Babies Can’t Wait: Relationship-based Home Visiting

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Home visitation programs have been around for hundreds of years.  As with most strategies, the popularity of such programs has ebbed and flowed over time.   This is a time of significant emphasis on home visiting as a strategy to support very young children and their families through one-on-one strength-based work.  The need for progressive, interactive, learning and practice is clear.  In order to support continuous learning and best practice work, we must look to the programs, and to the workers themselves, for guidance regarding what they need and when they need it.  As a result of providing such support, home visitors will learn and work in conditions under which they personally feel most successful.  With workers providing their best, we can then more effectively begin to measure and evaluate programs and their effectiveness with children and families.

For the next few blogs, I will post material out of my book “Babies Can’t Wait: Relationship-based Home Visiting”. The purpose of my book (and these posts) is to provide programs and staff with practical, concrete information based on best practices in the field of home visitation.   The tips are designed to incorporate current research and experiential discoveries into easy to follow, down-to-earth guidebooks.  Actual home visiting stories are noted to make the tips “real” to workers.

This comes from years of creating and implementing continuous learning programs for home visitors.  The key concept that came out of my work was that home visitors and their supervisors wanted practical, concrete “steps to take” that they could incorporate into next week’s visits.  Programs clearly understood the need to make their workers comfortable in the early stages of their jobs by giving them tips and techniques that they could immediately use.    This does not discount the need for training workers on theory and on dealing with difficult issues; it does however, speak to prioritizing training based on the interests, needs and concerns of programs and their staff.

Over the years, I have continued working and training in the field of home visitation services.  After being a parent in Head Start (and in fact because of Head Start), I returned to college, earning a B.A. in Early Childhood Development and an M.A. in Human Development.   I have been a home visitor, coordinator, supervisor, director and trainer.  I have taken advantage of whatever home visitation training was available.  And I have created and implemented trainings, curricula and models.  As a result, I believe that the full potential of home visitation programs for children and families has not yet been realized.  However, I believe we can say that there are certain best practices that are more successful than others in working with parents and children in their own homes.     The 25 tips I will talk about on this blog are designed as practical, concrete tips that you can put into place as you begin home visiting.  They are based on generally considered best practices in the field, translated into my practical, concrete applications.   I hope you learn from them, and enjoy putting them into practice.

I hope (and believe!) that this approach will be helpful to you as you begin home visiting – whether this is your first year, or your 15th year.  I strongly believe that, if you have the tools and the confidence, you will continue to grow and practice over time.

Warmly, Linda Kimura, the Babies Can’t Wait Lady

Visit the Babies Can’t Wait Facebook Page HERE

Christmas (Eve) is Coming

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In our family, like many others, we have several family groups to consider during holidays. Marriages and divorces make it complicated for everyone to be together. Young parents are often divided about which side of the family to be with on which day. Reminds me of the old adage: “A son is a son till he takes him a wife – a daughter’s a daughter the whole of her life.”

We don’t often get Christmas day with the grandchildren. So this year, we will host a Christmas Eve dinner and the grandchildren will open their presents from us then. After all, what fun is it to buy presents if you don’t get to see their faces as they open them?

So what to do on Christmas Eve?  We have a tradition with the grandchildren.  (We actually didn’t realize it was a tradition until the 9 yr old described it as such. ) We create a Treasure Hunt for children’s presents.  We hide clues around the house and the last clue leads to a present.  It’s a little thing, but it’s important to them (and it’s fun!)

Now I’m thinking about Christmas Eve food traditions. I think it’s important to not replicate what families will have for dinner on Christmas day so no turkey or ham. Traditionally, I would serve oyster stew – but very few folks coming for dinner this year would eat it so I have to find something else.

I think Comfort Food – maybe a hamburger casserole – maybe old fashioned dishes like green beans with mushroom soup and french fried onions, and Jiffy corn casserole. Maybe decorated Christmas Cookies if I get ambitious…but not traditional fruitcake (see cartoon above)

Whatever I decide, whatever we eat, the joy will be in the getting together, in the shared experience.  It’s not the actual date, it’s what you make of it.  After all, when was Jesus really born?  Many scholars think it was in April, not December. So I say enjoy the season and whatever dates it works for you!

