Small Talks, No. 76

September 9, 2022

Sep 09, 2022

Welcome to the seventy sixth 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!

Kids and Playtime – Why It Is so Important | Lifespan

What I’m celebrating -

What For School For? asks the New York Times. Each essay is a reminder of the work ahead for each and every child to learn & thrive. The spotlight on education as core societal issue is promising though. A few notable op-eds:
- School Is For Everyone by Anya Kamenetz
- School Is For Care by Jessica Grose
- And, this thought provoking exchange…
  - School Is a Waste of Time and Money by economist Bryan Caplan
  - Are Schools a Waste of Time and Money? Only If you have a time machine by educator Peter Greene

Science is telling us that relationships are critical in child development, yet for the most part we pay « lip service » to relationships in our education systems. We rarely measure them. This is changing... ⁦Julia Freeland Fisher at the Christensen Institute⁩ writes on new emerging tools measuring connectedness.
Montessori on Wheels is co-creating Montessori-based learning environments within Black and Brown communities, ensuring that children and families can learn, play, and dream together- creating spaces that are culturally relevant for children of color to express their joy and creativity.
For intergenerational inspiration- A Japanese nursing home is "recruiting an unusual class of helpers to enliven its residents’ days. These are 'baby workers,' as the nursing home’s head calls them" - 32 kids under 4 who spend time with residents, mostly in their 80s.

What I’m listening to

Great Bloomberg interview with Kathy Hirsh-Pasek about the potential of the Metaverse in education.

What I’m reading -

I had previously shared my anticipation about Anya Kamenetz’ new book - The Stolen Year: How COVID Changed Children’s Lives, and Where We Go Now - that retraces in painful terms the pandemic events and its impact on children’s learning. I appreciated many ideas in this book - and in particular the special chapters on “care” where she speaks about the “cost of low-cost care” and the “laser maze of care”, and on "courts” that speaks about our state of affairs regarding child separation and foster care policies.

What I’m watching -

Defining Us is powerful documentary on children at the crossroads of change.

What I’m learning more deeply -

Fascinating research initially published in 2021: What Makes a Champion? Early Multidisciplinary Practice, Not Early Specialization, Predicts World-Class Performance.
It now costs $310,000 to raise a child - and this is before college costs…!
A new NIH study finds that adverse childhood experiences are associated with greater chances of premature death in adulthood.
Childcare: Invaluable and Undervalued highlights an ongoing experiment run by Home Grown Child Care to direct payments to home-based child care providers and provide for our early educators.
Parental loneliness has direct and intergenerational impacts on parent and child mental health, a new survey finds.

A quote I’m pondering -

“When my mom was growing up, she was told by the elders around her, ‘Go change the world.’ And in my generation, we’re told to go save the world. It’s completely different stakes.”
— 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.

Small Talks