This week’s early childhood headlines: January 18, 2019

In the spirit of educating and advocating for our children, The Children’s Movement of Florida presents Worth Reading Weekly. Delivered every Friday, this newsletter gathers the top Florida headlines about early childhood education, parenting, and healthcare so it’s easy for you to stay informed.

Health and Nutrition

Play Is A Young Child’s Most Important Work

From Eastern Arizona Courier: “Research has shown that play impacts everything from physical abilities and vocabulary to problem solving, creativity, teamwork and empathy.”

Parenting

Disappointment Can Be Good For Kids. Here’s How Parents Can Help Them Approach It.

From The Washington Post: “Our role evolves from one that meets every physical and emotional need into one in which we’re supposed to let our kids experience struggle while our instincts protest from the sidelines.”

Policy

Florida’s Early Childhood Tests Go Too Far In The Wrong Direction

From Forbes: “Many early childhood education experts had serious misgivings about the Star assessment and its use for this purpose, but once the results came out, opposition became far more vocal.”

Pre-K and School Readiness

Head Start Improves Kids’ Lives. But We’re Still Finding Out Just How.

From Vox: “The study finds that Head Start looks like a stunningly cost-effective program — since kids who attended preschool do better later in life, government revenue is actually increased by sending kids to preschool.”

Mentoring

Five Ways To Nurture Compassion in Kids

From Mind/Shift: “Do more than have conversations about being compassionate with your child, look for ways to act compassionately at home and in your community.”

Special Needs

Parents of Special-Needs Kids Assume They’re Less Desirable Employees. They’re Wrong.

From The Washington Post: “Roughly 40 percent of American parents of children with disabilities will leave the workforce to become a full-time caregiver.”