Worthy Reads

While on vacation, a number of ideas for links and "worthy reads" came my way :

Help Teens Learn to Listen from Daily Good - a sweet approach to teaching true listening skills -- also,

Support a teen in your life in listening; start off by modeling an "agendaless presence." Daniel Goleman explains: { more }

Our Kids & Stem (suggestions from Four)

• "The Gears of My Childhood" By Seymour Papert. This essay was published as the foreword to Seymour Papert’s book  "Mindstorms: Children, Computers, and Powerful Ideas"
• Wired, March 29th, 2007 :" Geek Dad: The Origins of Mindstorms" By Jim Bumgardner
• Does Heavy Media Use Make Girls Less Happy? NYT, Jan. 27th, 2012

NYT Stories Related to Kids, Quaker Ed, Etc (suggestions from Four) 

• The Art of Distraction
• Building Self-Control, The American Way 
• How Companies Learn Your Secrets 
• Handling Sexual Harassment in Schools

From The Alliance For Childhood

Play England has released a new report called A World Without Play: Literature View. It gives an overview of the importance of play for children's health.

Screen-Free Week: April 30-May 6

On average, preschool children spend a staggering 32 hours a week in front of a screen, and the number is even higher for older kids. Become a Screen-Free Week organizer! Sponsored by our friends atCampaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood.

 

A new blog about play called re:Play has been launched by the Strong National Museum of Play.

 

The long-awaited report on play from the American Academy of Pediatrics has been released, with a focus on children in poverty. Read it here.

 

We've recently updated our Nature Resource List, an extensive compilation of books, websites, organizations, and films about outdoor play.   Our latest article, “Crisis in Early Education: A Research-Based Case For More Play and Less Pressure,” continues to receive praise. It can be downloaded and distributed from our web site. It makes the case for play-based learning and supports our continued work with educators across the country.

We invite you to keep up with media coverage of issues affecting children by visiting our Facebook page regularly. You'll find many interesting articles there.