Kid's Museums

NPR.com has a nice article about museums for kids.

Character Education

For several years I've been receiving issues of a character education publication from the Center for the 4th & 5th Rs at the State University of New York Cortland School of Education. The Fall 2008 issue of the publication provided an interesting article titled Maximizing the Power of Character Through the Integration of Excellence and Ethics by Matt Davidson and Tom Lickona. The article indicates that "All schools face challenges in two critical areas: academic performance and ethical behavior." The articles continues by defining performance challenges to include:

• Motivating all students to do their best and care about the quality of their work
• Improving performance on standardized tests
• Reducing dropouts
• Preparing students for college and/or the workplace

Ethical challenges were cited as:

• Teaching students to respect legitimate authority, rules, and the rights of others
• Preventing peer cruelty
• Promoting academic honesty
• Reducing risky behaviors
• Helping students become responsible citizens

All of this is praiseworthy, but I always find it difficult to talk about character education without the family unit being at the center of the discussion. Moreover, schools are leveled with the responsibility of character education even though a child's character is clearly framed prior to a child's first step onto a school's campus.

I agree schools should assist parents in teaching children positive behavior. The first teacher for this type of education is the family unit, however. If schools are reporting lack of time testable subjects why should they accept an additional challenge as lead teacher for character education. My strong view is that society should force parents to fulfill their duty to education children in character development and let schools return to the "three Rs."

Picture Books on Paper Better than on Computer Screen

A study out of Norway is indicating that our assumption is wrong that nothing is lost when children read from a computer screen as opposed to reading material from paper. This should be good news to children book publishers.

One Laptop Per Child Project

I've been watching the One Laptop Per Child Project for quite a while.. I found it pleasing that the project is continuing and is even expanding to countries outside of Africa according to an article on New Scientist.com.

Initially, I thought the project was odd in that someone was focusing on computers for African children when in many cases those children needed food more than computers. I've had a change of mind after thinking that any needed resource a benefactor can provide is good and trying to work with so many people on a priority for what resources to give, when to provide it, and to whom to give would be a nightmare.

Girls Have Superior Sense Of Taste Compared To Boys

For some reason I've suspected that girls have a more superior sense of taste, on average, than boys. An article in Science Daily provides information concerning a study done in Denmark that supports the idea that girls have a more acute sense of taste. Moreover, the article indicates that boys and girls tend to lean toward different taste directions where in boys seem to prefer sour items more often than girls.

Which Country is #1 in Raising Healthy and Happy Children?

Economist.com is reporting that Save the Children, a British organization, has rated all countries in regard to safe and healthy environments for children. The country on top of the list is Japan. The United States is a bit down the list, however.

Physical Ed for K-5 in Florida

I guess I missed this story in the news when it came out on November 17. The Christian Science Monitor. com is reporting that in Florida "schools must comply with a state law requiring children in kindergarten through fifth grade to receive 30 minutes of continuous physical education every day." I keep thinking that with a bit of imagination, physical fitness activities can be incorporated in each class. Also, I'm wondering how are parents being held accountable for ensuring children are active when away for school since the fight against childhood obesity should start at home not school.

A Father's Presence Makes a Signifcant Difference in a Child's Life

Excuse me for not providing the stats, but I think the situation of fatherless homes with children present has been growing. With that said, the results of a study that indicates the involvement of a father in a child's life has a bearing on the child's later success seem to highlight missed opportunities. There a several interesting findings form the study in an article at NewScientist.com.

MySpace...TheirSpace

By now I'm thinking that most people have heard about the mother (Lori Drew) who created a bogus MySpace identity and eventually harassed a teen who eventually committed suicide after receipt of a depressing email. Lori Drew was convicted of a misdemeanor, not a felony. Background information is here. Quite a few people were angry and thought the outcome was not harsh enough for Ms. Drew.

As the debate continues concerning this case, I think Emily Bazelon at Slate.com was on the right track when she wrote: "Drew was an adult who secretly entered a teenage world and made it more dangerous." My view is slightly different however. I believe Lori Drew is a predator. The only part missing from this case and other predatory cases is the sexual intent. The imbalanced of power/age in the relationship is there, the secret identity by the adult is there, and the intent to do harm to a child is there.

The media is referring to the situation as cyber-bullying, but I think that term is best used when the communication is between children or between adults. An adult-child communication is predatory in my mind.

Testing Genes for Athletic Ability

Would you have your child's DNA tested for a gene that would indicate her or him likely having special athletic ability? Well, several companies have popped up to provide this service. Read more here at Slate.com.

What About the Children in Africa?

I missed an opportunity to teach in Africa a few years ago. I applied to teach in a program, but the selection process dragged on. While waiting months for an answer about the job, I accepted another job. I was selected to teach in Africa, but I was on the other job for several months at that point.

In any case, I've kept an eye out for information concerning children in Africa. Today at Economist.com I found a summary of a recent report titled The African Report Child Wellbeing from the African Child Policy Forum. The report provides a comprehensive account of how countries in Africa treat their children. One would expect the more wealthy countries to have the best record in caring for their children. That is not the case, however. Quality care of children in African results more from moral conviction than the wealth of a country. Sadly, in many locations still, the treatment of children is horrible.

Are Toys Safer Toys Safer in 2008?

According to an MSN report:
"You can calm down, say both government regulators and toy experts. This season's toy selection is safer than just a year ago, thanks to increased testing."

What a Difference A Year Makes

I checked my blog posts from this time last year and was reminded that last year the public was up in arms about unsafe toys. This year that complaint seems nowhere to be found. I can't believe the problem has been corrected, however.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Mickey Mouse!

Rock and Rock Camp for Girls Only

Here is a link to a MSN story concerning a rock and roll camp for girls.

What High Quality Educational TV for Children?

Less than 13 percent of educational tv is of high quality.

