Blog, News & Events
Insights, Ideas, and Resources for Early Learning
Welcome to the Think Small Blog, your go-to destination for valuable insights, innovative ideas, and inspiring stories in the field of early learning. Dive into a treasure trove of articles crafted by our team of experts, dedicated to empowering child care providers, educators, and families.
Early Literacy Efforts Pushed to 2025
As the 2024 legislative session winds down, the pile of ideas on the cutting room floor is growing and, unfortunately, it includes early literacy.?It was a bumper biennium with nearly ...
Small Talks A Think Small Speaker Series
Small Talks Slides White Paper About the EventJoin us for the third and final event in our Small Talks early literacy series. This entire in-person, hour-long event will be ...
Guest Post: What is the READ Act?
In Minnesota and around the country, many children are not on track to read proficiently. The latest Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) results show just 48% of 3rd graders met or ...
Small Talks A Think Small Speaker Series
Recording Small Talks Slides White PaperAbout the EventOnly 30% of Minnesota 8th graders were deemed proficient in reading in a recent national assessment (NCES 2022).Addressing this troubling statistic begins with ...
Small Talks A Think Small Speaker Series
About the EventOnly 30% of Minnesota 8th graders were deemed proficient in reading in a recent national assessment (NCES 2022). Addressing this troubling statistic begins with babies. There is much ...
Literacy Starts at Birth
Children?s brains in the first five years of life are rapidly forming new connections and building the foundation for future learning. Caregivers in a child?s life play a crucial role ...
How to Build Diverse Collections
Children need representation, inclusion, & diversity in the books they are enjoying. It is a simple enough statement; one we can all agree on. But if asked to talk about why, what is our answer? How do we know if we are doing it right? Or wrong?
Small Talks - Talk to Me: How Early Conversations Impact a Child's Life
Small Talks features leaders who will share key insights on early childhood education and discuss innovative solutions to early learning issues in Minnesota. By Kristie ThorsonTalk to Me: How Early ...
Using LENA to Help Close the Word Gap
By: Gerri FisherThis month marks one year since the start of the Think Small blog. To celebrate, we?re using January to highlight information and initiatives from Think Small and our ...
Word Pedometers Brought to Minneapolis to Help Close Word Gap
By: Maya Fanjul-DebnamMinnesota is heralding in an innovative program to help close the word gap. The word gap–a 30 million word deficit between children from low income families and their ...
Minneapolis Launches "Talking is Teaching" Campaign to Close Word Gap
By Maya Fanjul-DebnamBy age four, children from low-income families hear 30 million fewer words than their more well-off peers, setting them on very different trajectories for early literacy. The disparity ...
Partnership Brings Reading Corps into Child Care Settings
We are very proud to partner with Minnesota Reading Corps to bring early learning experts into family child care settings to work directly with children and child care providers on ...