IN THE NEWS: August 2023

Earlier this month, Governor Mike DeWine announced the launch of a ReadOhio initiative meant to improve literacy skills for students of all ages. During the announcement, Gov. DeWine highlighted Read It Again!, a free literacy curriculum supplement that helps develop and strengthen young children’s early foundations in language and literacy, as a part of these statewide efforts. RIA was developed by Dr. Laura Justice and researchers, in partnership with early childhood educators, and has since been studied and implemented at scale in several states and countries.  

Crane’s executive director Dr. Laura Justice and associate director of policy and external affairs Jamie O’Leary wrote an op-ed for Cleveland.com acknowledging the state’s language change from “day care” to “child care” and why language matters. They also argue that more changes are needed to elevate the early childhood education field and recognize the complexity and importance of their work. Check out the full piece here. 

NBC4i came to the A. Sophie Rogers School for Early Learning and interviewed early childhood educators about kindergarten readiness. Team lead preschool teacher Meredith Schilling spoke to reporter Jamie Ostroff about the challenges facing the early childhood field, and team lead preschool teacher Vanessa Shrontz was featured on the video showcasing her instruction with young children. Read the story or watch the video here. 

Research from the Crane Center on preschoolers’ screentime use is making headlines based on a new study with evidence suggesting that moderate screen use does not affect preschool children’s academic outcomes. However, screen use at a high level was found to affect children’s development of social skills. Lead author (and Crane’s director of research) Dr. Rebecca Dore was interviewed by multiple outlets to describe how this new data on screen time use may put parents’ minds at ease. Listen to Dr. Dore’s interviews with WOSU, NBC4i, All Sides , Hechinger Report, and KMOX (St. Louis) or click through for some great coverage locally, nationally, and internationally. 

Crane faculty affiliate Dr. Shayne Piasta was invited to author a blog for the national Institute of Education Sciences (IES) as they celebrated their 20th anniversary. Dr. Piasta was the IES’ first Predoctoral Award winner. Her blog reflects on the impact of her fellowship in the IES Predoctoral Interdisciplinary Research Training Program on her career.