Exploitation of Children

Increasingly, I've been thinking of how adults exploit children. My thoughts are in this direction because of seeing children being used in commercials, political campaign ads, and in print ads. While walking from the office-computer room-storage area in my house, my attention was drawn to a picture of a little girl on the cover of a learning materials catalog. Something was odd about the beautiful little girl's face. It took a while for me to decipher what the issue was. Lo and behold, the child had on eye makeup! Why should an elementary school girl--I'm guessing 2nd-3rd grade--have on makeup? This discovery was so disappointing to me.

Social Comparisons Among Preschoolers

Note the following from an article titled Social Comparisons in Early Childhood in Science Daily News:

"A new study by University of Michigan psychologists Marjorie Rhodes and Daniel Brickman questions these previously held conclusions about preschoolers’ behavior, by demonstrating that young children do indeed respond negatively when they perform more poorly than a peer—if that peer is of the other gender (e.g., if a girl learns that a boy has performed better than her, or vice versa)."

Listening to John Steinbeck

I must admit that John Steinbeck is one of my favorite writers. I never thought I would hear a recording of his voice, however. Well, BBC News has a short audio clip from the British Library. Steinbeck talks about writing The Grapes of Wrath in the audio clip.

Teaching Children Disability Awareness

Last year I wrote a children's story with a young disabled child as the central character. I was excited about the prospect of it being published, but as the tradition goes, it was rejected by a children book publisher. In any case I'll continue to work on this story.

More interesting, perhaps, is a disability awareness project highlighted by The Christian Science Monitor in the article Helping Kids Break Stereotypes. The project gives young children the opportunity to learn about the lives of disabled children and adults.

Do You Have Brilliant Ideas at 10:04 PM?

Information in this link might solve the mystery.

Social Skills...That's the Ticket!

Many years ago in a counseling degree program, I learned that people are fired from jobs more for poor social skills and not fitting in than for lack of job skills for the job. In any case, today I came across an article that provided the results of following high schools students for then years after graduation and discovered that "high-school students who had been rated as conscientious and cooperative by their teachers were earning more than classmates who had similar test scores but fewer social skills..."

Well, what if we stressed social skills in addition to reading, writing, and math from the pre-k level upward?

Bullying Reporting Web Site

Huffington Post is reporting on an AP story titled, "School Tip Line Web Site Lets Kids Report Bullies Incognito." The story highlights the work of a Brigham Young University student, who developed School Tip Line, a Web site for students (and parents) to report incidents by children of harassment, theft, and drugs.

According to the article, the Web site works as follows: "School administrators are made aware of any tips either by e-mail or text message, Bergener said. For some schools, students have to create a logon and password to send a tip, but they still remain anonymous, though. But in most cases, schools allow anyone to send a tip with no need to give personal information."

Nearly 50 schools in states other than Utah are using the Web site. I hope this trend grows. I have a problem with people, organizations, cities, states, and countries bullying others. In my mind I think a bully is are really saying: "I'm going to make problems I'm running from yours."

Learning in Depth

Interesting idea, perhaps...

Tuna Kindergarten

Indeed, fish go to school. Here is a video from New Scientist that shows tuna going to "kindergarten."

A Powwow Story

National Public Radio (NPR) has a story, told partly through the eyes of a 9 year old, about the current slowing economy and its effect on the Native Americans. The NPR story includes an audio file that captures the voice of Tyler Richardson, the 9 year old, as well as his father at a powwow. Great stuff!

Years ago I spent a weekend camping out at a powwow in Alabama. It was an eye-opening experience. I learned a bit about the Cherokees and greatly enjoyed the music and dancing.

Another Bailout

An Associated Press story on Sept 27, 2008 titled, "Father Who Left Nine Kids at Nebraska hospital Says He Was Overwhelmed." The article indicates that the wife of the man died, and the father quit his job to care for the children. One bright note reported was that the older child, a daughter, graduated high school early. I find that impressive and think tracking the future of this young woman would be interesting.

The father, on the other hand, makes me wonder: (1) about the practical decision to have nine children, (2) quiting his job, (3) leaving his children at the costly expense of the public, and (4) the efficacy of the safe harbor law in relation to its initial intent. I guess I need to do some research since I would like to know whether the father and others in this situation have to pay child support for total cost of care by the state. These days every penny counts in budgets at all levels.

8-Year Olds Don't Learn From Mistakes

Science Daily News is reporting on a study that found that 8-year olds don't learn from mistakes and negative feedback. Instead, that age group (and younger I suspect) learn from positive feedback. Apparently, learning from mistakes starts at the age of 12. Read more here.

Cell Phone Danger for Children

The Independent, a British newspaper, is reporting that a Swedish study reveals that children may face danger of brain cancer from using cell phone. The study indicates that kids are five times more likely to get brain cancer if they use cell phone. Read more here.

Yo Ho a Pirates Life for Me in Japanese by Snuff

Kids as Weather Forecasters

The is great! The Weather Channel conducted a contest for kids to give weather forecasts. Here is a link to see the results. Who said kids aren't into science?

Do You Believe in Magic?

I've working on a project for preschoolers that's tangential to magic, so it was interesting to read an article today in Science News Digest about how magic can be used to help children increase their confidence and social skills. Older folks may remember that Johnny Carson on occasions spoke about learning magic when young and how it helped him.

Web Site For Kids

Check out Club Penguin, a Disney Web site for kids. (The photo isn't from Disney...I'm well aware of how ferocious Disney is about its brand. Note that there is a membership fee.

When Kids' Friends Move Away

Here is a nice article from Slate that deals with a child coping with having a best friend move away.

My Space

I was shopping in a craft store recently and attempted to squeeze through the narrow space of an aisle, which was partially blocked by a father who had his son (3-4 yrs) in a shopping cart. Before squeezing by, I waited for the parent to make more room for me to pass. He didn't, however, so I made my way through. As I did, the young child remarked loudly, " I don't like people coming close to me." The parent quickly said, "Don't say that!" I added, "It's OK. He is who he is."

