3rd and 5th grades), I remember fondly the days before they were focused on end-of-year tests. I think back to math manipulative chains in preschool, learning independently in a Montessori setting, and having a blast giggling in music and movement classes when they were toddlers. When I ask my boys what their favorite memories are from their early days in preschool, they say "the nice teachers and the friends I made." I know those teachers and friends and the relationships they've created are going to carry beyond the years in school. Through my own Facebook page we keep in touch with the teachers, and they love to get updates and see photos of my boys as they watch them grow up. Keeping in touch in the 21st century is as simple as posting a Halloween or back-to-school photo with a simple caption.
At every step of the way, my wife and I have tried to teach our boys empathy and the value of being mindful of
Empathy and Racism
Post written by Madeleine Rogin for Ashoka's Start Empathy Initiative, a whole child partner organization. Leading education theorists, such as Howard Gardner and Tony Wagner, have written about the importance of cultivating our students' abilities to communicate across "networks"—skills that are crucial to success in our new global reality. And indeed, there's already been a popular a
Putting Early Childhood Education into Action
A whole child approach to education ensures that each child, in each school, and in each community is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. With our interactive Whole Child Examples Map tool, you can find examples of schools and communities worldwide that are implementing a whole child approach to education, including these early childhood education programs. Each example highlights