EDUCATION - How Children Learn (Part 1 of 2)

"In School, Babies Teach Older Children to Consider Feelings and Needs of Others" PBS Newshour 3/28/2013

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  A recent study found that schools with high levels of teasing and bullying had dropout rates above the national average.  In Seattle, a program called Roots of Empathy is using an unconventional method to stop bullying -- bringing infants into the classroom to demonstrate the importance of listening and caring for other people.

JUDY WOODRUFF (Newshour):  .....two stories about how children learn.

The first focuses on a Seattle program that uses babies to prevent bullying.  A recent study by the University of Virginia found the dropout rate was 29 percent above average in schools with significant levels of teasing and bullying, compared to schools in the study with lower rates.

Our story is part of our ongoing American Graduate series.

At seven-months-old, Claire Fitzpatrick is a typical baby.  She is sitting up on her own, eating solid foods and developing a little bit of a mischievous streak.  But what separates Claire from most infants is that she is also a teacher.  Once a month, Jenny and Kyle Fitzpatrick bring their daughter into a classroom full of Seattle-area kindergartners.  As soon as Claire arrives, students welcome her with a song.

JUDY WOODRUFF:  Then, for the next 40 minutes or so, Claire is at the heart of lessons on what it means to care for and about others, as part of the program Roots of Empathy.