Later I thought about the child's remark. Initially, I believed the remark was racially motivated--them being black and me being while--and the child was simply repeating what he had learned. Thereafter, I thought the remark may have been a reaction to the child's parents telling him to not let anyone in public get close to him--out of fear of abduction, etc. In any case, the whole incident highlights how children interpret what parents tell them. Young children don't analyze situations and see shades of gray. The fact that the child felt threatened even when his father was within three feet of the shopping cart was clearly an overreaction.

I sure hope the child isn't taken to East Africa anytime soon since personal space is viewed much differently there. While in Nairobi, Kenya and other East Africa locations years ago, I was unnerved each time I stood in line and the person behind me literally touched me with their body as if the threat of someone jumping line was always a danger. Overtime I developed a habit of making more space by extending my elbow behind me. I never got use to how personal space was translated over there.

Are We There Yet?

Here's an odd story about a bus driver transporting kindergarten and first grade students. One part of me understand the fears of the children and parents concerning the incident. Another part of me think about how the students probably consider the the trip an adventure, but later realized it wasn't fun anymore. Two questions I have are: (1) Was the driver tested for drug use; (2) What about the training record of the driver?

The Up Side of Video Games

Video games have received much press as a negative activity toward children's health. Science Daily Digest, however, is reporting that children playing video games can expend more calories and have a higher heart rate. Playing sports video games was found to be secondary to participation in active sports activities in providing exercises. Moreover, new video games are requiring children to be more active by having children to walk and perform other movements.

Whose Children Are They?

I was working around the house while listening to the Today Show this morning. A musical group had performed, and I caught the part where Matt Lauer asked the lead singer what message was she sending to children. I heard the tone as being negative and wasn't clear whether Matt Lauer was referencing the song's lyrics or the performers' dance moves, which I didn't see. Immediately, I wondered whether parents have ceded lessons about morals and values to performers.

I mention this because I still remember my mother telling her children that we shouldn't follow other people, particularly when they were doing something negative. Of course, there was that standard questions: If all the other kids are jumping off a cliff, would you jump? My thought is that I don't go to a furniture store expecting to purchase ice cream, so I question why we're expecting entertainers, sports people, etc. to be a moral compass for our children?

Day Care Research

There is an interesting article titled Day Care: Research Has Eased Some Fears About Having Children Spend Their Days Away From Home, by Sandra G. Boodman at Washington Post on-line. The article indicates that research reveals quality day care has a positive effect on children and parents can relax some about having to leave children in the care of others during the day at those facilities.

Ms. Boodman mentioned that no males worked at the facility she profiled in the article. That is not a surprise.

I taught child development courses at a junior college and observed students for state and national childcare certification. In all the childcare centers I visited to observe students, I never saw a male working as a teacher. At one facility I followed the observation protocol by quietly watching one of my students provide care to 2-3 year olds. One little guy didn't want to nap and tried hard to get my attention without disturbing the other sleeping children. He quietly moved closer and closer to me as I sat in a corner. He finally climbed onto my lap, and I became his tree. I remained still while he moved from my lap, over my shoulder, and to my back. I finally told him that he needed to try to nap.

What I realized was that this little guy decided to take advantage of the only male he saw in the center. This situation left me wondering what children are losing with so few males working as teachers in day care centers. I realize the fear is that males will molest children and that fear is added to the anxiety parents feel when leave children for others to provide care. I'll have more to say about this after I track down a book tittled A Nation of Wimps by Hara Estroff Marano. According to an interview of Marano by Sam Miller of Freedom News Service, Marano believes that we are raising children to be weak because of over protection. Also, Marano believes that children are at risk more at home than outside the home.

Child Shot With Air Gun

I read the BBC News on line during the week in order to receive information from outside the U.S.--our media covers few international stories other than conflicts and airline crashes. Today an article concerning an 18-month baby, who was shot in the head with an air rifle by his 5-year old sister, caught my attention. Here is a quote from the article:

"While we are still trying to establish precisely what happened, this does appear to be a tragic accident involving young children," said DI Simon Vowles.

Somehow this hit me as a cop out. The article mentioned that the father of the children left there children unattended. However, there is no discussion about the father left a weapon within the reach of the children. I believe the father should be held accountable for the accident, not the children.

Children Cheating at Games

An article titled No One Likes a Cheater, But No One Likes a Stickler, Either, The Letter and Spirit of Recess Law, by Emily Bazelon at Slate.com caught my interest. The author described a situation where her son questioned the an incident where his playmates had cheated. While reading the article, several points came to mind.

First, research in child development indicates that children are binary thinkers, particularly the youngest of children. By binary thinkers, I mean that they think in terms of either/or without nuance. Asking children to weigh situations and consider fairness as well as flexibility when confronted with cheating while playing games is a lot to expect. I think children need concrete answers since that is the level of their thinking.

The other thought I had was that as adults it sounds so 'high minded" to say that "remember to be fair" and "we need to follow the rules" to children when other children aren't following the same advice. Only to a point that I agree with this idea. I think there are times that children need to adopt the "when in Rome" attitude, particularly during play. Most important, I believe, we need to teach children how to adapt to situations. Let's teach them when to be flexible and when to be firm since all situations aren't the same. Learning judgement and discretion is a valuable lesson.

Children Books Made into Movies

Have you noticed that children books are being turned into movies more than before? Well, this is part of a plan and some authors are making movie deals even before books are published according to an August 14, 2008 New York Times article titled To Reach Children, Publisher Tries Films, written by Julie Bosman.

On one level I understand that publishers need to tie children books to movies to help the struggling publishing industry. I have misgivings, however, because in a way I feel children and parents are being manipulated by the process.

