Lisa Guernsey

Bedtime = book time. Parents know that equation by heart, or at least they're supposed to. The drill goes like this: Just before the goodnight kiss, we snuggle up with our young kids, open a book, and read with them. Okay, so maybe at first we have to beg them to just settle down. And maybe the baby is more prone to eat the pages than look at them. But still, we try. We're the ones responsible for these little human beings. It's part of our… more

Strengthening education in the face of severe state budget problems may seem an impossible goal. But a new report released today by the New America Foundation shows that not only is it possible, it’s already happening. A small but growing number of counties, school districts, and charter schools in California are making progress toward building seamless PreK-3rd early education systems—a promising strategy to narrow achievement gaps and raise student achievement.

As California struggles to close persistent achievement gaps, it is increasingly apparent that these gaps exist at school entry and that efforts to improve the early education systems (PreK-3rd) are warranted.   Please join us in the release of "On the Cusp in California: How PreK-3rd Strategies Could Improve Education in the Golden State," a policy paper from New America's Early Education Initiative that highlights key strategies for creating a more seamless system for early learning in California.

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From the Editors: "Where the Wild Things Are," a film based on Maurice Sendak’s classic children’s book, hit theaters on Friday. The book is loved by 4- and 5-year-olds, but this PG-rated movie may well be too scary for them.

Child development experts debate whether, when it comes to the big screen, live-action films are easier for preschoolers to identify with and enjoy than complex animation. But the live-action G-rated movie seems increasingly rare these days.

Lisa Guernsey, the director of the early-learning initiative at the New America Foundation, a Washington think tank, said: “We're not seeing any signs of a ...

A few years ago, Newsweek called kindergarten "the new first grade." This month, as I watch my 5-year-old settle into her classroom, it's clear the trend hasn't abated. In May, she was kneading Play-Doh in preschool. Now she has an assigned seat and "guided reading" lessons.

New America's Lisa Guernsey interviews with the Kojo Nnamdi Show.

Whether they're starting kindergarten or college, students today are less interested in pencils and books than in cellphones and laptops. We'll look at the hot tech items on this year's back-to-school shopping list. ... Original Audio

"Ideally, new attention to children's attention could lead to some crossover between the health and education communities," said Lisa Guernsey, an early education analyst at the New America Foundation who compiled the findings of several studies that came to strikingly similar conclusions downplaying the long-term consequences of bad behavior. The most recent research was published last month in the journal Pediatrics.

This story has been brought to you by the letter S and the numbers 15 and 40. (Or, as the Count might say in his adorable Transylvanian accent, "fivteen and forrrty-HA, HA, HA!") The S, as anyone who has ever watched television can deduce by now, stands for Sesame Street. The 40 is almost as easy: this year marks the 40th anniversary of sunny days, friendly neighbors and the fuzzy creatures who live on that street where the air is sweet. If you haven't watched recently… more