I am Thankful

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I’ve noticed a lot of folks listing one thankfulness each day this Thanksgiving holiday season.  It’s a great idea – I just didn’t get around to it until now! So I’ll list a few “thankfuls” all together and see what comes up for me:

T is for TEACHERS – Especially those who taught me including my mother and aunts, and my school teachers.

H is for HOME – Just being home with my husband John is my most treasured time. I’m thankful for every day we have together at home.

A is for AMIDA BUDDHA. Namu Amida Butsu. (trust in the person and work of Amida Buddha)

N is for NEW EXPERIENCES – When I review my life so far, I am amazed at all the new experiences I faced.  From wonderful to not-so-much, I learn from all.

K is for KINDNESS – I appreciate the kindness of friends and colleagues and strangers. When I travel, I rely on the kindness of travel industry folks to get me there – and program staff to make sure I am ready to train and consult. Thank you to all of them!

S is for SACRAMENTO – It’s where I met my husband. ‘Nuff said.

G is for GRANDCHILDREN – From 8 months to 18 years, they’re a joy and a surprise every time we are with any of them. (I am also thankful for their parents -our children – but I didn’t have a “C” to work with in the word “Thanksgiving”.)

I is for INFANT/TODDLER DEVELOPMENT: I’m thankful for the chance to work in such a fast-moving and often-changing field – I love each day of this work.

V is for VACATIONS – I am thankful for mini vacations we take because they give us chances to relax. We worked hard for them -and I appreciate them.

I is for IPADS, IPHONES, IPODS - in other words, for cutting edge technology. (at least it seems cutting edge to me) I am truly thankful for the difference technology has made in my work life – shorter hours due to less searching for information, more advanced trainings, and more informed consultations.

N is for NAIL POLISH – Especially on my toes!  What a treat pedicures are, and how great they make my plain old toes look!

G is for GOOD WEATHER – Whether it’s the sunshine of our home in California, or the hot, hot sunshine of Arizona, or even the cool and wet breeziness of my home state of Washington, I appreciate weather that allows one to enjoy the changes.

What about you – what makes you thankful?
Happy Thanksgiving from Linda, the Babies Can’t Wait Lady 

 

Veterans Day – who are we thanking?

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Another Veterans Day come and gone. I thanked our vets as always and with deep gratitude. But, this time, Veterans Day left me pondering who we are really thanking – and for what….

I know I thank all veterans of all wars for taking time out of their personal lives to work, and often fight, on behalf of the rest of us.  I am also thankful to the military who serve during peace times. They also commit to service the rest of us do not.

But what exactly are we thanking them for?  I ponder this after seeing the following post on Facebook: (If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you can read this in English, thank a soldier)

What exactly does this mean?  If you don’t read English, you can’t thank a soldier? If you live in a country that speaks another language, you can’t thank a soldier?

I worry the meaning is much more biased: If you don’t read English, you must live in a country where English (the only good language) is not spoken.  In other words, only English-speaking folks are good enough and they all live in the US.

Am I over-reacting?  Our wonderful country was built on the back of immigrants – many of whom did not speak English.  We still have immigrants arriving in our country every year – looking for freedom to practice their religion, to speak their views, to live a better life.  (For the purposes of this blog, I am speaking of legal immigrants only)

When immigrants come to this country, they receive many messages that English is the good language and other languages are not as good/powerful/accepted.  But this goes against research:

Lily Wong Fillmore (1991) tells us “When parents are unable to talk to their children, they cannot easily convey to them their values, beliefs, understandings, or wisdom about how to cope with their experiences. They cannot teach them about the meaning of work, or about personal responsibility, or what it means to be a moral or ethical person in a world with too many choices and too few guideposts to follow. What is lost are the bits of advice, the parents should be able to offer children in their everyday interactions with them. Talk is a crucial link between parents and children: It is how parents impart their cultures to their children and enable them to become the kind of men and women they want them to be. When parents lose the means for socializing and influencing their children, rifts develop and families lose the intimacy that comes from shared beliefs and understandings.” 

Bialystok, 1991; Corson, 1998; Durgunoglu & Verhoeven, 1998 tell us children experience significant linguistic, cognitive, social, and cultural gains when they become bilingual at an early age.

Oh – and then there’s that other issue: Why are WE speaking English?  All of our ancestors (unless we are Native American) immigrated to America where there already existed thriving cultures and thriving home languages.  But instead of learning the language(s) of the land to which we immigrated (as we expect others to do), we forced the native population to learn ours and proclaimed English the language of the land.