Laughter Yoga In 60 seconds

(Video from YouTube)

I Heard That!

Did you know that simply listening to different types of music will help you formally learn music? A study, cited in Science Daily News, is indicating that exposure to music helps in development of competency in music and years of formal training isn't the only way to develop music competency.

Interesting, Very Interesting

(YouTube Video ["Action For Blind People - Kids Sports Club"])

There is evidence that celebratory gestures may be hardwired in humans. New Scientist has an article that cites a study within which the discovery was made that blind athletes display triumphant and disappointing gestures similar to those of people with sight.

Writing Off Disabled Children

The August 9, 2008 edition of the New York Times has an editorial titled "Writing Off Disabled Children." I found information in the editorial disturbing.. According to the editorial, many disabled children aren't being offered proper assistance in school, and these students respond by acting out. Thus the vicious cycle begins with them often being denied the same level of education as other students, particularly when they are in detention centers or jails, repeatedly getting into trouble. The federal Individuals With Disabilities (Education) Act requires that disabled students be properly educated; however, many school systems are evading that responsibilities per the editorial.

It seems so odd that we label our country as being a "Christian Nation," but we often turn our backs on the most vulnerable among us: children.

What About Sex?

The video left me with the impression that the book being highlighted is not breaking new ground.

The problem of children being bombarded with sexually-charged material has been on my mind for a long time. I really, really hate Viagra (and similar products) being advertised on TV during primetime and earlier. Also, I'm annoyed at how as a society we paint so much with a sexual brush. For example, a few days ago I saw a commercial, which indicated that a "pool" was sexy. I'm sure you've seen ads about cars, clothes, and other products being given sexual significance. From politics, what about the report that a British government official said that the U.S. wanted to "sexy up" the evidence to support invading Iraq? Through all of this, it's no wonder that children are exploring sex earlier and earlier. As adults we have set the stage, and I don't see much of an outcry to de-sex our society.

The crazy part of me wonders whether the hormones used to fatten animals for market is having an effect on humans in the form of heightened interest in sex. I haven't seen research supporting or debunking this idea, however.

Here We Go: Movement Toward Standardard Assessment in Early Childhood Education

I knew it was only a matter of time for the standardized assessment movement to reach the pre-k and kindergarten levels, particularly with more and more locations receiving public funds. Through Science News Daily, I learned that the Congress asked the National Research Council for guidance on how to evaluate children from birth to 5. Here is the link to the resulting report from the National Research Council.

Blue Light Special!

Would you send you child to a shopping day camp?

Children of Domestic Violence Homes

Through the Freakanomics Blog, I learned of a study by Scott E. Carrell and Mark L. Hoekstra titled Externalities in the Classroom: How Children of Domestic Violence Affect Everyone's Kids. The study indicates that ".... children from troubled families significantly decrease their peers’ reading and math test scores and significantly increase misbehavior of others in the classroom. The effects are heterogeneous across income, race, and gender and appear to work primarily through troubled boys." Read more about the study and find a link to study here.

Computers and Children

Recently, I've come upon two reports concerning children using computers. One report was on a local TV channel, which featured a childcare center receiving computers with the help of a state representative. The pitch was that the center needed computers that would allow children to go on line for learning.

I still have mixed feelings about children using computers on line outside the home since we still haven't mastered how to keep children safe on line. When I say safe on line, I mean from the standpoint of parents being more involved in the process beyond software and Web site blocks on computers. I keep thinking that parents need to instill in their children a stronger sense of boundaries, i.e., in speech (what type of speech is never OK for children), personal space (who to allow in personal space as well as being mindful of other people's personal space), age-appropriateness behavior (what behavior is OK for particular age level), and other boundaries. Kids Safe Programs at school may reach children on the intellectual level, but I think not on the personal or emotional level. The home setting is best to reach children about safety on the personal and emotional level. Well, what about children in homes without parental guidance? Perhaps that falls withing the category of child endangerment.

In the report concerning a childcare center having computers for children, I also had reservations about the extent of computer use fby pre-school children. I believe pre-schoolers should have minimal use of computers. My reasoning is that children at that age need to develop full-range motor skill with their hands and using computers doesn't provide that practice. Additionally, computer use currently--Nintendo Wii notwithstanding--often encourages a sedentary lifestyle. And I think researchers are linking some of childhood obesity to sedentary posture and computer use.

The other computer use report I saw was at the Christin Science Monitor on line wherein Tom Regan wrote an article titled How to Make Your Kid's Computer Time Educational and - Fun. The article references software and Web sites appropriate for children. That was fine. What I thought was interesting was that the writer, even within the article title, seems to suggest that fun should be secondary to education.

I totally disagree with fun taking a back seat to education. In fact, I think good education is inherently fun. I'm even banking future projects with children on that premise. Children are learning at exponential rates from games. As adults we're often Neanderthal in our thinking about children and learning these days. The result is that often children are bored in many school situations and are quiting school at earlier ages.

My recommendation is for schools to find people who make learning fun--credentials only indicate that educators have the knowledge and not whether the educator can impart the knowledge. Even though I'm a huge fan for using computers for learning, for now with, however, I recommend they be used sparingly in most cases.

Tantrums

Unrelated to the video above, Dr. Claire McCarthy of Harvard Medical School has written A Guide to Tantrums on MSN.com. The information is divided in sections as "Why Tantrums Happen," "Why Some Children Are More Prone to Tantrums," and "How to Prevent or Diffuse Tantrums." Certainly, the information is practical. However, I think it comes down to children are being children although it is a power play for children. I disagree that parents and caregivers should allow the situation to play out to the discomfort of other people.

What I don't understand and refuse to accept is adults who have tantrums.

Skin Infection Up Among Children

An article in Science Digest indicates that from 1997 to 2005, visits to hospital for abscesses or cellulites among children increased from 10.1 per 1,000 to to 27.6. Most interesting is that simple solutions to ward off infections includes actions as children washing their hands with soap and water as well as children covering up open cuts and wounds, particularly when playing sports.

