Welcome to the eighty third 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 -
New whitepaper by the LEGO Foundation summarizes the evidence of links between play and development holistic skills.
Overall extraordinary work led by EDC (note: I am a biased trustee). One of my favorite areas of work is "How WE thrive" focused on mental health and well-being. Check out this short feature below and more here.
Please join us on November 3 for the launch of the Stanford Center on Early Childhood, led by Dr. Phil Fisher, an initiative of the Stanford Accelerator for Learning. Amazing speakers and content accessible on livestream.
For inspiration, a teenager solves stubborn riddle about prime number look-alikes.
What I’m listening to -
Great podcast School’s In about the impact of the early years with Jonas Miller, postdoctoral scholar at the Stanford Neurodevelopment, Affect, and Psychopathology (SNAP) Lab.
What I’m reading -
Oneness and Separateness: From Infant to Individual by Louise Kaplan - all about the inner experiences and emotions of children at different ages.
What I’m watching -
Bluey! a magical children's TV show shares lessons around creativity, collaboration and learning through play. Here are two articles that sum up what makes Bluey so special: NYTs and Vulture.
What I’m learning more deeply -
It would be difficult to write a newsletter in education without discussing the release of the NAEP results earlier this week…
“Nation’s report card: Massive drop in math scores, slide in reading linked to COVID disruption” by ChalkBeat.
"How Los Angeles Avoided National Academic Plunge During Pandemic" in the Wall Street Journal.
“NAEP Scores Are Out. Sure, Results Are Bad. But Now’s Not the Time for Handwringing” by Allison Rose Socol at EdTrust.
“Six puzzling questions from the disastrous NAEP results - Why did 9-year-olds do so badly during the pandemic?” by Jill Barshay, The Hechinger Report.
“Why Isn't The Big Plunge in Student Test Scores a National Emergency?” by James Pethokoukis.
"Strong Link in Big City Districts’ 4th-Grade Math Scores to School Closures" in The 74.
Not on the NAEP, but related topic in EdWeek that is concerning out of the pandemic: Forty percent fewer preschoolers received special education services during the pandemic.
Loved this piece by Tom Vander Ark about purpose-powered education.
Inspiring report about innovative school models by Transcend Education.
Great piece in The Atlantic by Annie Midori Atherton. Babies do not need expensive things…they need love, attention, and interactions.
A quote I’m pondering -
"We get so wrapped up in numbers in our society. The most important thing is that we are able to be one-to-one, you and I with each other at the moment. If we can be present to the moment with the person that we happen to be with, that's what's important."
—Mr. Rogers
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
Thanks for your focus on Native Americans this week. Accurate population counts from pre-Colombian times are difficult, but it appears that Native American populations are now 90 percent lower than they were, suggesting that calling White people's effect (if not intent) has been a successful genocide--especially when we consider your point that Native languages have been lost. We owe our Native American communities a great deal. Formulating good strategies for respecting their culture and improving culturally relevant education are important steps. Thanks for highlighting them.