K-12 Greatest Hits:The Best Ideas in Education

Is it possible that ADHD is really the result of poor parenting or misguided teaching? Is ADHD even a legitimate diagnosis, or have we simply "medicalized" what is typical child behavior under specific conditions? The issue is far from settled. Our two guests share very different views and both make a compelling case. Listen, get the facts and decide for yourself.

The explanation for the differences in the way boys and girls develop and therefore what should expected of each has changed over the years. Our two experts offer a panoramic view of gender differences and identify the three basic things you need to know to be an effective parent and teacher

Kicking, biting, hitting, fighting, why are some children more aggressive than others? In this segment our guests explore the foundations of aggression in children, the causes, the warning signs and specific techniques for preventing and managing aggression from birth to age eight.

Computers, Internet, television, Twitter, iPods, can these technologies really enhance early childhood learning? In the NAEYC Radio segment , the Corporation for Public Broadcasting challenges some conventional wisdom with the use of digital media in their "Ready to Learn" program. Learn more...

While many teachers, schools and parents discourage rough housing, the data suggests that rough and tumble play is actually very good. Among the many unrecognized benefits is the intimacy and need for touch that it provides young boys. Thomas Reed makes a compelling case for not only encouraging rough and tumble play but for joining in frolic.

Nsedu Obot Witherspoon talks with the Executive Director of the Association for Childhood Education International and explains why so many child care centers and preschools are behind the curve in protecting children from environmental health hazards. Witherspoon explores why young children are particularly at risk and offers solutions and resources.

Peter Johnston makes a compelling case for the notion that the world has so fundamentally changed that the meaning of literacy has to be redefined. Peter discusses a new initiative to rethink what literacy means today along with new standards for measuring it.

Today, parents and teachers agonize about when to say no, how to say no and whether the word “no” should even be used with children at all. In this segment, two experts face off in an attempt to find the balance between being too permissive and too restrictive.

Candid, thoughtful and straight talking, Dr. Diane Ravitch gives an unvarnished report card on the errors of our national educational policy. Ravitch offers a prescription for getting children and our educational system back on track. Hosted by Dan Domench Executive Director of the American Association of School Superintendents.

Dr. Gary Small says that overexposure to technology alters your child's brain and can impact a number of important, basic social skills. How can you determine if your child is addicted to technology and, more importantly, what should you do if she is? Gary Small, M.D., is Professor of Psychiatry at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, the Parlow-Solomon Professor on Aging at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and Director of the UCLA Center on Aging.

Someone once defined difficult parents like this:They don't do what you want them to do, they do what you don't want them to do and you don't know what to do about it. In this segment, Dr. Fiore explains why the number of difficult parents is skyrocketing and shares savvy insights and specific tips for dealing with them.

Lenore Skenazy says that telling kids not to talk to strangers is one of the most useless and misguided pieces of advice ever foisted on us. Lenore turns conventional wisdom on its head and asserts that we're not teaching safety to kids but in fact are just teaching fear and preventing kids from developing critical street smarts. Debbie Johnston strongly disagrees. Hear both sides...

This segment focuses on an education reform initiative that is already producing exceptional outcomes. Today's interview is with Geoffrey Canada, creator of the Harlem Children's Zone, a system of schools that have effectively eliminated the achievement gap among its students.

Steve Gross shares with us why joy and play opens up the world for children and why parents, teachers and care takers need to be playful and joyful to interact well with children. From Southern Early Childhood Association

In this fascinating discussion, Larry Griffin asserts that the number of boys who are unmotivated and underachieving is growing. He has identified five reasons why educators and society are failing to successfully launch boys and why increasing numbers of boys are simply being lost. Larry goes on to offer his insights on what educators can do to get them back on course. From the National Association for the Education of Young Children.