Laughter Yoga

I've been thinking about yoga for children, and this type of yoga seems like a good place to start.

Girls Do as Well as Boys in Math

NPR on line has an article that indicates that girls are doing as well as boys on math assessment tests. That is fine to know. What is troubling is that the achievement of girls in math isn't translating into having them well-represented in math-intensive techology an science fields. I'm not surprised.

One reason I'm not surprised takes me back 37 years. I was dating a girl in college who was majoring in math. She informed me that she was having a problem with the math chairperson, who thought that females wasn't good enough to receive a degree in math. At the time I couldn't understand why the math chairperson, who was also one of her professors, had that view. I had no notion of that type of discrimination at the point in life.

Lately, however, I been thinking that females maybe turned away from math at very early levels. If few females are graduating with degrees in math and even fewer females with math degrees are teaching at the primary school level, then females don't have role models toward a career in math early on. There is also the point that fewer males, who may have degrees in math, are teaching at the early education level.

I might be stretching the point, but I think the question has never been whether girls can do math as much as them having the encouragement and role models in math.

Diversity in Primary Schools Benefits Children

I've always thought that student diversity in early education is just as important as students learning to read and write. In fact, I think social skills are more important now in view of social networks as Facebook, MySpace and other. Therefore, I was pleased to see an article that highlights a study, which focused on diversity in primary schools.

Childhood Obesity

Genetic Link to Violence and Delinquency

Through Yahoo News I came up a story by Maggie Fox of Health and Science that cites a study that supports the idea that there is a genetic link to violence and delinquency. My first impression was that it is one thing to discover a link, but it's another thing to lean toward generalizations. For example, one statement in the story caught my eye: "Three genes may play a strong role in determining why some young men raised in rough neighborhoods or deprived families become violent criminals, while others do not," I'm extremely sensitive to the point that violence and delinquency is nearly always highlighted in "rough neighborhoods." What about mass killings by juveniles from middle class and wealthy neighborhoods? Violence and delinquency in upscale neighborhoods would be a good, unique study

Moreover, at what point do we start identifying children who are may commit violence or become a delinquent? Do we start in kindergarten, elementary school, or even prior to birth? Will we get the point of addressing "pre-crime" as presented in one of Tom Cruise's movies (Minority Report) and arrest people before they commit crimes.

I guess I'm saying that I don't trust our society to handle genetic information morally. Call me a pessimist, but I see greed and power overrunning morality time and time again.

Little Technology Addicts

I have mixed feelings about children and technology. On one hand I think many children are overly dependent on technology for communication, and we still don't fully understand the dangers of technology on humans. Do electronic signals from a single device have any negative effects on the body? Does a barrage of signals from competing devices have an effect on the body? What about social costs as we have less face-to-face communication?

On the other hand, I welcome the opportunity to allow children to communicate differently. I'm certain children are learning more at earlier ages, but their understanding lacks depth. In many situations they are simply reacting and not thinking because they lack the development to think in complex ways.

With these ideas in mind, I read an article by Rachel Mosteller at Huffington Post on line wherein she raises concern about children becoming addicted to technology.

How to Raise a Happy Child

Here is a MSN article titled Seven Secrets to Raising a Happy Child.

Infant-Mother First-Year Relationship Predicts Child's Behavior Up to 13 Years

I was surprised to learn from a Science Digest article that the first year of a infant-mother relationship was predictive of the child's conduct later. The study was conducted at the University of Chicago. Within the study, infant temperament was paired with the mother's parenting skills. This study provides additional evidents that a focus on early childhood training could reduce delinquency. While reading the article, I wondered why the prediction ends at 13. Do kids become monsters at 13?

Strong Kids, Safe Kids!

Kids are Smarter Than They Think

Science Digest has posted an article titled "Children Learn Smart Behavior Without Knowing What They Know." The article highlights a study done at The Ohio State University with results indicating that young children develop conclusions without a conceptual framework. In other words, kids find ways to figure things out.

Future Engineers in Germany

According to the Financial Times, Germany has a shortage of engineers and the situation will become worse. Germany, however, is addressing the problem by investing in children's education through scientific kits to kindergartens. What a great idea!

Siemens is one of hundreds of Germany companies participating in this venture.

Safe Kids USA - Safety Saves - Bike Safety

"Bus-ed"

I just read an article in the Christian Science Monitor on line concerning a brewing fight by private bus companies that are trying to get the federal government to require cities to use private bus companies services verses public bus services to transport students. In many cases cities and counties use public services because of economics (cheaper) and flexibility (variety of routes and schedules) within public transportation. Private bus services are complaining that they can't compete with public bus services and want the federal government to force schools to use private bus services. My question is: Are we paying federal taxes for the U.S. Department of Education to provide business to private bus companies or for that department to provide the best service to children at the best bang for the buck? Moreover, if a private company can't compete, it should think seriously about changing its line of business.

Safe Kids USA - Safety Saves - Pedestrian Safety

Safe Kids USA - Safety Saves - Pool Safety

It's hot out there! Let's help kids to be careful while having fun in pools.

Children Consuming Sugar-sweetened Drinks

Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health researched children's consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and concluded that the consumption of those drinks have increased dramatically in the last 10 years. Evidence is mounting to link increased consumption of sugary drinks to obesity in children.

Low Vitamin D in Normal Children

Research at Children's Hospital Boston, reported at Science Digest, is indicating that vitamin D deficiency is resurfacing in developed countries. One suggest presented was that infant should received vitamin supplement while breastfeeding.

Caregivers of Young Children Lack Knowledge of Toxic Household Products

Science Daily is reporting information about a study that determined that many caregivers lack knowledge concerning the toxicity of household products. Among the remedies cited was education and using mature caregivers.

