Dear Small Talker,
Welcome to the sixtieth edition of Small Talks. Every Friday, I highlight 6 areas of weekly joys and reflections in early childhood and the whole family. Small Talks leverages my experience at the intersection of education, philanthropy, and impact investing. Enjoy!
What I’m celebrating -
Excellent piece “U.S. Kids Are Falling behind Global Competition, but Brain Science Shows How to Catch Up” by Dana Suskind and Lydia Denworth covers a lot of ground. The OECD data show lackluster outcomes for for 5-year old children in the U.S. relative to other countries.
New research from Jenny Radesky, development behavioral pediatrician and media specialist at the University of Michigan, and Alison Miller, on young kids' YouTube viewing patterns (pre-pandemic).
Lots of 3-4 year olds used the main YouTube app (vs. YouTube Kids).
More common if they 1) didn't attend center-based daycare; 2) were from lower socio-economic backgrounds; 3) had an Android device.
Children aged 3-4 years were more likely to be given mobile devices for calming purposes if they had weaker overall executive functioning.
Interesting perspectives by Sara Mauskopf, Co-Founder and CEO of Winnie, a child care marketplace that helps millions of parents discover daycare, preschool and more on the need for entrepreneurial innovation in childcare.
For inspiration during this graduation time of the year:
A nonspeaking valedictorian with autism gives her college's commencement speech
A mom gives birth on graduation day, and the university went to the hospital present her degree….
What I’m listening to -
Powerful talk for Results for America’s 10th year anniversary by Ruth Ann Moss, who leads Birmingham Talks, a free citywide program that works with babies from birth-3 years old to help build lifetime literacy.
What I’m reading -
In “Essential Labor- Mothering as Social Change” by Angela Garbes contends that while the labor of raising children is devalued in America, the act of mothering can be a means of social change. Excerpt here and excellent review here.
What I’m watching -
Sobering lecture on reducing inequities in education by Robert Reich, professor at Berkeley, and former Secretary of Labor.
The achievement gap is set by age 5…
What I’m learning and exploring more deeply -
Thought provoking piece “The One Parenting Decision That Really Matters” on the importance of neighborhood and role models.
I was particularly struck by two studies:
Girls who move to areas with lots of female parent holders in a certain area are more likely to grow and earn patents in that area.
Black boys who grow up on blocks with many Black fathers around have better life outcomes.
What Do Top U.S. Companies Think Schools Could Do Better?
84% would like to see change: More real world problems; More intellectual curiosity; More collaborative skills; More social and emotional / soft skills.
Good interview with Victor Hu, edtech investor, outlining 3 trends and 5 areas of investment opportunities in global early childhood education.
The Hunt Institute published this interesting analysis of the cumulative effects of racial and ethnic discrimination along the education spectrum.
This starts early: Only 26% of early childhood programs that serve Black children are high-quality, compared to 48% that serve white children.
Quote I’m pondering -
Feedback is a gift. Which part above is your favorite? What did I miss? What do you want more or less of? Other recommendations? Please kindly let me know. Thank to all of you who are sending me amazing suggestions.
If you enjoy this newsletter, please help spread the word by sharing with your friends, colleagues, and networks.
Have a wonderful week. Please stay safe and care for each other.
Isabelle
Thanks again for curating such a thoughtful piece, Isabelle. The Suskind and Denworth article is indeed rich. So important that our littles not just hear conversations…they must also participate in them to reap full benefit!