By the standards we apply to those who immigrate from other countries today, we should be speaking a Native American language, not English.

So thank a veteran for taking on a hard, lonely, dangerous job. Thank a veteran for protecting us in a way most of us cannot. Thank a veteran for loyalty, for service, for making sacrifices -far too often the ultimate sacrifice.  But don’t thank a veteran for the fact that we speak English. That’s racist and it just plain doesn’t make sense.

Warmly, Linda, the Babies Can’t Wait Lady

 

 

A Window of Opportunity for Vulnerable Children

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Right now, more than 6,343,000 American children under the age of 6 live in poverty.

For about one million of them, (about 16%) Head Start and Early Head Start offer a Window of Opportunity. Quality early education, health screening and family support give these young children the start they need for success in school and life. In time, investments in Head Start and Early Head Start children are returned sevenfold to our society through increased earnings and decreased grade repetition, special education, welfare dependency, and crime.

But there are more than 5 million children that Head Start and Early Head Start don’t reach. Without early intervention they may never have their Window of Opportunity, and they are likely to enter school hungry and unprepared.

Be a champion for America’s vulnerable children. Help keep the window open by supporting continued investment in Head Start and Early Head Start.  Read more about this critical issue at The National Head Start Association website and please watch the Window of Opportunity video

Warmly, Linda, the Babies Can’t Wait Lady

States of Awareness

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 This week and next, I’m sharing tips about babies’ states of awareness on my Babies Can’t Wait Facebook Page  Here’s a little bit about it.

Most child development experts believe there are six States of Awareness (also known as States of Consciousness). Many parents find it useful to learn a little about each of the six States. A little knowledge of States can help parents and caregivers feel more competent and enjoy their babies more during routines such as feeding and sleeping

THE SIX STATES:
Sueño Profundo / Deep Sleep  (sometimes called Quiet Sleep)
Sueño Ligero / Light Sleep (sometimes called Active Sleep)
Soñoliento / Drowsy
Alerta Tranquila / Quiet Alert
Alerta Activo / Active Alert
Llorando / Crying (crying that lasts at least 15 seconds)

This week I’m explaining the states on Facebook. Next week I’ll provide tips for working with each state.

Remember,
Infant behavior is the language of interaction.
Periods of alertness allow infants to experience their environment and learn about the people around them.

As Penelope Leach reminds us: ”A baby under one year of age only wants what it needs and needs what it wants”.

Warmly,

Linda, The Babies Can’t Wait Lady

Magical Family Meals – featuring Jeff & Shirley’s Autumn Meat Pie

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Children who eat dinner with their parents are healthier, happier, and better students. (Article on CASA Study/Columbia) Children who eat most often with their parents are 40% more likely to receive mainly A’s and B’s in school than children who eat with family 2 or less times per week. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University found family dinner (and its benefits) gets better with practice. When families eat meals together less often, the food is not as healthy, there is not as much conversation, and the TV is more likely to be on. CASA tells us the older the child, the more important family meals become – but younger children are much more likely to share meals with parents than teenagers.  In the study, a majority of 12 year old children ate with their parents compared to only 25% of 17 year old teens.

We all know the importance of reading to children and playing with them. Here’s a newsflash- a recent Harvard study found family meals were more important to children’s vocabulary than reading or playing! (Article on Harvard Study)  It appears the simple act of sitting together as as family has a positive effect on children even when conversation isn’t particularly insightful or profound.

WebMD lists the following benefits of frequently eating together:

  • Everyone eats healthier meals.
  • Children are less likely to become overweight or obese.
  • Children are more likely to stay away from cigarettes.
  • Children are less likely to drink alcohol.
  • Children probably won’t try marijuana.
  • Children are less likely to use illicit drugs.
  • Children’s friends won’t likely abuse prescription drugs.
  • School grades will be better.
  • Parents and children will talk more.
  • Parents are more likely to hear about a serious problem.
  • Children will feel like parents are proud of them.
  • There will be less stress and tension at home.

It’s not as easy as saying – let’s all do family meals. Families are busy – parents are overworked, children are overscheduled – life is full.   WebMD (above) also provides 10 tips for organizing family dinners.