Lead Exposure in Children May Lead to Later Crimes

I first became aware of the link between lead exposure in children and later crimes from the book by Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner--both are economists and have expanded the book's ideas and more within their Web site: Freakonomics. Just today, however, a new article titled Lead Exposure in Children Linked to Violent Crimes at TruthOut.org provided additional data supporting the impact of children's exposure to lead, even in small amounts.

Prior to Christmas last year numerous news reports highlighted the problem of lead in toys from China. Since that time, the news coverage has dwindled.

Help Mediate Allergies With Early Exposure to Cats

Here is an article highlighting research concerning curbing children's allergies with early exposure to cats.

An Approach to the Environment That I Like

An Ancient Native American Proverb:

Treat the Earth well.
It was not given to you by your parents;
It was loaned to you by your children.
We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors;
We borrow it from our Children.

Reading Aloud to Young Children

Here is more evidence that parents who read aloud to preschool children are helping to enhance those children's language and literacy skills.

Benefits for Children Speaking More Than One Language

I always thought people who speak more than one language are smarter than those speaking only one. For one reason or another, I've made attempts to learn quite a few languages other than English: Spanish, German, Swahili, and Arabic. I haven't become proficient in any of them although I got by a bit in Germany for two years with displaying some knowledge of German verbs and nouns.

Apparently, children who speak more than one language benefit later in life in having stronger cognitive abilities according to a study at Tel Aviv University (Science Digest, May 7, 2008 article). Read more here.

What Are Children Reading?

Have you wondered what books children are reading around the U.S.? Well, Jay Matthews. writing for the Washington Post, provides the results of a recent survey that reviewed U.S children's reading patterns. As a Dr. Seuss devotee, I was happy to see that children still enjoy Dr. Seuss's writings.

Ideas on Raising an Optimistic Child

The Greater Good Science Center at the University of California at Berkley has information concerning raising an optimistic child. I believe some of us are born with optimism hardwired in our genes and some of us learn to be optimistic.

Another Reason for Early Childcare Attendance

Here is an article that highlights research suggesting that early attendance at daycare may help reduce childhood leukemia risks.

Earth Day

I found this soft-back book at the number one company on the Fortune 500 list. I intend to develop a program to use year round for preschool students.

Today I went to a craft store that was giving out pine sprigs in honor of Earth Day. I thought all the sprigs would be gone since I arrived at the store late in the morning and only the first 100 customers were to receive sprigs. I received a sprig at the check-out counter, and I remarked that less than 100 customers had preceded me today at the store. The cashier remarked that she still had sprigs because some customers didn't want them, not even to give to someone else.

This is my best Earth Day because I'm proud of my efforts to help the environment since the last Earth Day. In fact, I became a better gardener since last year. I made my own compost, and I've grown and eaten vegetables from my garden.

Another thought for today is that each year we celebrate Earth Day with planting trees and highlighting the environment; however, I believe each person needs to account for what he or she has done to help the environment since the last Earth Day.

Untagged

I have concluded that many school officials are more interested in iron-clad risk management than ensuring children have rich play experiences as children of prior generations have had. I say this because of another article citing that one more school is forbidding children the opportunity to play tag at school. If some children are playing too roughly, wouldn't a good solution be to disallow them from playing the game?

Essence of Interpretive Dance

This is joyous to see...the dancing, not so much the promotion.

Educational Video Games

A recent national report revealed that in many states nearly half of high school students don't graduate. One student who dropped out said he did so because he was bored. I began wondering whether the low graduation level had anything to do with methods of teaching. That is, are we expecting students of the computer generation to be fully engaged in learning with old methods of teaching? Now a survey is out indicating that most kids want educational video gaming in school. Maybe fresh ideas as this one will help hold students' attention in the classroom. I do think as more computer-savvy teachers go into classroom, use of educational video gaming and other new ideas in the classroom is inevitable.

Early Neglect and Later Agressive Behavior

Science Daily has an article that summarizes a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study that asserts that early neglect may lead to aggressive behavior in children. The study involved 1,300 children and monitored the children from birth to age 8.

A few days ago I mentioned a CNN report that indicated that a signiicant number of young children are abused and neglected. Therefore, the foundation for later agressive behavior starts early indeed.

You Can't Bank on It

PC World.com has an article that highlights "cool gadgets" available in Asia, but not in the U.S. One interesting gadget is a bank that reacts when a coin in waved in front of its eyes and when a coin is placed in its mouth. If this product were available to U.S. children, they would use it and enhance their habit to save.

Statewide Internet Safety Training for Children

SlashDot is reporting that Virginia has taken the lead in being the first state to provide statewide Internet safety training for school children. Here is the link SlashDot provided.

Male Monkeys Prefer Boys' Toys

The following link to New Scientist leads to report of an interesting study that concluded that male monkeys prefer boys' toys. I don't think we can, however, leap to any evolutinary conclusions.

Most Hideous of Sins

Of all the crimes against humanity, I can think of none less despicable than abusing or neglecting children, particularly children within a year of birth. Most recently, statistics were released about the high rate of physical abuseand neglect of very young children. Here is a CNN report.

More Important Than Nonsense

Of course you've heard a young child talking to her- or himself while playing. Piaget called it egocentic speech and viewed it as an inability of the child to see the point of view of others. Vygotsky's "speech to self" characterization of children's self talk gave more significance to this childhood practice, however. Now Science Daily is highlighting a study that found that preschool children do better when they engage in "private talk" while completing a task. Most interestingly, children with autism also completed task well with when using "private talk."

Children and "Bad" Words

NRP has an article, titled "Why Kids Curse," that is worth reading. There is also an audio link on that Web page.

Ultimate Fighting Children

A link on Drudge Report on March 27 leads to a story concerning support for a program wherein parents allow their children to participate in ultimate fighting activities like adults. I guess my question is: Is this something social services should investigate?

