What if love—not flashcards—built the smartest brains?

Stanford’s Dr. Isabelle Howe is here with fresh insights on “relational intelligence,” why babies laugh eight times harder with a friend, and how junk tech is quietly choking your family dinners. We dig into France’s universal preschool, Head Start’s looming funding cliff, and the Sunday-night ritual that turns bedtime dread into disco therapy. Expect science, real-world inspiration, and hopeful ideas you’ll want to quote at your next parent-teacher night.

Isabelle Hau asks "What if love—not flashcards—built the smartest brains?"

The Ready, Set, Go! Play and Learn program at Earl Boyles Elementary School gives children from birth to age 3 and their caregivers opportunities to learn in a child-centered and culturally responsive environment. The program, in its second year at Earl Boyles, builds parenting and social and emotional skills, and strengthens relationships between families and schools. Judy Strand, the CEO of Metropolitan Family Service, which runs the program, highlights the results of the program, while Program Coordinator Maria Perdomo explains, “We notice how the children have been improving in their skills—social/emotional skills, cognitive skills—and how the parents are improving how they connect with their children and support them with positive discipline.”

The Early Link Podcast

Ready, Set, Go! Early Learning from Birth to 3

The Early Link Podcast, brought to you by Children's Institute based in Portland, Oregon, highlights national, regional, and local voices working in the field of early care and education. Written, hosted, and produced by Rafael Otto.

Isabelle Hau asks "What if love—not flashcards—built the smartest brains?"

Children's Institute

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