The hottest Child development Substack posts right now

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Top Education Topics

Book review: Math-ish and Math Mind

The Bell Ringer • 3 HN points • 30 Aug 24
🚌 Education Child development
  1. Kids may not be learning math deeply if they only focus on concepts without practicing basic skills. Just like music, understanding math requires more than just thinking about it—it needs practice and foundational knowledge.
  2. Two new books suggest that creativity and a positive mindset toward math can help kids learn effectively. However, it’s important to also teach the necessary skills and techniques for actually doing math.
  3. There's a concern that these books might promote a 'think system' approach to math education, which could overlook the important learning processes. Skills in math, as in music, come from practice and mastering the basics.

Do Math, Touch Grass, Repeat

Kids Who Love Math • 167 implied HN points • 25 Feb 25
🚌 Education Child development
  1. It's great for kids to love math, but that shouldn't mean they have to give up everything else to become math geniuses. Parents should let kids decide their own paths.
  2. While math is important and helpful in many areas, it doesn't handle everything in life. Kids need to connect with people and the world outside of math.
  3. The pressure to make kids succeed in math, like in sports, can take the fun out of it. Instead, kids should also spend time playing outside and enjoying other activities.

The Crime Of The Century: COVID Lockdowns Devastated An Entire Generation Of Children

Unmasked • 71 implied HN points • 22 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Child development
  1. COVID lockdowns had severe negative effects on children's development, including social and emotional skills.
  2. Many policies during the pandemic, like mask mandates and school closures, were implemented without considering their long-term impacts.
  3. New research confirms that the consequences of these lockdowns harmed a generation of kids for no good reason.

Strong Students Aren't Always Ready for More

Pershmail • 137 implied HN points • 07 Aug 23
🚌 Education Child development
  1. Strong students may not always be ready for more challenging material.
  2. Mathematics education is not a one-size-fits-all journey, some students have specific areas of interest and may not be ready for broader mathematical growth.
  3. Kids may have peaks of interest in specific mathematical topics, and that's completely normal, parents should be aware of this and educator should offer real challenges to help them grow.

Links to Consider, 10/29/2024

In My Tribe • 227 implied HN points • 29 Oct 24
🚌 Education Child development
  1. The Socratic Experience aims to change education by focusing on personal growth and happiness instead of just curriculum. The goal is to reach millions of students by 2050, which shows it’s about making a positive impact rather than just profit.
  2. Since 2020, the U.S. has seen a big rise in debt, especially government debt, compared to its economic growth. This raises concerns about the sustainability of such debt levels.
  3. The UAE offers greater freedom for work and living compared to many Western countries. Its approach to immigration is different and aims to invite all people for better opportunities.
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Three Things

The Analog Family • 119 implied HN points • 28 Sep 23
🚌 Education Child development
  1. Talking with others about kids being screen-free can lead to unexpected creative projects, like building a squirrel house from twigs. It's a fun way to encourage children to use their imagination.
  2. The book 'The Art of Gathering' teaches how to host events effectively, emphasizing thoughtful planning and creating engaging themes for gathering guests. Consider making a toast or having a theme for your next dinner party.
  3. Some European countries are moving away from technology in schools, suggesting that traditional learning methods like reading books and writing by hand are better for students. This is different from the tech-focused approach seen in places like Canada.

Does cursive writing offer educational benefits over printing?

The Science of Learning • 119 implied HN points • 21 Aug 23
🚌 Education Child development
  1. Handwriting, whether cursive or printing, is better than typing for young kids. It helps them with spelling, letter recognition, and memory.
  2. There is no solid proof that cursive writing is better for cognitive skills than printing. Both styles seem to be pretty equal in benefits.
  3. The claims about cursive writing being more helpful for critical thinking or expression are not supported by research. It's important for kids to practice any handwriting to become fluent.

The biological reasons boys suck at school

Sex and the State • 49 implied HN points • 09 Jul 25
🚌 Education Child development
  1. Boys generally struggle more in school than girls due to differences in behavior and brain development. They often have trouble with focus, patience, and following instructions, which are important for success in formal education.
  2. School systems often fail to meet the needs of boys, particularly those who are low-performing. Many boys feel frustrated and unengaged, leading them to drop out or act out in class.
  3. To help boys succeed, schools should provide more practical learning options like apprenticeships, trade schools, and classes that match their skills and interests. Boys thrive when they feel needed and responsible.

sunday memepool: gato's home schoolin'

bad cattitude • 105 implied HN points • 20 Oct 24
🚌 Education Child development
  1. The education system isn't broken; it's doing what it was designed to do. We need to recognize that and adjust how we teach to make it more effective.
  2. Teaching kids important skills is vital. If we don't step in, they might not be ready for tough jobs in the future.
  3. Homeschooling can be a good alternative to standard education. It allows for tailored learning that meets a child's specific needs.

Smartphones Don't Belong in Schools

The Analog Family • 79 implied HN points • 20 Jun 23
🚌 Education Child development
  1. Smartphones can distract students in school and hurt their focus on learning. When kids check their phones during class, it makes it hard for them to absorb information.
  2. Phones can make kids feel less connected to each other. With everyone looking at screens, it's tough to build real friendships and connect with peers.
  3. Some places are banning smartphones in schools to help students focus better. This isn't about being against technology; it's about supporting better education and well-being for kids.