Toxic Toys Report on PBS

Here is a link to a PBS Now Program video concerning toxic toys.

Google Wants to Target Ads to Children

I found an article at Slashdot, a tech news site, that reveals that Google has applied for a patent to detect, track, and target advertisement to children. This idea is unsettling to me. The article also has a link to the patent application.

Not Easy Being Green

I found this story on DRUDGE concerning a teacher/coach/mentor being sent home because he dyed his hair green for St. Patrick's Day. This incident occurred in Richland, SC at Richland High.

Most interesting for me is a memory of growing up in Charleston, SC, where an elementary teacher dyed her hair different colors, including orange, regularly without a problem in the 50s. My mother often told the story that the teacher responded after being asked why she dyed here hair different colors that she liked being different.

The Richland story has many angles to it. The "green-haired monster" was an African-American celebrating an Irish holiday is one angle. Another angle is that the teacher was helping to bring fun in a non-threatening way. I wonder whether schools are wound so tightly that it can't identify light teachable moments because it is focused is on the negative more often. Now, how many years have we known that positive reinforcement work much more often than negative reinforcement?

Profiling Children for Future Crime

My first thought when I read this article concerning a proposal in Britain to collect DNA from children as young as 5 years of age who may later be a criminal, was of the Tom Cruise movie where people were being arrested for "pre-crimes." Understanding that some young troublemakers have become U.S. presidents, sports heroes, bank presidents, and have held other high level positions in society, a plan to identify children for future crime seem utterly absurd.

Safe Toys Update

Did you know that some toys are made out of PVC? I never thought about PVC being used in toys. Well, PVC contain phthalades, an additive that is used to soften vinyl, and phthalates is linked to a variety of health problems according to an article in the USA Weekend (March 14-16, 2008, p. 6) newspaper insert. The article also indicates that phthalades in toys will be banned in California starting in 2009 and is already banned in the European Union and Japan. The HealthyToys Web site is also cited in the article as a search location to query PVC amounts in toys from a 1,200+ toy database.

Protecting Children with Consumer Alerts

When the media were up in arms about lead in toys from China last fall, I thought issuing consumer alerts as the solution was wimpy. Now Science Daily is reporting that consumers have arrived at the same view conncerning consumer alerts involving children. Read more here .

Giving Kids Control of Play

Here is a link to a NPR audio file and article that deal with giving kindergarten students control of play for development of working memory and cognitive flexibility (executive functions): Creative Play Makes for Kids in Control.

Spying on a Teacher

Parents of a 4-year old decided to spy on a teacher after repeated citations from the school concerning the child's behavior. Here is a link to the ABC video: Spying on a Teacher.

How Low Can We Go?

More and more I'm being convinced that adults are trying to make kids into little adults. I saw this story concerning a kindergarten student being suspended for wearing a mohawk hair cut. Upon reading the article, I learned that the charter school also have kindergarten students wearing uniforms. I wonder whether all these restrictions on very young children have the net effect of causing children to later "act out."

Sleepless in Day Care

Science Daily on line is reporting that a study of 300 preschoolers at the University of Rochester School of Nursing indicates that preschoolers who lack adequate sleep may have more injuries. It is worth noting that children ages 3-6 need to have 11 or more hours of sleep according to the National Sleep Foundation per the article in Science Daily.

Babies Count

A February 9, 2008 NewScientist on-line summary of a research article, Babies Reveal Natural Gift for Numbers, is indicating at infants as young as three months are able to respond to situation requiring processing of quantities. Apparently, infants use the same region of their brains as adults to process numbers. A subscription is required to view the entire article.

Building Blocks

The New York Times (February 10, 2008--Sunday Edition) has an article in the style section (p. 11) concerning Freiedrich Froebel's gift's--the theme for this blog. [Remember Froebel is considered the Father of the Kindergarten concept.] The gifts are actually wooden blocks for children that invites open-ended play. The Times article, Long Before Legos, Wood Was Nice and Did Suffice, is written by David Colman and captures the childhood experiences of designer Tucker Viemeister who used the wooden blocks as a child. Viemeister reminisces about playing with the blocks and saving them for his children. The article is a nice reminder that simple toys can be cherished and become part of the family, much unlike electronic toys that have very short lifespans.

Decay-Fighting Lollipop

Last summer I visited local herbal stores searching for sugar-free candy or healthy candy to give kids in programs that I had designed. I was dismayed when I learned that none of the local shops had "good" candy to offer. I then searched on line for recipes that a novice cook could make. Again, I was disappointed when I found no source.

Today I struck gold when I visited Science Daily and found an article highlighting that Wenjuan Shi, a UCLA microbiologist, had developed a decay-fighting lollipop. The article mentioned that the candy was being sold, and I found a Web location (The Future of Things) that provided additional information concerning the candy including the opportunity to order the candy. Yippee!

Underestimating Kids

Two articles of studies concerning young children have caught my attention on the Science Daily Web site. In both study I question whether up to this point as a society we have underestimated young children's learning capability. In the first study, Children As Young As Three Can Navigate Successfully Outdoors, Study Shows, children as young as as 3 years of age were able to decode landmarks to find positions ouside. Scientists thought such skills were developed at alater age.

In the other study that piqued my curiosity, New Thoughts On Language Acquisition: Toddlers As Data Miners, researchers learned that young children may develop language not at the rate of one word at a time. Instead, young children in the study seem to sort though information for patterns to form language.

I'm wondering whether we have been assuming that young childern's learning is linear and as a result we try to force that pattern on them and may have not credited them for learning; perhaps we have even limited their learning.

Moms Need to Listen to Their Children

A study at Vanderbilt University (Bethany Ritter-Johnson lead author) found that mothers can help their children learn better by asking their children to explain school work. The act of explaining the information while mothers listen helped children to learn information better and even solve more challenging problems later. The researchers believe that any caregiver listening may have the same effect as mothers in the study. Read more in an article at Science Daily (Kids Learn More When Mom is Listening).

