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Joanne Jacobs
Jan 122 min read
Too many toys, not enough fun
American families have lots of toys, but kids get the most play value from the basics, such as blocks.
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Joanne Jacobs
Dec 14, 20241 min read
Sorry, kid, your robot friend is about to die
Moxie, sold as a social-emotional support robot, is about to "die."
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Joanne Jacobs
Nov 29, 20242 min read
Climb, jump, spin, fall, learn
"Spinning too fast on the merry-go-round and flying too high on the swings" are healthy for children, according to Angela Hanscom, an...
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Joanne Jacobs
Nov 10, 20242 min read
Watching Nemo: Movies replace outdoor play, say parents
Young kids need to play outside -- not sit inside watching a movie, say parents.
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Joanne Jacobs
Oct 20, 20242 min read
Go out and play: Preschools try to kick the screen habit
Young children are spending more time indoors looking at screens, less time in nature , writes Karen D'Souza on EdSource. “Outdoor...
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Joanne Jacobs
Sep 15, 20241 min read
It's a school, not a mental-health clinic
School-based mental health programs don't improve mental health or academic outcomes, concludes an analysis of the research by Carolyn D....
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Joanne Jacobs
Jul 2, 20242 min read
'We are talking 4- and 5-year-olds who are throwing chairs, biting, hitting ... '
Covid toddlers are now in school, and teachers say many are not doing very well, report Claire Cain Miller and Sarah Mervosh in the New...
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Joanne Jacobs
Jun 23, 20242 min read
No phones, no Moms, just kids playing in the park
Parents should band together to "say 'no' to smart phones and social," writes Laura Yuen in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. She dreams of...
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Joanne Jacobs
Mar 24, 20243 min read
Childhood's end
Phone-centered childhood is a disaster, writes Jonathan Haidt in The Atlantic. In the early 2010s, "adolescents in rich countries traded...
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Joanne Jacobs
Dec 10, 20231 min read
Snorble wants to be your toddler's friend: Are AI toys good for kids?
AI playmates for toddlers will be in stores next year, writes Alyssa Rosenberg, who visited New York City's Toy Fair, in the Washington...
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Joanne Jacobs
Oct 19, 20232 min read
Teens spend 4.8 hours a day on social media, says Gallup
U.S. teenagers average 4.8 hours a day on social media apps such as YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X (formerly Twitter),...
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Joanne Jacobs
Oct 10, 20232 min read
How AZ parents spend ESAs: Specialty schools, private schools -- and karate lessons!
How are Arizona parents spending Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) money? They're paying for educational products and services,...
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Joanne Jacobs
Aug 5, 20232 min read
Let the kids play and the teenagers work
Teenagers wouldn't be so anxious, depressed and fragile if they'd spent more time playing outside with friends -- without adult...
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Joanne Jacobs
Jul 6, 20232 min read
U.S. kids spend lots of time in school, but much of it is wasted
Rethink summer vacation, writes Rick Hess in an Education Week column. That doesn't mean extend the school year. The much-discussed...
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Joanne Jacobs
May 29, 20231 min read
Go outside to play -- and learn
Kindergarteners learn outdoors -- including time in the "magical forest" -- for most of the school day at a school in Quebec, reports...
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Joanne Jacobs
Apr 19, 20231 min read
'Transition Me Elmo' could be the next hot new toy
The new Transition Me Elmo doll will introduce children "to the exciting new world of gender reassignment," reports Babylon Bee. "If...
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Joanne Jacobs
Jan 9, 20231 min read
Move it and lose the blues
Exercise and sports -- at least one hour three times a week -- are a natural anti-depressant for teenagers, according to an analysis of...
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Joanne Jacobs
Jan 7, 20232 min read
No more snow days? Not yet
Snow days have not been canceled, despite the rise of remote learning, writes Nathan M. Sorber, a higher education professor at West...
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Joanne Jacobs
Nov 26, 20221 min read
Striver parents want toys to 'cram learning into playtime'
For ambitious parents, toys are supposed to "cram learning into playtime," writes Alex Blasdel in The Guardian. "Is it time for a...
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