Childhood Development

Child Well-Being

commentary
How Are the Kids Doing? The Well-Being of Children and the Nation's Potential
Today's children are growing up amid extraordinary challenges that could shape their health, development, and well-being for years to come. Investing in a new approach to measure their potential to flourish could promote national well-being in the long term.
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Oct 22, 2021
Anita Chandra, Neal Halfon, et al.

Child Well-Being

commentary
Augmented Reality on the Playground
As children's screen time increases, their time spent outdoors decreases. How might new technologies merge with nature to help kids get outside and be more active?
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Jul 10, 2019
Deborah A. Cohen
Parenting

commentary
Empowering Parents Through Positive Parenting Interventions
For parents, knowing whether they are raising their children the “right” way can feel like an impossible task. Parenting programs can make a unique and indispensable contribution to child well-being, and ultimately give children the resilience to thrive, even in challenging circumstances.
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May 30, 2019
Barbara Janta, Lynn M. Davies
Childhood Development

essay
High-Quality Early Childhood Programs Can Change Lives
The most comprehensive look to date at the benefits of early childhood education found that 102 of 115 programs improved at least one outcome for children beyond a statistical doubt. And the economic and social benefits continue to pay dividends, sometimes well into adulthood.
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Jan 3, 2018
Childhood Bullying

commentary
The Ghost of Bullying
The idea that bullying is experienced by only a few children and adolescents is false. Most cases are verbal, not physical, and victims tend to remain silent. Research has shown that bullying can have negative long-term effects on a person's life.
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May 31, 2017
Italo A. Gutierrez
commentary
Parental Leave Would Cause a Boom in Breastfeeding
Doctors recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby's life. This provides health benefits to both mother and child and saves health care costs. Paid maternity leave can boost breastfeeding rates, but few U.S. firms offer it.
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Apr 17, 2017
Kandice A. Kapinos @kandicekapinos, Lori Uscher-Pines
STEM Education

commentary
Integrating STEM Learning in Early Childhood Education
Young children can understand concepts in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and early development of STEM skills seems to support learning later in life. But an effective teaching system is needed before STEM learning can be fully integrated into early childhood education.
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Jun 19, 2016
Rafiq Dossani
Early Childhood Education

commentary
Countering Extremism: Early Childhood Education Forgotten
Global attention has turned to education as a way to counter extremism. But what has been missing from the conversation is a focus on learning in children's first years, when much brain development occurs. In the Middle East and North Africa, government underinvestment in formal programs for young children is the norm.
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Jun 8, 2016
Rita T. Karam, Gail L. Zellman
Depression

commentary
New Depression-Screening Guidelines Could Help Both Mother and Child
Behavioral health professionals and community agencies often do not consider the impact of parental depression on young children or focus on the adult's role as a parent. New guidelines recommending depression screening during primary care visits for pregnant women and new mothers are a critical first step.
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Mar 18, 2016
Dana Schultz
Minority Students

commentary
Realizing the Potential of 'My Brother's Keeper'
The White House has mobilized an impressive coalition to address a critical national challenge, and used the power of research evidence to begin to structure the initiative. By drawing more lessons from research, the initiative can further bolster its chance to build strong and lasting ladders of opportunity and success for boys and young men of color.
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Mar 16, 2014
M. Rebecca Kilburn, Dana Schultz, et al.
Preschool Children

commentary
Give Poor Kids a Chance with Early Education
Federal and state initiatives to advance preschool program quality will further ensure that these investments in early learning programs will achieve their full promise and promote healthy child development — physically, socially, emotionally, and academically, writes Lynn Karoly.
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Apr 10, 2013
Lynn A. Karoly
Early Childhood Education

commentary
High-Quality Early Childhood Programs Require High-Quality Teachers
High-quality early childhood interventions can improve academic achievement, reduce crime and delinquency, and enhance future labor market success. But the operative word is "high-quality." And for early childhood programs to be high-quality, they must have qualified instructors.
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Mar 18, 2013
Brian M. Stecher
Preschool Children

blog
RAND Researchers Discuss Early Childhood Development
Joe Dougherty summarizes key points from a media conference call with RAND experts on early childhood development and education.
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Feb 21, 2013
commentary
The President's Early Childhood Expansion Should Take a 'Portfolio' Approach
A optimal approach to strategically expanding access to early childhood programs is one that helps states and communities identify evidence-based approaches that address their particular needs, within the context of their characteristics, writes M. Rebecca Kilburn.
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Feb 21, 2013
M. Rebecca Kilburn
Preschool Children

blog
Bernanke Knows a Good Investment When He Sees One
Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve System Ben S. Bernanke cited RAND studies that have documented the importance of investing early in children's learning as he made the case that early education programs are one of the best investments that society can make in its future.
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Aug 2, 2012
Lynn A. Karoly

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Childhood Development

How Are the Kids Doing? The Well-Being of Children and the Nation's Potential

Augmented Reality on the Playground

Empowering Parents Through Positive Parenting Interventions

High-Quality Early Childhood Programs Can Change Lives

The Ghost of Bullying

Parental Leave Would Cause a Boom in Breastfeeding

Integrating STEM Learning in Early Childhood Education

Countering Extremism: Early Childhood Education Forgotten

New Depression-Screening Guidelines Could Help Both Mother and Child

Realizing the Potential of 'My Brother's Keeper'

Give Poor Kids a Chance with Early Education

High-Quality Early Childhood Programs Require High-Quality Teachers

RAND Researchers Discuss Early Childhood Development

The President's Early Childhood Expansion Should Take a 'Portfolio' Approach

Bernanke Knows a Good Investment When He Sees One

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