PBS New On-Line Neighborhood for Preschoolers

I just read an article (by Mike Snider of USA Today) that highlights a new PBS on-line site for preschoolers. I went to the "PBS Kids Play" site and discovered that the site's activities are subscription based, but is currently being beta tested.

I knew it was only a matter of time for a service like this since the cost of providing activities on line is less costly than CDs or VHS tapes, etc. Also, the children's on-line market is fertile ground for marketing.

Even though I support computer use for young children, I strongly think that just as television, it should supplement not replace direct face-to-face instruction. We need to remember that there is so much more than lesson content that students learn in face-to-face instruction with teachers, particularly parents.

Children's Personality Set by Pre-School Level?

MSNBC on line has an article titled Personality May Be Set by Preschool by Linda Carroll, which presents some interesting information concerning personality development. This longitudinal study, spanning 19 years, followed 103 children from age 4 to their early 20s. Within the study, children were divided between three personality categories: undercontrolled (shy), overcontrolled (aggressive) and resilient (balanced). Over the years children in the study developed skills to allow their behavior to be socially acceptable; however, their personality essentially remained the same.

As with may studies, there is room for critics to question why other factors weren't included in the research. I think the study has value in that it provides insights over time and offers notes for parents and teachers to help children cope with pitfalls in life regardless the personality type. The one caution I have is that we take care when labeling children along personality lines. Often do so has damaging effects on children.

Those Computer Kids

I was scanning the Slashdot Web site for my daily shot of tech news, and came upon an article concerning children's Internet search skills as reported in a press release of a British study. Many adults will concede that even very young children are highly tech savvy when compared to many adults. There is a difference between the two groups, however, in using the Internet to search for information. Even though many kids are proficient in using the Internet for searches, they don't seem to use analytical skills to determine the quality of information they find and aren't patience enough to take time to cross check information.

Years ago in each education course I took I head the mantra that educators need to teach students critical thinking skills. Even television news reports and magazine articles touted this need. These days I don't hear much talk about teaching students critical thinking skills--Florida State standards does include this requirement though. I think about our failure as a society each time I see a news report about students being caught in scams on Facebook or Myspace. Yes, our children are handy with computers, but to what end? Moreover, schools are challenged to teach these skills to students within the time students are in their care, but what about the responsibility of parents under with whom kids have the greater amount of time?
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Children Who Choosing to Smoke

An article in Science Daily (Jan 18, 2008) titled Exposure to Smoking in Movies Influences Kids Lighting Up indicates that children watching smoking behavior in movies help them determine to smoke later. The common thought has been that children make a decision to smoke at the adolescent age level. The research revealed that children are influenced at a much earlier age. Moreover, the study found that the influence to smoke is from "youth-rated movies. The article recommends that parents should limit children's view of movies that contain smoking. Somehow that recommendation seems impossible to me. I think a better recommendation is that parents have continued dialogue with children about the pitfalls of smoking while setting an example by not smoking.

Girls Behaving Badly

NPR (National Public Radio) on line has an audio story (Aggression Becoming More Common in Girls by Sandy Hausman) that caused to me to wonder how effectively we are addressing girl's aggressive behavior. Here is the link to the story: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18112648

For quite a while I've thought that as a society, we have glorified violence under the banner "that just who we are." Now girls are believing that being aggressive to the point of being violent is a sign of equality with boys. Moreover, Sandy Hausman reports that fights between girls are even treated differently than fights between boys in school. Hausman indicates that schools routinely suspend or expel boys, but are more lenient on girls in fighting situations.

I guess I'm wondering whether we should be sending a message to girls from pre-school onward that equality with boys does not mean behaving just as badly. In the meantime schools should treat girls in similar ways as boys for aggressive behavior to demonstrate equality.

Food Allergies in Children

I've been curious about children's food allergies for quite a while. I have a niece of whom I've know for at least 40 years that she is allergic to eggs. I couldn't understand how that was possible as we grew up--I'm from a large family of brothers and sisters and have nieces near my age. Increasingly, children are being reported as having allergies than in years prior.

Today (January 9, 2008) the New York Times printed an article by Kim Severson titled "Food Allergies Stir a Mother to Action." The article highlights the actions of Robyn O'Brien, a mother active in addressing foods that trigger allergies in children. Here is the link to the article, but you need to log in to the Times Web site to read it: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/09/dining/09alle.html?pagewanted=2&_r=5&th&emc=th

According to the article, Robyn O'Brien advocates throwing out nonorganic food to help children with allergies. However, food companies and other groups counter with the fact that research doesn't indicate that the problem is within the food.

I find it amazing that this discussion has continued for years and still little definitive research has been completed. Moreover, I don't trust any research from any organization that receives money directly or indirectly from the food industry. The sad point is that as adults have this food fight, children suffer.

Traffic Fumes Affect Children

NewScientist on line is citing a study that indicates that traffic fume still is hazardous to children years after the band on lead in fuel. Apparently, the soot particles from vehicles have a negative effect on children's.

Disorganized Boys

A New York Times article by Alan Finder on January 1, 2008 (Giving Disorganized Boys the Tools for Success) indicates that many middle school and high school boys are disorganized to the point that it negatively impacts their grades. My question is: How did these boys get the way? I'm thinking that early in their schooling these boys were allowed to be disorganized--"boys will be boys"--and as a consequence never developed the habit of being organized. The easy and long-term fix for this problem is one that requires boys to conform to organizational rituals from first grade onward.

While reading the article, I wondered how many of these disorganized boys are ADHD.

Here is a link to the article, but you will need to have and sign up for an account if you don't have one already: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/01/education/01boys.html?pagewanted=1&_r=5&th&emc=th