Dear Small Talker,
Welcome to the sixty seventh 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 -
Nerd alert: Have you ever wondered why humans play? How play relates to learning? Why play feels so fun? The paper outlines a new cognitive theory of play.
This post by John Duong (who runs an impact investing fund) relates a story of him spotting a young girl asleep in a booth. He figured her mom or dad was in the restroom. Later he realized that her father worked there and had brought her to work, checking on her every now and then ― presumably, because he did not have or could not afford child care.
Excellent summary of the many cases for investments child care by Elliot Haspel.
New paper by Phil Fisher at Stanford University shows how family hardships and unpredictability impact child development.
Innovator spotlights:
The “Together Growing Strong” initiative was established in July 2017 as a philanthropic partnership between the Bezos Family Foundation and NYU Langone to improve young child outcomes through a multi-prong initiative.
Kangarootime raises $26 million to expand its early childhood management software tool.
“Rise Up and Sing Out” on Disney Junior is a series of animated musical shorts celebrating diversity, communication and friendship for ages 3+
Allyson Felix launches a child care initiative for athlete moms.
What I’m listening to -
Dr. Megan Gunnar at the University of Minnesota highlights how studies reveal that children who have warm and trusting relationships with their mothers, fathers, and other significant adults are less prone to stress. Even babies born prematurely are capable of managing some of stress with adults.
Fascinating EdSurge interview with Julie Evans spotlights that high schoolers are acquiring their most important skills outside of school.
Her survey show that 2/3 of middle and high school students are self-studying outside of school thanks to online tools—and the trend holds across all kinds of demographic groups.
What I’m reading -
“Education: A Global Compact In Time Of Crisis” calls for a new global approach to education that responds to overlapping crises in order to enrich and enhance the lives of children everywhere. Incredible contributors include Stefania Giannini, UNESCO director of education; development economist Jeffrey Sachs; cognitive psychologist Howard Gardner; Carla Rinaldi, president of the Reggio Children Foundation; Leslee Udwin, founder of Think Equal, and academics from leading global universities + foreword by Pope Francis.
What I’m watching -
Inspiring message by Carla Rinaldi, president of the Reggio Children Foundation, and Mitchel Resnick, Director of the Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Lab, about creating waves of kindness.
What I’m learning more deeply -
This study across Montessori and traditional schools shows how education shapes the structure of semantic memory and impacts creative thinking.
Interesting new NCES pulse survey:
87% of public schools reported that the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted student socio-emotional development during the 2021–22 school year.
72% report an increase in chronic absenteeism.
77% reported that finding substitute teachers has become more difficult during the pandemic.
47% of public schools reported having at least one student in quarantine (compared to 30% in April).
New research confirms that air pollution impacts learning.
“Cities aren’t built for kids, but they could be” is a thought-provoking piece on how to evolve city design for child development.
Poem 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