Creating a baby genius

I'm not a parent yet, but have scanned my share of baby registeries to know that it usually contains a Baby Einstein product. Is this bad? Not at all. The boom to recognize the importance of learning from birth is an ideal we were founded upon and hold dearly. However, how much is too much when it comes to teaching our kids, and can a "product" really make a baby smarter? Adrienne Martini explores the subject of "Baby Geniuses" on Babble.com, a magazine and blog devoted to new parents.

We'd believe that it's the love and attention from parents that helps baby excel. What do you think -- do educational products make a difference in how smart kids are?

(By the way, have a fun and safe Independence Day!)

MN School Readiness Study Shows Progress

The Minnesota Department of Education released the “Minnesota School Readiness Study,” which tracks kindergarten readiness in physical development, the arts, personal and social development, language and literacy, and mathematical thinking.

The study, which involved 48 elementary schools, divides proficiency into three levels – not yet, in process and proficient.

Although I'm encouraged that more kids were deemed proficient in all 5 indicators of progress when compared to previous Minnesota School Readiness Assessments, there is still much more we need to do to make sure that every child enters kindergarten fully prepared.

PDF:> View the full report