Pick up the Baby. Look at the Baby. Talk to the Baby.
by Taj Carson, PhDLast week, we were talking to a prominent early childhood expert. We were trying to map out the pathways for children to develop good reading skills by the time they reached third grade (no small task). We had factored in instructional techniques, summer reading programs, and attendance initiatives, all of which have clear connections to literacy in school-aged children. In looking at the things that predict school success from birth to five years of age, however, it became a lot harder. Nutrition, health, whether there are books in the home; all kinds of things impact whether a child is ready to go to school.After talking for a while, our colleague sighed heavily--the kind of sigh that comes from spending years working on an issue, convening and serving...
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