"Small Interventions, Big Achievements"

An educational researcher asked middle-grades inner-city Detroit children what kind of future they would like to have, what difficulties they anticipated along the way, how they might deal with them, and which of their friends would be most helpful in coping. "After only a few such exercises in life planning, the children improved their performance on standardized academic tests, and the number who were required to repeat a grade dropped by more than half." In a New York Times opinion column published February 8, 2009, Richard E. Nisbett, professor of psychology at the University of Michigan, describes several examples of interventions that provide strong impact on educational achievement for a small cost. I strongly urge you to read this column linked here.

Awards for Children's Literature

The American Library Association has announced the winners of its 2009 children's book awards -- the Newbery Medal, the Caldecott Medal for illustration, the Coretta Scott King Award, the Michael L. Printz award for young adult literature -- and more. Click on the title of this post to see the winners.