In the meantime, here is a link to a great video featuring Jeff and Shirley’s Autumn Meat Pie. It makes 8 servings – and re-heated leftovers are delicious!  Try it and enjoy it!
SHIRLEY & JEFF’S AUTUMN MEAT PIE VIDEO AND RECIPE
(Hint: you can substitute low fat cheese for full fat, and nonfat evaporated milk for heavy cream – crescent rolls come in a lower fat version as well)

Warmly, Linda, the Babies Can’t Wait Lady

 

Lullabies and Babies: a sweet combination

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“Where words fail, music speaks.” — Hans Christian Anderson

One of the sweetest moments a parent and child can share is lullaby time. The words of a lullaby are intended to have a soothing quality to help baby sleep. These are songs that say to the sleepy child, “Close your eyes, and go to sleep now, sleep, sleep, sleep – I am here with you.” Lullabies are very similar to baby talk, and babies seem to like them for the same reasons they like baby talk – the obvious pitch changes, repeating rhythms, a slow beat, and long, soothing vowel sounds.

Parents across the world share family and cultural values with children by singing their babies to sleep at night, and repeating the same song over and over to help toddlers sleep. In a wonderful acknowledgement of families, Venezuela’s national anthem is the same music as a special Venezuelan “cancione de cuna” (lullaby). “Duérmete mi Niño” (“Sleep my Child”) gently tells little ones it’s time to sleep because their parents have to wash their diapers and prepare food for them.

It’s the repeated sounds, single syllables, and whole words that contribute to the charm of lullabies. Calming, nonsense syllables were the earliest lullabies. “Loo loo, la la, lullay, lullye” became incorporated into the refrains of lullabies and songs we still hear today. Many languages have a sound similar to “lull,” and all those sounds are associated with peace and calm.

While you might not think of some songs as lullabies, they certainly can be, especially if they have softly repetitive refrains. And they don’t have to be old songs. The Beatles wrote several lullabies:  ”Hey Jude” (for Julian Lennon), “Beautiful Boy” (for Sean Lennon), – and Paul wrote a lullaby for himself as an adult – “Let it Be” which referenced his mother (Mary) who died when he was young.

These days you have access to many internet resources for lullabies and children’s music. Here are just a few that lead to songs I love and sing all the time:

Websites:
Amy Robbins-Wilson’s lullaby website

Kididdles:160 lullabies listed alphabetically

Books:
“The Book of Lullabies: Wonderful Songs and Rhymes Passed Down from Generation to Generation for Infants and Toddlers” (First Steps in Music series) by John M. Feierabend

“Lullaby Baby: 50 Songs to Read, Sing, and Hear” by Audrey Ficociello

“Hush Baby Hush! Lullabies from Around the World” by Kathy Henderson 

If you are interested in learning more about writing lullabies with parents and children, please contact me

Warmly, Linda, the Babies Can’t Wait Lady

References:
Kimura, L. (2004). The ukulele Baby Lady Presents: Songs for early childhood folks.  Woodland,CA: Babies Can’t Wait Publishing.

Avoiding the “Materials Bag Trap” – Tips for Home Visitors

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  • Do you bring a large individualized bag on every home visit?
  • Is it filled with toys and “activities”?
  • Do you depend upon the items in the bag to help you fill the home visit time?
  • Do children greet you at the door especially to see what’s in your bag?
  • Do children/families look expectantly at you – waiting for you to produce new wonders from your bag?
  • Are you exhausted from determining what will go in each bag, finding all the items, sanitizing them, bringing them, collecting them, bringing them back, re-sanitizing them, storing them?

I think you might be caught in the Materials Bag Trap!

What’s wrong with bringing bags full of goodies to each home? Well…consistently bringing and using Materials Bags does send some messages to families.  I wonder if the Materials Bag Messages are what you really want to say to families?

Materials Bag Message #1: Not Good Enough
What you provide for your child just isn’t good enough.  That’s why we have to bring our wonderful toys and activities.
Materials Bag Message #2: Focus on the Bag
Learning happens when I get down on the floor with my very important Materials Bag and your child; not when I provide you with information, materials, and support for the rest of your week.
Materials Bag Message #3: Stop Learning
Learning stops when I take my Materials Bag away at the end of the visit.  Persistent use of an overflowing Materials Bag can lead to families assuming their children’s progress is only due to you and your bag of goodies, rather than regular interactions within families.

