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  Dear Early Education Advocates, Sadly, last fall, over 10,000 of our own children entered kindergarten behind their peers. Those children rarely catch up; instead, the achievement gap widens over time. Children who enter the K-12 system without being ready are more likely to fall behind grade level expectations, to be held  back, to need […]

It’s time to put Virginia’s kids at the top of your list! Can you imagine entering kindergarten and already feeling behind?  Last year, over 10,000 of Virginia’s kids entered kindergarten not ready. Right now, many children are so far behind when they start school that they may never catch up, and the statistics are not […]

  New international rankings released today reveal that our students are falling further behind their international peers. The 2012 results from Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), which was administered last fall, show that  out of 65 countries assessed, American teens: Rank 31st in math, down six spots from 25th in 2009. Rank 24th in […]

  Yesterday in Washington, Jennifer Garner, award-winning actress and mother of three, lent her voice to support early education as lawmakers unveiled the bipartisan bill, “The Start Strong For America’s Children Act,” which would expand access to high-quality preschool for low- and moderate-income families. “As moms, we all want our children to do the very […]

  The 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results are in and show Virginia’s incoming fourth graders continue to improve in reading. According to the 2013 NAEP results: 43% of Virginia fourth-graders scored at or above proficient reading levels; a 4% improvement from 39% in 2011. Virginia’s average score exceeded the nation’s average score by […]

In Sunday’s New York Times, Nicholas Kristof wrote a compelling Op-Ed on one red state’s surprising victory with early education.  Did you know that when it comes to early education Oklahoma is at the forefront in providing access to early education? This may come as a surprise to both liberals and conservatives, but as Kristof […]

  When we talk about the importance of investing in early education, one common question we hear is this: do the benefits really continue into 3rd grade, 8th grade and beyond? We’ve mentioned the success in Maryland before (learn more about that here).  And now, there’s a new state boasting improved long-term academic outcomes as […]

  Tonight’s a big night for children everywhere: Halloween!  But believe it or not before they dig into all their yummy treats, there are some fun, easy ways to use candy to learn (you just might want to give them at least one piece before you try them!): Count all the pieces of candy they […]

Are you cheering for the Cards or a diehard Red Sox fan? Either way you can help a child develop strong literacy and math skills with a little World Series fun & games… Read the alphabet book (there is a great book entitled H is for Home Run) Watch the World Series together & find […]

As your child’s first and most important teacher, one of the most important things you can do for your child is to read to them.  Here at E3, we LOVE reading books with our kids.  One of favorite authors?  Sandra Boynton, whose books are both witty and fun. Below are a few of our favorites: […]

  Old Dominion University presents The Darden Lecture in Education featuring David Kirp, author of “Kids First,” “Improbable Scholars” and “The Sandbox Investment.” Kirp is an advocate for innovative solutions for early education and K-12. We’ll see you there on 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, October 23rd at ODU University Theater, 4600 Hampton Blvd, Norfolk, VA. Get […]

  Earlier this month, James Koch, Old Dominion University’s board of visitors professor of economics and president emeritus, presented his annual “State of the Region” report to Hampton Roads business, civic and philanthropic leaders. One key takeaway from the report?  Rather than investing millions in arenas, conference centers and performance venues with “questionable” economic impacts, […]

Yesterday, on the blog, we talked about “Marshmallows, Grit & The Future Workforce” and used the well-known “marshmallow experiment” to show that even at four-years-old, cognitive skills are not enough.  Want to see the “marshmallow experiment” in action?  Watch the video below: As Dr. James Heckman, Nobel Laureate in Economics explains, “Soft skills matter.  They […]

Many of you may be familiar with what’s widely known as the “marshmallow experiment.”  In the late 60s, Stanford University Researchers set out to test the willpower of 4-year-olds by leaving a marshmallow on a table for a child and instructing them that if they wait until the teacher returns, they would get 2 marshmallows, […]

This week, E3’s Chair, Gary McCollum, and the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation’s Chair, Ben Davenport, sent out a join letter to early education stakeholders in Virgina with with an update on Virginia’s Kindergarten Readiness Project.  To read the full letter, click the image below:   For more information on Virginia’s Kindergarten Readiness Project, click here.