May Play, Kids Learning Less, Mother's Day

Between the copious showers and the solar assistance, spring is alive and lush with the grandeur of flora. Cynthia Brian’s entire garden is bursting with surprises of color, textures, and forms. Join the Goddess Gardener for some gardening playtime. In the past few decades early childhood learning has changed radically. Now that kindergarten serves as a gatekeeper, not a welcome mat, to elementary school, concerns about school preparedness kick in earlier and earlier. Kids are being forced to work harder, but studies are showing they are learning less. Are kids being forced to read and write instead of talk, listen, and play? Heather Brittany sheds light on the shift from exploratory early-childhood teaching to the quest for achievement. Moms around the world perform astronomical duties every day without much fanfare. One day a year these dedicated women are celebrated on Mother’s Day. Granted Mother’s Day was created as a commercial venue, yet it has become a special occasion.