NOTE: Robin McWilliam considers frequent use of the “toy bag”  an indicator that home visitors think interventions occur only during visits because home visitors usually take toys away at the end of the visits.  He says if home visitors believed intervention is what happens between visits, they would leave the toys (Robin’s blog) 

Why do home visitors bring Materials Bags? Something they may think:

  • My materials work best
  • Families don’t have the right stuff
  • This is what a professional does
  • Families expect it
  • Everyone else brings bags
  • It’s what I know

Some home visitors also report parents/families want home visitors to bring lots of “stuff”. Why?  Well, if parents/families believe the only way for their child to learn is for you to work directly with the child, of course they want you to be as prepared as possible; they get used to you bringing your huge bag of goodies each week.  Then if you come “empty-handed”, to them you seem (in Robin McWilliam’s words) “like a fisherman who forgot his pole, a carpenter without a saw, a plumber without a wrench…”.

Programs that depend on Materials Bags tend to have staff and families who believe: This is where the most “Learning” happens- when the home visitor opens up the bag.   But this doesn’t match the research on best practices in home visiting. If “Learning” doesn’t just happen when the home visitor is present, where and when does it happen?

Most home visiting programs that follow research-based strategies work directly with families/parents to teach them to teach the child. This ensures learning happens across time and by supporting whole families.  If staff don’t believe in this philosophy, they won’t understand the Materials Bag Trap.  When confronted with the Materials Bag attitude, remember families have been taught this attitude – it’s up to you to gently help them realize their own power – they can fish with their own poles (with your encouragement and guidance at first).

Here are some Babies Can’t Wait Tips to start climbing out of the Materials Bag Trap:

  1. Decrease the size of your bag.
  2. Include only one or two things to enhance the success of the visit
  3. Put materials in the bag that are commonly found in homes.
  4. Do not bring items that are so wonderful they make the child’s own toys look shabby or not fun.
  5. Notice Similarities: Say to child/family: “Isn’t this like yours? Should we use yours or mine?”
  6. Leave your (smaller) bag by the door and join the family in an activity
  7. Use the bag items as back-up only
  8. Ask Questions: Walk in empty-handed, and ask child/family “What’s different?” When child responds, say “What shall we do? What do we need?”

When you have decreased the hold the Materials Bag Trap has on you (and your families), here are some Babies Can’t Wait Tips to help you work with the family within their own home:

Use my Babies Can’t Wait 4-Step Home Visit Model. During Step 4 (Planning with the Family for Next Time), focus on routine-based experiences and strategies in the everyday context of each family:

  1. Plan most experiences around social and daily routines in the child/family’s life.
  2. Use toys and materials already in family’s home.
  3. Ask family to identify child’s favorite items from around the house and use on a rotating basis.
  4. Plan ahead to use home materials – it’s not fair to expect items to be cleaned up and ready  for your visit otherwise.
  5. Ask family to save materials that can be useful (such as egg cartons and milk cartons).
  6. Make home-made toys from items such as egg cartons.

NOTE: If you make and use home-made toys in the homes, make sure you have duplicates in the classroom during EHS Group Socializations/Parent-Child Play Groups. This reinforces the idea that home-made toys are excellent choices and not just for low-income homes.

Are there ever times when Materials Bags can be useful? Of course there are – it’s the over-reliance, and the importance placed on them that becomes a problem.

Decreasing dependence on the Materials Bag is one of the most natural and clear ways a home visitor can become more effective with families. The Materials Bag Trap says “Your child needs the things in my bag”, when the central message of home visiting should be: “You and your child are having a wonderful experience together that you can do again and again when I am not here.” 

Warmly, Linda Kimura, The Babies Can’t Wait Lady

Whatever It Takes: Successful Schools Prepare Children for Life

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Note: This Blog entry summarizes and expands upon a wonderful article in the September 2011 Smithsonian Magazine by LynNell Hancock titled “Why Are Finland’s Schools Successful?” Links to Ms. Hancock and the article are below.

The small country of Finland has greatly improved the reading, writing, and science literacy of its children over the past 10 years – partly because teachers are trusted to do whatever it takes to help children learn. Teachers in Finland consider themselves to be preparing children for life.  Ninety-three % of Finland’s students graduate from academic or vocational high school (17.5% higher than the US); 66% go on to higher education (highest % in the European Union) and yet Finland spends 30% less per student than the US.

Finland’s schools were not always wonderful. Until the late 1960s, most children left school after 6 years (Finland was emerging from under the Soviet Union).  As Finland charted its future, a dream emerged – every child would learn in a good public school, no matter where that child lived, – everyone would be educated, and school resources would be distributed equally.

