Category Archives: Preschool

BE The Village

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 17:42 — 8.1MB)

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Once we understand the problems, have analyzed the difficulty of the current policy, what will we do? We might sally forth and try to change public policy, but experience says that such efforts normally go into the black hole of frustration. There is something, however, that can be done directly. You, yourself can probably help children.

If public policy for public education of young children has been worse and worse, there is some robust, replicated, scientific research that shows that church affiliated schools and preschool outperform. So instead of tearing your hair out trying to expand public education, why not help a congregation open a preschool? We have many buildings empty all week. We have a few good women, often college educated, who might work part-time. Churches have the expertise — and the history. If you can not do this, you have find someone who can. There are obstacles, of course, but I can help you over them.

First, take a listen. Then share. How much more sensible, practical, than sallying forth with self-righteous finger pointing: “It Takes a Village.” Well, if so, then WE need to be that village. The government is not a village. Not even a city. We can be, though. Please next, go to www.teachachildchangeanation.org for more information how your congregation could start a licensed child care center as a mission.

Be the Village

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:09 — 11.5MB)

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Apparently I made some sort of uploading mistake so today I am forced to give you a rerun. What would be good right before the elections? How about a consideration of how we together can influence education policy? That is certainly up for consideration in our vote in Texas.

You can see by the title that I start with the idea that Mrs. Clinton gave us in her *It Takes a Village.* In my book, *The Government is not a Village* I address each point she raised, organize those points, and update the statistics. It is not enough to simply retort, “NO, it takes two parents.” The fact is that there are many, indeed about 1/3rd of our children today who do not have both parents in the home with them. Further, even those that do, are impacted by the society around them and the educational opportunities that exist. While parents do bear the primary responsibility and should be given that freedom, citizens too, should consider how to make society better for children.

My book is available in paperback or eformat.

But how to do that is the question! Answers diverge from there and are seldom tested! Here are some statistics: Even controlling for household income, children who are in church/synagogue affiliated schools academically outperform those in public school. Even within public high schools, students who go to church/synagogue academically outperform.

So why do professors of Sociology not say that, but instead focus only on household income? Why do educators not say that, but focus instead only on the money voted for them in elections? Why have some state authorities suppressed this fact in teacher training? Why?

Well, let us talk about it. Please share. Please consider well whom you vote for. Please pray for all leaders including teachers, principals, city, school, county, state, national and international. As if the life of your child depended upon it.

BE The Village

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:09 — 11.5MB)

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Is Hilary Clinton right that it takes more than just a parent or two to rear a child? Is she right in her plans to extend government reach in order to serve more children? Is this the best way? Let’s consider this. A more in depth and point-by-point consideration is in my book. And guess what? There is a 15% off sale TODAY. Just use the code: FIFTEEN.

Looking back at the stats, I am very confused. Do you like Bible Studies or interviews with providers more? Is there a pattern about what is liked? Is there a pattern of hits by month? I just can’t tell. Anyway, here is a very popular episode, one that matters to me a lot. I am following up on this idea, and the book I wrote in 2012 (The Government is not a Village available on www.lulu.com), at the command of God, with another book, now on Amazon (How to Start a Daycare/Preschool as a Mission), with an online course.

It turns out that there is robust and replicated research that congregationally affiliated preschools have a much better academic outcome than any other type of preschool, far far better than Headstart — get this : even controlling for income in the home. This is huge. No one is talking about it. I was even told in one state by the person who controls the training for preschool teachers that I may not mention it. So much for science based education.

So if you want to make the most major impact the world, start a preschool in your church. Personalities are formed before 7 years of age. More than half of America’s children must be raised in group care. Take the lead in that group care. If you don’t know how, get my course.

Please please please, contact me. Let me know what you like about this podcast. Let me know what you are looking for that you are not finding. Please, just say hello, okay?

What a Mother Can Do About the Flu

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:30 — 26.1MB)

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A really bad flu seems to be going around. It is going around in Austin, with kids and with adults. It is going around the rest of the country. I hear it is going around in other countries. It is a bad one.

I also hear (rumors and televised news is close to the same these days) that the CDC flu vaccine doesn’t stop it. This is quite possible because how the flu vaccine is only a guess at the top 3 or 4 strains out of many many. I also heard a strong, middle aged adult say she wasn’t going to get a flu vaccine because she was afraid she would get autism. Well, neither the mercury implicated in autism nor the aluminum implicated in giving babies strokes is likely to hurt an adult. I’m not taking any stand on flu vaccines for adults. Discuss with a competent wellness professional.

Whether or not you and your family are into flu vaccines, still, there is much that can and should be done to stay healthy.

Washing hands is very important. In our century the mass of people discovered how important hand washing was, but then we are forgetting. We are with so many people! Have they washed their hands? Have they touched something with sticky hands? Most importantly, little children, crammed in with many other little children from different homes — this is an artificial and dangerous situation. So professional childcare experts are very big on handwashing. And table washing. And door knob washing. Knowlegable parents will also want to be informed if a plague is circulating through a classroom. Is there a way your child could stay home in such weeks?

All of this relates to learning disabilities and learning problems, because studies show that children who more health insults, even these comparatively minor ones, do less well in school. One study even showed that children with dirty fingernails, tended to have colds, and thus miss school, and thus did more poorly and were often thought to be less bright. More of their energy was going to physical wellness instead of learning.

Dr. Ensign will share his interview. This is a re-run from 2009. Notice, he favors real hand washing over the alcohol sauce, but public schools have often made that the only option.