This week several of our top learning concepts are in the spotlight. Researchers have discovered that dads don’t speak as many words around their babies as do moms. Why does this matter? More than ever fathers spend time caring for their babies, so they need to understand the importance of language dancing—a slow-spoken, musical sounding, back-and-forth chatting with babies. (Dads, time to man-up with the baby talk.) 1 If you’re unfamiliar with “executive function” in children, this 5 minute video will get you up to speed. 2 This week Alexandra Ossola writes about kids learning science. Find out the role of genetics, the impact of fixed mindsets, and how play is like science. 3 4 5 Schools have always kept track of students, but much has changed about how it's done. Be informed. 6 You’ve heard: in a vacuum a feather and a bowling ball dropped from the same height land at the same time. But, have you seen it?! 7
Parenting
Parenting as an Introvert/Parenting as an Extrovert - Lindsey Mead & Allison Slater Tate, Brain, Child
Paternity Leave: The Rewards and the Remaining Stigma - Claire Cain Miller, New York Times
1 Dads Are Spending Time on Baby, But Not on Baby Talk - Ellen Galinsky, Jackie Bezos, HuffPost
Our "Mommy" Problem - Heather Havrilesky, New York Times
7 Questions to Ask at Your Parent/Teacher Conference - Judy Dulton, CafeMom
5 Ways to Raise Kids to Be Kind - Amy Joyce, Washington Post
‘Sesame Street’ Is Middle-Aged and Awesome - Emily Shire, Daily Beast
Learning
2 Executive Function: Skills for Life & Learning (5min video) - Harvard Center on the Developing Child
3 Too Many Kids Quit Science Because They Don't Think They're Smart - A. Ossola, The Atlantic
4 Is Being Good at Science a Genetic Trait? - Alexandra Ossola, The Atlantic
5 Helping 3-Year-Olds Master Scientific Concepts - Alexandra Ossola, The Atlantic
Do You Fall for Any of These Habits Myths? - Gretchen Rubin, LinkedIn
Is Practice Overrated? - James M. Lang, The Chronicle of Higher Education
Education
States Listen as Parents Give Rampant Testing an F - Lizette Alvarez, New York Times
GA Court Say Parents Potentially Liable for Son's Social Networking Activities - RealClearEducation
6 Do Parents Even Know How Schools Track Student's Online Behavior? - Taylor Armerding, CSO
High School Graduation Rates Hit All-Time High - Janie Boschma, The Atlantic
More than 6,000 Charter Schools Now Operate in the U.S. - Jill Barshay, Hechinger Report
A Rough Election Day for Teachers Union - Haley Sweetland Edwards, Time
Big High Schools More Likely to Develop Cliques: Study - Molly Mirhashem, New Republic
The Benefits of Character Education - Jessica Lahey, The Atlantic
The Benefits of Students Teaching Students Through Online Video - Katrina Schwartz, Mind/Shift
Resources
7 Watch: A Bowling Ball & Feather Fall in World's Biggest Vacuum Chamber - BEC Crew, ScienceAlert
Holiday Movie Preview 2014 - Sandie Angulo Chen, CommonSenseMedia
Review: Big Hero 6 - Dana Stevens, Slate
Best New Learning Games for Kids 2014 - Melissa Taylor, Imagination Soup
All About the Abacus - Maanvi Singh, nprEd
Ebola: At a Glance - Khan Academy
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