(The following segments originally aired in May 2010)
05.26.10
Looking into the baby brain: What's really going on inside the mind of babies when they're quietly playing, giggling or watching their parents?
We'll soon know.
The University of Washington's Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS) opened its new brain imaging center with the world's first brain imaging machine calibrated to study infants and young children. The magnetoencephalography - or MEG - machine is able to map the brain activity of children - even as young as only a few days old - as they think, feel, act and listen to languages.
Watch as Dr. Pat Kuhl, co-director of I-LABS, talks about what the new MEG machine is, what its findings could mean for teaching and learning, and how I-LABS plans to share what it learns with families throughout the state.
05.19.10
Helping Children Who've Been Expelled from Preschool: Hitting or biting, the inability to adjust to classroom routines, out-of-control crying, language delays and sleep difficulties. It's a hidden epidemic: preschoolers expelled from their classrooms because of behavior problems at rates double that of children in state K-12 classrooms. Such expulsions can lead to further behavior problems and great difficulties in achieving both school readiness and later academic success.
A new preschool program called Cornerstone Classrooms at Wellspring Family Services in Seattle aims to help children ages 3- to 5-years old who are struggling to adjust to typical preschool programs by providing special classrooms staffed with teachers and therapists. It's only one of a few classrooms like this in the region.
On this Learning for Life, Judy Burr-Chellin, director of Parent/Child Services for Wellspring Family Services, talks about why so many children are expelled from preschool classrooms, why it's important to get these children help sooner rather than later, what families can do and how Cornerstone Classrooms are filling a need.
05.12.10
Raising an Adventurous Eater: Before his daughter, Iris, was born, Matthew Amster-Burton was working as a restaurant critic for the Seattle Times, eating great food for a living. Like many new dads, Amster-Burton wondered how having a child would change his life - and affect his hot chile consumption.
Determined to raise a daughter who thought outside of the Happy Meal box, Amster-Burton soon came to realize that raising an adventurous eater is about exposure, invention and patience - and that contrary to popular opinion, kids don't need puree in a jar or special menus in restaurants.
Watch this Learning for Life as Amster-Burton talks about his new book, Hungry Monkey: A Food-Loving Father's Quest to Raise an Adventurous Eater, which chronicles how he introduced his daughter to various foods, helped her become an adventurous eater and why he doesn't worry when Iris goes on a vegetable strike.
Started in 2006 by Kirkland mom Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner and Joan Blades, co-founder of MoveOn.org, MomsRising is now one million members strong and a force to be reckoned with in state capitals nationwide and in Washington D.C. as its members fight for healthcare for all children, paid family leave, quality childcare and fair wages.
Watch this Learning for Life as Finkbeiner talks about MomsRising, the major issues they're currently working on and how they're successfully engaging moms - a segment of the population that already doesn't have enough hours in the day.
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