+CA: focusing on student connections and collaboration +IL: remembering a David Letterman student project +MS: valuing the youngest learners +PA: ensuring all students can read Explore voices, news, & highlights in this week’s Teach Plus National Newsblast: https://cm.teachplus.org/t/r-8F0B893AA635CED22540EF23F30FEDED (fb)

“Early education is about more than just letters and numbers—it’s about laying a foundation for lifelong learning and success.” Make kindergarten mandatory, writes Teach Plus Mississippi Policy Fellow Allison Bunn. "My kindergarten classroom is a place where structured literacy instruction coexists with play-based learning. In our classroom, learning letter sounds isn’t just about flashcards and worksheets — it’s about hands-on, meaningful play and using letter blocks or magnetic tiles to construct words." Read her op-ed here: (fb)