Boys are more delicate than girls

Sex and the State • 53 implied HN points • 06 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Child development
  1. Boys are more affected by their family situations than girls. A stable family life can greatly improve boys' future job prospects.
  2. Growing up in poverty and single-parent households has a bigger negative impact on boys. They tend to struggle more in school and with behavior compared to girls in similar situations.
  3. Many people, regardless of their political views, are worried about boys' futures. Society generally believes we need to do more to help boys succeed.

A simple test for AI comprehension

Logos • 19 implied HN points • 21 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Child development
  1. The author tests AI's understanding using a guessing game. The AI struggled and often made mistakes, which leads to questions about their comprehension.
  2. LLMs act like children by mimicking language without true understanding. They can say the right words but might not grasp the ideas behind them.
  3. The argument suggests that while LLMs can analyze complex topics, their understanding is shallow compared to human comprehension.

Assessing altruism

Model Thinking • 19 implied HN points • 09 Jul 23
🔬 Science Child development
  1. Intergenerational altruism in the Barro-Becker model may need to be as low as 0.09 for a stable solution, which seems paradoxical considering the proportion of a parent's and child's consumption.
  2. Potential explanations for this paradox include scale economies in household production, children being viewed as 'utility monsters,' and parents seeing children as a prestige good.
  3. The discrepancy in altruism values between parents and consequences may imply that individuals are not consequentialists and may prioritize existing utility over potential future utility.

A pro-science, pro-progress, techno-optimistic middle school health textbook from 1929

More is Different • 16 implied HN points • 29 Nov 24
🚌 Education Child development
  1. Science has made our lives better, giving us more comforts and longer life. We owe a lot to advancements like vaccinations and better sanitation that have improved health and safety.
  2. The book contrasts modern science with older practices from different cultures, showing how those without scientific methods faced more health challenges. It suggests that knowledge from science helps us understand and solve health problems better.
  3. The early chapters celebrate people's achievements in science, calling them heroes. It highlights how these individuals fought disease and changed health practices, showing the importance of curiosity and courage in scientific discovery.

The Second Largest US Teachers Union Irreparably Harmed US Children

Who is Robert Malone • 14 implied HN points • 05 Dec 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Child development
  1. School closures during the pandemic harmed students' academic performance significantly. Many students fell behind in learning, especially low-income and minority children.
  2. The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) influenced policies that contributed to negative mental health effects in students. Isolated from peers, many kids faced increased anxiety and depression.
  3. Prolonged school closures also worsened children's physical health. With less access to nutritious meals and physical activities, rates of obesity and related health issues increased.

VSRF LIVE TONIGHT: Episode 189- Sam Sorbo: Escaping Institutional Indoctrination

Steve Kirsch's newsletter • 1 implied HN point • 07 Aug 25
🚌 Education Child development
  1. Sam Sorbo advocates for parental rights and educational freedom, emphasizing that parents should be in charge of their children's learning. She believes that the current school system often limits independent thinking.
  2. Homeschooling is presented as a powerful way for families to reclaim educational control and empower children to become resilient thinkers. It allows parents to tailor learning to their child's needs.
  3. The importance of community support and financial contributions is highlighted as essential for initiatives like VSRF, which seeks to promote health freedom and truth in education.

Take It From a Pediatrician

Are You Okay? • 0 implied HN points • 15 Feb 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Child development
  1. As COVID-19 restrictions relax, pediatricians are sharing optimistic views on the progress made, including the availability of effective vaccines and the decreasing severity of the virus over time.
  2. Children who have recovered from COVID-19 tend to develop lasting immunity, with studies showing a strong immune response, even greater than adults, in some cases.
  3. The potential harms of prolonged mask wearing on children's development, combined with the psychological impacts of the pandemic, highlight the importance of considering the overall well-being of children when making decisions about COVID-19 precautions.

What playful learning looks like

resonantbrain • 0 implied HN points • 14 Sep 23
🚌 Education Child development
  1. Playful learning involves purposeless activities that help discover purpose, perspective, and meaning in the long term.
  2. Conventional schooling often focuses on visible skills, but children's learning is rooted in the real world and builds on invisible competencies.
  3. In fostering playful exploration in topics like reading and math, emphasis should be on building core invisible skills like attention, critical thinking, logical reasoning, and abstract thinking.

How should we enable playful learning?

resonantbrain • 0 implied HN points • 21 Feb 24
🚌 Education Child development
  1. Children naturally learn best through play and exploration, making traditional teaching methods less effective. It's important to allow children the freedom to explore and discover on their own.
  2. Playful learning goes beyond standardized curriculum; it involves letting children engage with topics through hands-on experiences like playing with mud to learn about science concepts.
  3. Adults should act as guides in a child's learning journey, sharing the joy of exploration and discovery, rather than being the sole source of knowledge. Success lies in the journey of self-discovery and purposeful living.

Toys, scratching, and quantum strategies

The Strategy Toolkit • 0 implied HN points • 12 Feb 25
🎭️ Culture Child development
  1. Choosing the right toys can significantly impact children's development. Toys can teach vital skills that prepare kids for adult life.
  2. Research shows that the Norse settlers in Greenland struggled due to the lack of useful toys for their children. Their creativity suffered, which contributed to their downfall.
  3. Inuit children thrived because they had more diverse and relevant toys. This helped them be more innovative and adapt better to their environment.