Some say this tiny, ethnically homogeneous country cannot be compared to large, ethnically-diverse countries. However, when LynNell Hancock visited Finland schools for Smithsonian Magazine (September 2011 issue), she found schools similar to Kirkkojarvi Comprehensive in Espoo ( a suburb of Helsinki) where more than half its 150 elementary students were immigrants – from Somalia, Iraq, Russia, Bangladesh, Estonia, Ethiopia, and other countries.

Finland’s education success has inspired and confused many – and even irritated some American educators and administrators.  What is it about Finland and its educational system that seems to work? Let’s take a look at a few of the differences:

TEACHERS: Teachers in Finland are considered professionals, and respected on a par with doctors and lawyers.  They all obtain their Masters degrees in education, paid for by the state. Autonomy and respect make the job attractive.

STRATEGIES: Teachers use many methods to support children. If one method doesn’t work, they have the autonomy to consult with colleagues and try another method. This could mean combining classes. It could mean using new materials, or old materials in a new way.  If a child needs special help, the child receives that help. Nearly 30% of Finland’s children receive some kind of special help sometime within their first 9 years of school. Teachers ensure children have time to play outdoors, even in the middle of winter – we value play, say the Finns.

CONTINUITY OF CARE: Elementary teachers often stay with the same group of children for a number of years in contrast to US teachers who usually have different groups of children every year.

TESTS & COMPETITION: In the US, government officials, business people, and philanthropists like Bill Gates put money into private sector ideas that involve competition.  Indeed, President Obama may be on the same path with the “Race to the Top” initiative which requires states to compete for federal dollars using tests and other methods to measure teachers.

This would not be tolerated in Finland.  In fact the goal of Finnish education is to teach children to learn how to learn, not to learn how to take a test.There are no mandated standardized tests in Finland (except one at the end of high school senior year). There are no rankings, no comparisons, no competition between students, schools, or regions.

Note: What does this mean for learning? In the worldwide 2009 PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) scores, Finland was second in science, third in reading, and sixth in math out of nearly 1/2 million children worldwide. United States scores have been in the middle of the pack for the past 10 years.

DISABILITIES: The Finland national goal for the last 5 years has been to mainstream all children – to teach all children in the same classrooms, with lots of special teacher help available to make sure no child is left behind. Only the most severely impaired receive segregated learning.

DUAL LANGUAGE LEARNERS:  The only time dual language learner children are pulled out of regular classrooms is for Finnish as a Second Language or occasionally for special “preparing” classes taught by experts in multicultural learning especially for children who are just learning the Finnish language.

Note: All children in Finnish schools learn Finnish and Swedish, and then a 3rd language (usually English) beginning at age 9.

ACCOUNTABILITY: Finland turned over the accountability and inspection of its schools to teachers and principals. All schools are organized into one system of comprehensive schools (Peruskoulu) for ages 7-16. Resources are distributed equally so children from rural areas receive the same education as children from affluent suburbs and inner cities.

WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN?
It’s not perfect – Finland economics are suffering, and a huge influx of immigrants has strained the system. Still, there are questions to be pondered, and maybe even a lesson or two to be learned by those of us who grew up in and espouse the western ideal of competitive education.  It’s not easy to look at a system so different from our own, and take heed of what they might do better than our way.  It’s easy to see the differences – it’s just not easy to accept that there might be some better strategies.

I’m not advocating the US switch to the Finland system of education.  I believe there are significant differences between our countries. For example, Finnish schools provide food, medical care, counseling, taxi service if needed – and student health care is free.  OK – I really, really wish we could do that for every child in the US.  But I’m practical enough to realize that’s not going to happen.

But I do wish our government officials, business people, and philanthropists would occasionally dream beyond our system and imagine what it might be like if we could incorporate some of those strategies that seem to work so well for Finland. Unfortunately, we aren’t the leading country in education –  not by a long shot.  But we can do better – so I end with a plea for every parent at every school that’s not working that well: Read about other school systems – like Finland – and ask yourself – what is one small step our school could take to enhance how it treats students, how it treats teachers, how it supports learning?

To read the entire wonderful Smithsonian Magazine article by LynNell Hancock, click HERE

Warmly, Linda
The Babies Can’t Wait Lady