Given that children literally have the metabolism and energy levels of well-trained endurance athletes, asking them to sit still all day is against their very nature. Evidence suggests that it is also less effective for learning—as it turns out, recess is as important as math and reading.

Dad said “public school was a ploy by the government to lead children away from God”, while grandma added we should be in school and not “roaming the mountain like savages.” So begins the compelling memoir of Tara Westover, raised in the rural shadows of Buck’s Peak in Idaho.

Not unlike the majority of education policy, most of the decision-making power related to giftedness falls to the states. This devolution of power results in very different approaches to how gifted students are identified and served across state lines.

Last month, the Center for American Progress (CAP) published a list of recommendations for newly elected governors to take on early childhood within their first 100 days. Let’s take a look at how Ohio Governor-elect Mike DeWine aligns with these recommendations.

According to a recent poll from the First Five Years Fund (FFYF), a national, bipartisan advocacy group, American voters are consistent in their support for early learning and care. This holds true regardless of survey respondents’ political affiliation.

A new report, Pre-K in American Cities, offers an assessment of 40 of the largest cities in the U.S. and how they measure up to quality benchmarks, as well as access to high-quality Pre-K. Columbus was among those examined and was the only Ohio city included in the report. 

Compensation for early childhood educators—including infant, toddler, and preschool teachers—must be equitable for the work they are doing on behalf of families and society as a whole.

Policy-makers must update Ohio’s Early Learning and Development Standards to reflect the “Active Start” guidelines set by the Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE) and require that early childhood programs meet these guidelines for ongoing licensure and accreditation.

For many children, kindergarten is their official entrance into formal schooling. Although many children participate in preschool programs or child care, often kindergarten is the first setting in which academic skills are explicitly targeted. Many foundational academic skills are targeted within kindergarten programs, although reading-related skills have received the greatest attention in recent years.

Runaway and homeless youth are one of the most vulnerable populations worldwide. These youth are most often disconnected from family, and underserved by communities, left to fend for themselves on the fringes of our society. With limited rights and privacy, they have little access to services and supports needed to survive independently.

In 2014, the inaugural State of Pre-K Symposium on Children addressed issues related to early childhood education by bringing together key constituencies. This idea was grounded on the belief that together, we will be better equipped to assess the current state of the field and to shape future directions of research, practice, and policy.

This white paper presents results of a community-based, multi-pronged initiative, Ready 4 Success, which was designed to improve the quality of language and literacy instruction in preschool classrooms and, in turn, children’s language and literacy skills.