📝 When Kids Struggle to Write or Count — Tips on How to Spot the Signs

Today's Issue: Pinterest's Parenting Trend Report; Dysgraphia & Dyscalculia in ECE; ECE in the News = 1.5 cups of coffee.

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📌 Goodbye, iPad Kids? Pinterest Says Parents Are Over It.

The data is telling. Pinterest analyzed data from over 600M monthly users and 80 billion monthly searches, and the message from parents is clear: they want their kids off the screens and into the world. Searches for "screen free activities" are up 200% year over year. "No phone summer" jumped 340%. Even the phrase "digital detox aesthetic" is up 95%.

And the learning piece? "Educational activities for kids" is up 280%, "outdoor learning" is up 65%, and "sensory play ideas" jumped a staggering 1,070%. Parents are designing childhoods rooted in creativity and real-world experience — and that is exactly what ECE settings are built for.

This is your moment, ECE leaders. Parents are looking for what you already do best. 👉 Check out the full Pinterest Parenting Trend Report HERE

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Extra Credit: Hit “reply” to this email and tell us what stands out from the list above with the parents at your school.

✏️ When Writing & Math Feel Impossible — Spotting Dysgraphia & Dyscalculia Early

Every ECE educator has had that child. The one who seems bright, engaged, and eager — but when it comes to holding a pencil or grasping numbers, something just doesn't click. Before you chalk it up to "not ready yet," it's worth knowing about dysgraphia and dyscalculia — two learning differences that are far more common than most people realize, and ones that ECE settings are uniquely positioned to flag early.

So what are they? Dysgraphia is a neurological condition affecting written expression — not just messy handwriting, but the ability to organize thoughts on paper, form letters consistently, and manage the physical act of writing. Dyscalculia is its numerical counterpart, making it difficult for children to understand numbers, quantities, and basic math concepts. They affect an estimated 5–15% of school-age children, yet the majority go unidentified until second grade or later — often after years of frustration, avoidance behaviors, and damaged confidence.

Here's why that window matters so much: the brain is most plastic during the ages of 3–7. Research consistently shows that early intervention during this period produces significantly better outcomes than interventions that begin in elementary school. ECE is the first academic environment most children encounter. That means your teachers are often the very first people outside the family to observe how a child processes language, handles a crayon, or struggles to count a set of blocks.

Spotting the early signs of dysgraphia and dyscalculia isn't about diagnosing — it's about noticing, documenting, and opening the door for families. That early conversation can change the entire trajectory of a child's education.

(link to blog post below)

👉 Read our full guide: "What ECE Centers Can Do When They Suspect Dysgraphia or Dyscalculia" → 

ECE In The News

🏛️ Iowa Makes It Official: Iowa's House just passed a bill 86-3 to make permanent a pilot program that gives child care workers free child care through the state's Child Care Assistance program. Since July 2023, 2,105 families have benefited from the pilot — and providers across the state say it's been one of the most critical tools in keeping their ECE workforce intact. The bill now heads to the Senate. Could this be a model for other states? We think so. 👉 Full story HERE

👩‍🏫 Child Care Crisis = Teacher Retention Crisis: Here's a stat that should stop you in your tracks: 15% of teachers who left the profession in 2021-22 cited child care and pregnancy as the reason. Add in the fact that child care costs rose 29% between 2020 and 2024 — while teacher salaries actually shrank by 5% in real terms over the past decade — and you've got a slow-moving crisis hiding in plain sight. The child care crisis isn't just a parent problem. It's an education workforce problem. Read the full breakdown HERE

🌐 The Internet is a Playground:

📅 On this Day in History: On March 3, 1931, President Herbert Hoover signed an act of Congress officially making "The Star-Spangled Banner" the national anthem of the United States — more than 100 years after Francis Scott Key wrote the lyrics watching the British bombard Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. Tip: Play the anthem for your class and ask the kids what they think it means to have a song that belongs to everyone in a whole country. You might be surprised what they come up with! 🎶🇺🇸

🌳 Kill Some Time: With this fun GAME to build your own landscape.

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