A Book in Every Home, and Then Some

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/16/a-book-in-every-home-and-then-some

David Bornstein

The New York Times

16 May 2011

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Lack of reading material is not only a third-world problem – many poor families in the United States lack access to and funds for books. A program that helps get books to into the homes of low-income families can boost literacy, and help publishers, too.

A Boost for the World's Poorest Schools

https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/19/118675

Tina Rosenberg

The New York Times

19 January 2012

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How can rural African children learn to read when there are no books in their languages? Save the Children helps kids to create their own books, creating a homemade library for their village.

An Untapped Force in the Fight for Literacy

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/09/11/an-untapped-force-in-the-fight-for-literacy

Tina Rosenberg

The New York Times

11 September 2014

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Teaching reading skills to children early is crucial, especially with respect to their educational success later in life. School systems are switching reading programs to help underachieving students have one on one time with a tutor.

‘It's just math': Preschoolers can do more than we might think

http://www.seattletimes.com/education-lab/its-just-math-preschoolers-can-do-more-than-we-might-think

John Higgins

The Seattle Times

2 August 2015

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Due to recent brain development research, educators are working to add more math education into pre-school and kindergarten classes. Studies show that children of this age are actually extremely receptive to numbers and learning geometry.

Empathy, not Expulsion, for Preschoolers at Risk

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/20/empathy-not-expulsion-for-preschoolers-at-risk

Sara Neufeld

The New York Times

20 February 2015

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Preschoolers in the U.S. who misbehave are increasingly being expelled. In Connecticut, trained counselors educated teachers about how to deal with emotionally traumatized kids which reduced expulsions.

Fighting Bullying With Babies

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/08/fighting-bullying-with-babies

David Bornstein

The New York Times

8 November 2010

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The Canadian federal government has identified bullying as a national problem. Roots of Empathy, based in Toronto, encourages empathy in elementary kids by having them interact with babies.

Free pre-K: Strong early gains, but long-term questions

http://seattletimes.com/html/education/2024591420_edlabtulsaxml.html

Claudia Rowe

The Seattle Times

20 September 2014

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Preparing the young for elementary education is a priority to nurture reading and social skills. For 16 years, Tulsa Oklahoma has instituted a state funded preschool, staffed with teachers trained in early education. Tulsa’s Pre-K initiative has shown that their children are more prepared for literacy skills and math; however, maintaining the positive results is a long-term challenge.

From slipping through the cracks to the college track

http://www.seattletimes.com/education/from-slipping-through-the-cracks-to-the-college-track

Claudia Rowe

The Seattle Times

14 April 2014

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The Rainier Scholars program in Seattle places fifth graders, who are all minorities, in special coursework through middle and high school, finally offering rigorous college coaching. In Oakland, CA, the National College Advising Corps directs recent graduates into schools to be role models and guides for at-risk students.

Fruit, Not Fries: Lunchroom Makeovers Nudge Kids Toward Better Choices

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/03/29/175710393/fruit-not-fries-lunchroom-makeovers-nudge-kids-toward-better-choices

Kevin Charles Redmon

NPR

2 April 2013

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With child obesity on the rise, public school students have lacked the motivation and access to eat healthy food. Different programs around the country aim to improve student diet in public schools, including Real Eats for Academics and Life in Los Angeles and Cornell’s Smarter Lunchrooms Movement, by emailing nutrition report cards to parents, presenting the healthy food with aesthetic pleasure, and the arrangement of the food for access.

Hard Times for Recess

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/04/hard-times-for-recess

David Bornstein

The New York Times

4 April 2011

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Despite strong evidence that school-based physical activity improves children’s cognitive skills, concentration, and behavior, schools under pressure to produce quantitative results and decrease bullying have drastically cut back on recess in recent years. An Oakland-based nonprofit organization called Playworks is working to make healthy play accessible for more children and show schools how productive recess can be to the whole academic world.