-bam! Body, Mind And Child - Preparing Your Child's Body And Mind For Life!

Is early reading very important or highly overrated and generally misunderstood? Dr. Carla Hannaford points out that in our culture we believe that reading equals intelligence. This is false, she asserts, as our guests discuss the literature that supports and refutes the notion that the earlier children read the better.

Most teachers and parents have no idea how big of a problem absenteeism is in the early grades, nor the impact it has on classrooms and children for years to come. Moreover, a recent study found that most schools have no early warning system to detect chronic absenteeism before it becomes a significant problem. Find out what you need to know and what you can do.

Today there are many reasons why children are spending more time indoors than out. In this segment our guests explore the reasons, the results and make some recommendations for correcting the imbalance.

Some children's games are competitive while others are collaborative. There are some educators who believe young children should not be exposed to win/lose games. Others say competitive games prepare young children for the realities of life. Tune in to listen to the rationale for both views.

The ubiquity, application and use of technology in early childhood continue to expand. How is technology impacting child development? How much is too much? Who is best suited to define the proper balance for children? Our guests offer research, expert assessment and advice.

Most would agree that educating young children requires some specialized knowledge. Today we ask, is a child development credential enough or should a bachelors degree be required for all those who work with educating young children?

There is quite a bit of confusion about homework in preschool. Many believe in the value of homework at the preschool level, others are sure homework in preschool is a misguided idea. Today we try to shed some light and get some clarity on whether homework in preschool is developmentally appropriate or beneficial.

There is a drive underway to rate child care centers and family care providers. The aim is to provide parents with objective tools to identify the best providers and avoid substandard providers. But some argue that a ratings programs will increase costs on lower-end providers and eventually drive them out of business. Shouldn't that be the point? Well, apparently the issue is not quite that simple.

Traditionally, the preparation of teachers who want to work with children birth to age 5 has focused on the development of young children. But elementary teacher prep has focused on teaching methods and content areas instead. But this maybe changing soon.

In this segment we talk with a cognitive psychologist and memory researcher who challenges the wholesale notion that rote memorization is not authentic learning or quality teaching. He argues that, contrary to conventional wisdom, there is indeed a place for rote memorization in the teaching/learning process. Did we throw out the baby with the bath water?

Do common core standards for kindergarten mean standardized testing for very young children? If not, how will the standards be measured?There are many questions around how this program will ultimately be implemented. In this segment our guests zoom in on the challenges, potential pitfalls and possible ways to employ kindergarten standards in a developmentally appropriate way. .

Are proposed national, common core standards developmentally appropriate at the kindergarten level? Class, wealth, social status, and implementation may all be factors. In this two-part series Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, defends the program to critics who argue that national standards are neither needed nor helpful. .

There's a general sense among parents and educators that today's children are smarter, developing sooner and are learning more, faster. Is this actually true and if so what does this mean for the notion of what is developmentally appropriate practice? .

Research has found that students who eat school lunches and school breakfast are more likely to be obese than those who brown bag it. The data suggests that schools are often a major part of the problem. This segment explains why and what needs to be done in schools to address the child obesity epidemic.

RFID is the acronym for radio frequency identification, a system that allows schools to track students' whereabouts with an electronic device. The system is a creative application of an existing technology that promises to make teachers ' jobs easier But some say the technology has safety issues. Listen to learn more.

Playground safety is a concern for schools, day care centers, educators and parents. The trend has been toward removing dangerous equipment and taking all reasonable steps to remove risk from playgrounds. But have we gone too far? Are we depriving children of the valuable physical challenges they need to develop well?

Some students are visual learners, some students are auditory learners, and others are kinesthetic learners. Right? Well, maybe not; at least the answer is not quite that simple. Our guests discuss recent research showing that commonly accepted notions about learning styles are wrong. Looks like it may be time to update your understanding of learning modalities.

For many teachers and educators making the case for integrating movement into the learning and developmental process is tough sell. This segment offers both relevant research and tips for educating administrators, parents and others who must be persuaded that movement is key to learning.

It is generally accepted wisdom that small classes produce better student outcomes than larger classes and there is data that supports this. There is also data that contradicts this notion, asserts that other factors have more impact on student outcomes and that the significance of class size is largely over rated. Tune in and join this discussion.

There is a growing sense that as we've placed increasing attention on improving academic achievement, schools may be falling behind in fostering the basic skills required in a collaborative 21st-century environment. This segment explores how well schools are socializing students and meeting the challenge of preparing young people to function well in society.