How to help Chicago’s younger learners?
The challenge of mending and strengthening Chicago’s network of care and education for its youngest residents defies instant solutions, but four candidates for mayor agreed Monday on one point: The city needs to care for...Read more
Kindergartners get little time to play. Why does it matter?
Being a kindergartner today is very different from being a kindergartner 20 years ago. In fact it is more like first grade. Researchers have demonstrated that five-year-olds are spending more time engaged in teacher-led academic learning...Read more
What does a great teacher look like?
Teachers with a strong belief in their own ability to ‘get the job done’ have the biggest impact on a student’s learning. It’s well-known that teachers have the biggest influence on student learning over any other...Read more
A preschool approach imported from Italy comes to public schools in Denver
Boulder Journey School feels different from most other child care centers almost as soon as you walk through the door. In the hallways, there’s a kid-sized mail-sorting station, a giant metal spaceship trimmed with white...Read more
Why is school connectedness so important?
If students feel disconnected from school, their learning and even their health can suffer – new research shows how teachers can help. Most of us have memories of our days at school; usually some good and...Read more
Cafeteria design can get children to eat healthier
While a growing body of research suggests that small changes to a school environment can help reduce childhood obesity and improve nutrition, 80 percent of school-aged children still fall short of national dietary guidelines for...Read more
UK fights child obesity with over £150m from sugar tax
In April the British government introduced the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) in an effort to fight childhood obesity. Now the ‘sugar tax’ has raised over £150m which will be used to fund physical education and breakfast...Read more
A community effort to redesign a school playground
Daniela Gaspoz is a mother of four kids and an urban planner. In this article, for Child in the City, she reflects on her initiative and journey as a parent counselor to help transform her...Read more
Connecting urban children to the environment with theatre
The ‘Little Fir Tree Project’ allows inner city children in Islington to learn about the wonder and importance of trees by combining arts and the environment. The project aims to increase awareness of the necessity of trees in...Read more
The next generation of Australian schools
With hundreds of new schools needed in Victoria in the coming decade, how will they meet future student and community needs? Australia will need an estimated 400 to 750 new schools to accommodate 650,000 additional students...Read more
Should Urban Studies be taught in high school?
Vancouver-based urbanist Jillian Glover reflects on the new urban studies curriculum for high school students in British Columbia, Canada. When I was a child, I didn’t really understand what my Dad did for work. He was...Read more
Children and schools in Victoria save save 5.7 billion litres of water
Since 2012 schools in Victoria, Australia have helped save 5.7 billion litres of water. These schools are part of a Victorian Government initiative, the ‘Schools Water Efficiency Program’. The program enables schools to save water and...Read more
Low-scoring schools in Florida make their days longer
Camille Watkins’ day as a fourth grade teacher got a little longer last year. The elementary school where she taught had been named one of Florida’s 300 lowest-performing schools. It meant the school was required...Read more
Finding what really works in education
Using data and reason, rather than intuition, to decide where to invest the large sums spent globally on education would make a huge difference to the learning outcomes of many students. This is the opinion...Read more