The town where I live – Ithaca, NY – had six inches of snowfall this week during a school day. The snow storm prompted a vigorous debate among a group of moms about whether children should wear safety belts on school buses. [Read more…]
Should kids wear seat belts on the school bus?
December 11, 2014 By 3 Comments
An evidence-based education resource
November 20, 2014 By Leave a Comment
This year, I have a child in first grade and another in preschool. As I become more entrenched in school life every year, I have more and more questions about whether our schools are using evidence in making decisions and developing policies. [Read more…]
Exploring the link between diet and mental health in kids
November 13, 2014 By 1 Comment
Over the past 30 years, the rate of childhood obesity has more than doubled in the United States, increasing the risks for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and joint problems. Last month, a new systematic review found obesity among kids is associated with yet another health problem. [Read more…]
What we know about homework
October 7, 2014 By 1 Comment
Now that the school year is back in full swing, I find that our family needs to make time for homework almost every night of the week. And it’s got me wondering how much homework impacts children’s achievement in school. [Read more…]
How important is breakfast, Part 2
September 5, 2014 By 4 Comments
Earlier this week, we wrote about the body of evidence that shows eating breakfast does not lead to weight loss. But does eating breakfast impact cognitive function and learning? As my kids head back to school this week, it’s certainly a question on my mind.
New data on kids’ well-being
August 14, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Ensuring our youth grow up in healthy supportive environments is an important part of building a strong future for any society. Even here in the United States, there are significant disparities in child well-being. [Read more…]
Evidenced-based learning: Play, play, play
August 12, 2014 By Leave a Comment
My two oldest children received letters in the mail this week from their teachers – a sure sign that “back-to-school” is creeping closer. As I start wrapping my head around school supplies and book schedules, I thought back to this post about the importance of play in learning. I’m hoping that my kids’ teachers keep in mind the importance of play in the classroom this year.
Myth-busting evidence: Childhood vaccines
July 29, 2014 By 1 Comment
When my son was born, I spent a lot of time reading and thinking about whether he should have the routine childhood vaccinations. I had heard about the potential link between vaccines and autism and some anecdotal reports from other moms about adverse reactions to vaccines. But I wanted to consider all of the evidence on vaccines. [Read more…]
Kids and food allergies: What we don’t know
June 30, 2014 By Leave a Comment
We had some excitement at our house this past month when my 8-month-old daughter had two systematic allergic reactions to food. [Read more…]
How to measure childhood obesity
June 25, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Now a new systematic review has found that even more youth may be classified as obese. [Read more…]
The evidence on kangaroo care
May 21, 2014 By Leave a Comment
An estimated 18 million babies worldwide are born each year with low birthweight – the vast majority of them in developing countries where comprehensive neonatal care is not available. So what’s the best way to care for them? [Read more…]
Do girls perform better in school?
May 9, 2014 By Leave a Comment
When you think about an elementary school classroom, do any gender stereotypes pop into your mind? Most of us have opinions about how boys and girls perform at school. Maybe you subscribe to some commonly held beliefs that girls are better at reading and writing, or boys are more successful in math. But what does the evidence say?
