Dear Small Talker,
Welcome to the sixty second 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 -
This important analysis by Brookings makes the economic argument that investments in childcare & early childhood could help mitigate inflation (and boost long-term economic output- a better documented argument). I honestly had to read it multiple times, as this is such an important and timely case.
The launch of the Capita-Aspen Early Years Climate task force - at the intersection of early childhood and climate change- two of the most important topics for the future of our children.
My first-ever chapter published in an academic book “Innovative Approaches to Early Childhood Development and School Readiness.” As a non-academic, I am particularly honored to be among brilliant practitioners and researchers in early childhood, including Jim Heckman, Kathy Hirsh-Pasesk, Roberta Golinkoff and many others I look up to. Thanks to Anastasia Betts, Khanh-Phong Thai and Sunil Gunderia for the leadership on this project. A bit in shock at the tag price for the book though (hoping we can find a sponsor to make the book more accessible).
For inspiration and delight - two short movies created by a dad and his 5-year old daughter about love and about the future.
What I’m listening to -
I enjoyed this podcast with Professor Yong Zhao, who has written several landmark books in education, with a focus on creativity and learning in uncertainty. I particularly appreciated his wise words on teaching children to be human, as natural learners, intentional learners, and diverse learners exploring creativity with a sense of purpose.
What I’m reading -
Great book on Maria Montessori. What a remarkable life! She was a true pioneer: one of the first female physicians in Italy, a feminist activist, a professor of anthropology, and the founder of the well-known early childhood program that she started in a slum in Rome and expanded globally. The book does a good job at articulating the tension between social justice and a model that remains primarily private/elitist in the U.S. Noting here the amazing work toward democratizing Montessori by public Montessori, the Trust for Learning, Wildflower Schools, Higher Ground, and others. Good review here.
What I’m watching -
Who doesn’t need a good comedy? May I recommend Abbott Elementary- featuring teachers in an under-performing school in Philadelphia determined to make children succeed? I particularly enjoyed both the authenticity - showing the dedication and struggles of young teachers, as well as the cast diversity, talent and chemistry.
What I’m learning and exploring more deeply -
Take a deep breadth before reading this scathing editorial by Atlantic writer Elizabeth Bruenig “A culture that kills its children has no future”
“Violence begets injury begets death, and any culture debased to vacillating between violent struggle and idle nihilism is shuddering toward its end as a culture of death. And a culture of death is like a prophecy, or a sickness: It bespeaks itself in worsening phases.”
One of the best pieces written for families on protecting kids from gun violence by Melinda Wenner Moyer.
This essay on re-centering education on imagination studies is simply fascinating and inspiring.
Great interview with edtech investor Matt Tower (who writes an insightful edtech newsletter) - “What’s next for edtech now that the pandemic bump has faded”
Embryo genetic testing: what could go wrong?
Poem I’m pondering -
Hymn for the Hurting
May we not just grieve, but give:
May we not just ache, but act;
May our signed right to bear arms
Never blind our sight from shared harm;
May we choose our children over chaos.
May another innocent never be lost.
— Amanda Gorman
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.
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Have a wonderful week. Please stay safe and care for each other.
Isabelle