All Work
Early Childhood Education
Decoding the Nonverbal Language of Babies — Interview with Dr. Beatrice Beebe
Dr. Beatrice Beebe joins Katharine Stevens to discuss her pioneering research on the surprisingly sophisticated communication between young babies and their caretakers.
Going Upstream: Closing the Achievement Gap Before It Starts
Leaders from Public Prep and the Parent-Child Home Program explain their innovative, new partnership, followed by a panel discussion on the potential of K–12 collaboration with early childhood and the implications of including birth-to-kindergarten in federal education law.
Executive Function Skills — Interview with Stephanie Carlson
Dr. Stephanie Carlson explains how the development of executive function skills in early childhood profoundly affects lifelong ability and achievement.
The Centennial Institute's Distinguished Policy Lecture: Early Childhood Care & Education
Katharine Stevens joins a panel of experts at the Centennial Institute for a discussion of market-based policies that strike a healthy balance between family wellbeing and a prosperous economy.
Decoding the Nonverbal Language of Babies
Dr. Beatrice Beebe presents her pioneering research on mother-infant interactions, followed by a discussion with Katharine Stevens.
Social from Birth
A growing body of research has revealed that infancy is a far more critical period of life than previously recognized, laying the foundation for future development and lifelong ability. One of the most significant new understandings is the degree to which babies are inherently social from birth.
When School Choice is Too Little, Too Late
School choice alone isn’t enough. Real education choice means enabling parents to make sure their child’s foundation is built right in the first place, starting at birth.
America’s Forgotten Communities — Interview with Chris Arnade
Photojournalist Chris Arnade joins Katharine Stevens to explain why he abandoned his Wall Street banking job to chronicle the lives of 'forgotten Americans,' and what he's learned from five years spent traveling across the country.
Growing Up in ‘Forgotten America’: Chris Arnade’s Photographs and the Stories Behind Them
Photojournalist Chris Arnade presents his striking photos of 'forgotten America,' illuminating profound gaps between the reality experienced by millions of struggling Americans and policy discussions in Washington, DC.
Portraits of ‘Forgotten’ America
Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential election illuminated growing political, economic, and cultural polarization in America. The work of photojournalist Chris Arnade provides valuable insight into the everyday experiences of the Americans long overlooked by many.
Does a Mother’s Mental Health Affect Her Fetus?
It's now well known that a pregnant woman’s physical well-being can affect the health of her fetus. Recent research shows that her mental health, too, has a much greater effect than previously recognized.
Building a Brain
Parents are their children’s first and most important teachers. Yet many don’t recognize how deeply influential they are on their child’s development.
Pre-K Isn’t Enough
While a year of pre-K can be helpful for many children, too often focus gets diverted from improving early learning for disadvantaged young children to promoting universal pre-K for all four-year-olds.
The Science of Early Learning: A Foundation for Expanding Opportunity
Jack P. Shonkoff, director of the Center of the Developing Child at Harvard University joins Robert Doar and Katharine Stevens to discuss the science of early learning and how it can be harnessed to improve opportunity for disadvantaged children.
Reauthorizing the Federal Home Visiting Program Was the Right Thing to Do
Voluntary home visiting programs, while not as well-known as Head Start or pre-K, may be the single most promising approach to improving the lives of America’s most disadvantaged young children.