-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.

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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.

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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.

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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?

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